Job Description

The Production Operator duties may include: Blending/preparing materials required for production run, staging materials required for production run, operating/troubleshooting extrusion process, and packaging finished product to customer specification. 

Responsibilities:

Safely drive fork trucks and actively participate in housekeeping for the work area.
Setting up one or two extruders to run a product that is in accordance with standard operating conditions with minimal downtime and loss of product
Monitors and troubleshoots during the extrusion process
If safety or quality issues develop, stops process and actively participates in problem-solving with shift supervisor, maintenance, safety and other operators
Completes product turn-arounds, which includes cleaning the extruder barrel and screws, the feeder, the pelletizer, the classifier, the reclaimer system, the automatic bagger, and feed and product totes to prevent product contamination
Maintaining proper records, which includes run logs/sheet, feed blends on line, amount of product in totes, packaging reports, work orders, log books and keeping the on-coming operator informed as to important issues
Review and understanding of the policies and procedures contained in standard operating procedures, hazardous communication and waste disposal procedures
Assume personal responsibility for complying with all safety/health related policies and procedures, participate in company sponsored safety programs and activities, and report to management those conditions or actions by employees or others that might create a hazard to themselves or others in the plant

Qualifications:

High school education or GED

5 years of manufacturing experience may be considered as meeting education requirement

Minimum of 3 years of experience in a manufacturing environment

Extrusion experience preferred

Must maintain a valid driver’s license for operation of a fork-lift

Previous fork-lift experience a plus

Required Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:        

Ability in the operation and uses of various hand tools
Must maintain acceptable housekeeping standards

Good communication skills required
Ability to work individually and within a small group. Daily activities may vary based daily production needs. 
Schedule requires working holidays and every other weekend.
Physical requirements include: lifting 55-lb bags (floor to chest), working in hot & cold temperatures, climbing stairs, frequent walking, standing and reaching in front of body
Frequent climbing on/off of fork truck

Desirable Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

Previous manufacturing experience, especially working with plastics and extrusion process is preferred
Previous work experience operating fork truck is preferred
Basic mechanical and a sound mathematics aptitude which includes the ability to calculate percent’s, ratios, unit conversions, averages, as well as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division