Operations Engineer

An Operations Engineer (OE) is an entry level position providing experience in both operations and engineering positions. This position will initially be assigned the role of either an Operations Team Leader or Project Engineer. At the appropriate time based on business needs, the OE will be assigned the duties of the alternate role of this position. When performing the Operations Team Leader role, serves as the primary leader for the development and coaching of the operations technicians and operations team in an effective, value driven, performance based environment. When assuming the Project Engineer role, the OE is responsible for managing capital projects, supporting daily plant operations, and managing the technology transfer process for all parts of the raw & processing areas.

Responsibilities

Operations Team Leader

• Leads and coordinates the activities of operation technicians engaged in production to ensure safety, increase innovation, technical expertise, analysis, and problem solving skills
• Observes work and supervises processing conditions to ensure that operators adhere to production or processing standards.
• Reads and analyzes KPI’s, charts, work orders, production schedules, and other records and reports to determine plant performance and to evaluate improvement opportunities.
• Plans and establishes work schedules, assignments, and production sequences to meet production goals.
• Confers with other facility leaders to coordinate operations and activities within or between departments.
• Leads team member’s pay through evaluation of eTime data. Reviews leave data pertaining to vacation, PTO, floating holiday, Voluntary Time Off, overtime and attendance.
• Inspects materials, products, or equipment to detect defects or malfunctions.
• Conducts or coordinates team member training in equipment operations, safety procedures, GMPs, quality, sanitation, maintenance and productivity.
• Interprets specifications, blueprints, job orders, and company policies and procedures for workers.
• Empower teams by way of training, information sharing, coaching, feedback, appraisals and delegation, to ensure the development of people, skills, teams and organizational capabilities.
• Responsible for temporary employee management including: safety policy’s, GMPs, equipment training, scheduling, and time card approval process.

Project Engineer

• Help in the development and implementation of process improvements (reliability, waste, product quality, safety, cost per pound) to meet business needs.
• Participate in the design, specification development, installation, start-up, troubleshooting, and technology transfer for new products/equipment and cost saving initiatives. This includes collaboration with global process engineers to ensure design standardization.
• Responsible for some capital project management: project definition, project planning, capital expenditure management, and technology transfer associated with capital projects and new products/pkg.
• Serve as plant lead for diet commissioning including capability assessment, development of processing specifications, coordination of commissioning runs, and test reports.
• Serve as primary resource to operating technicians for trouble shooting issues involving safety, design, production, quality defects, process changes and equipment modification by soliciting feedback and driving continuous improvement.
• Develop and maintain specifications, user documentation, and procedures for processing and equipment which are consistent with KPI goals and support Quality and EOHS Standards.
• Develops, validates, and transfers factory SOP’s associated with new products and process improvements.
• Accountable for ensuring compliance w/ CP/ Hills, local, state, and federal standards and guidelines related to EOHS, Quality, and Regulatory.
• Responsible for maintaining the plant IDD to accurately reflect dosing capability and use the document to assess new products for capability.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors of Science in Engineering, Processing/Packaging Technology, or a related technical field.
• Must be proficient with the following computer programs: MS Word/Excel/PowerPoint
• Ability to work any shift, weekends, or holidays and be on call.

Preferred Qualifications

• Recent internship / coop in a manufacturing environment.
• Mobility – ability to relocate for future opportunities.
• Prior supervisory experience
• Previous SAP experience.
• Prior pet food industry experience
• Lean Six Sigma certified

Equal Opportunity Employer