Starter Room Operator (Nights)

A Typical Day

The Starter Room Operator is responsible for the daily make of starter for cheese making.  In addition, the Starter Room Operator stages culture for production, maintains culture inventory, maintains starter room cleanliness, and oversees all operation and cleaning of starter room equipment. 

Job Responsibilities

• Schedule starter SAP Process Orders to be made based on a culture rotation and inventory demand
• Maintain culture and supplies inventory using the FIFO method
• Make starter following proper procedure
• Must obtain Pasteurizer License within 12 months of being in role
• To learn and operate computer related processes and controls
• Maintain MSS Schedules and all cleaning procedures 
• Understand and maintain the operation of all starter making equipment, including but not limited to: HTST, Starter Vats, CIP(Clean In Place) system, COP (clean out of place systems), ammonia inject system, and culture storage freezers
• To safely operate a forklift and pallet jack
• Pull aseptic starter samples for analysis
• Active participation and ownership in your training and development program and associated activities, classes and events, which will be held before, during, after shifts and during scheduled days off.  
• Help coach and train teammates and participate in on the job, buddy training.
• Place high priority on food safety and sanitation by understanding and executing HCC’s food safety and sanitation policies and procedures. 
• Hold self and others accountable to HCC’s food safety & sanitation guidelines and policies by communicating any food safety incident, observation, or opportunity to your leadership team or teammates. 
• Participate in food safety and sanitation root cause analysis and improvement activities when required.  
• Prioritize safety above all other job duties by having a safety first approach at all times. 
• Report any safety issues, observations, opportunities to your teams and follow up.  
• Participate in departmental safety teams
• Promote Company Culture
• Achieve common business goals through cooperative alignment with all departments.

What You Will Need

• English skills must be proficient to understand, read, write and speak English
• Must be able to work 8-hour rotating shifts including, weekends and holidays
• Experience working with Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook
• Ability to lift up to 60lbs
• Skilled in any cheese operations for at least 6 months or 1 year of manufacturing experience

What Will Put You Ahead

• High School diploma or GED from an accredited institution
• State issued Pasteurizer License
• Active/past member of department safety team
• Has completed or in the process of completing HCC Level 1 Leadership training
• Completion of a cheese short course
• Experience as an On the Job Trainer
• Skilled in any level 2-4 positions in cheese operations for at least 1 year

Physical Demands & Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to:

• Stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel and reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl and talk or hear.
• Stand and walk almost the entire workday.
• Employees must be physically capable of working in any of the job tasks within their respective areas.
• Required to work at heights and in fairly small areas.
• Pushing, pulling, reaching, bending, stooping, squatting, kneeling, handling and grasping, twisting/turning, repetitive bending.