Kitchen Operator, Food Manufacturing & Confectionery
Overview
You will own ingredient preparation, batch cooking, and equipment operation for confectionery production at a Niles, IL facility. You will run kettles, mixers, and pumps to produce caramel and other sweets at scale. The role sits on a production team of about 20 operators, supported by quality and maintenance crews. You will report to the shift lead and coordinate with HACCP compliance officers. The work is fully onsite with GMP attire, and you will operate heated equipment daily.
What You'll Do10
- 1Measure and prepare ingredients according to recipes and production specs, hitting batch targets in the first 30 days.
- 2Operate kettles, mixers, cookers, and pumps to cook and transfer caramel and confectionery products.
- 3Monitor cooking temperatures, viscosity, and batch quality, adjusting as needed to meet QC standards.
- 4Record batch data, production counts, and quality checks in the ERP system with 99% accuracy.
- 5Execute equipment setup and changeovers for product switches, reducing downtime by 15%.
- 6Troubleshoot kitchen equipment like pumps and valves, escalating to maintenance when needed.
- 7Follow GMP, HACCP, and sanitation procedures, documenting compliance on shift logs.
- 8Clean and sanitize equipment and work areas, passing internal audits with zero deviations.
- 9Stage ingredients and manage inventory to keep the production line running without interruption.
- 10Communicate with quality and maintenance teams to resolve issues and maintain flow.
Requirements9
- 12+ years in food manufacturing or production environment.
- 2Hands-on experience with batch mixers, kettles, and pumps.
- 3Proven ability to follow recipes and production specs with high accuracy.
- 4Comfort wearing GMP attire, including hairnets, gloves, and aprons.
- 5Physical capability to lift 50 pounds regularly and stand for full shifts.
- 6Work near heated equipment (ovens, kettles) safely.
- 7Basic food safety knowledge, including HACCP principles.
- 8Strong attention to detail for quality checks and data recording.
- 9Willingness to work overtime and weekends during peak production.
Salary Insight
Salary not disclosed in listing
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