Dryer Operator I - PPF

Business Unit Overview

Headquartered in Lakeville, Minn., Post Consumer Brands, a business unit of Post Holdings, Inc., is dedicated to providing people and their pets with delicious food choices for every taste and budget. The company’s portfolio includes beloved brands such as Honey Bunches of Oats®, PEBBLES®, Grape-Nuts® and Malt-O-Meal® cereal, and Peter Pan® peanut butter, as well as Rachael Ray® Nutrish®, Kibbles ‘n Bits® and 9Lives® dog and cat food. As a company committed to high standards of quality and to our values, we are driven by one idea: To make lives better by making delicious food accessible for all. For more information about our brands, visit www.postconsumerbrands.com and follow us on LinkedIn for the latest news.

Brand

It’s an exciting time in pet food! Post Holdings, Inc., recently announced an agreement to acquire Perfection Pet Foods, a leading manufacturer of private label and co-manufactured pet food and baked treats. The transaction is anticipated to close by the end of the calendar year in 2023. This role is part of the Perfection Pet Foods team of 250 employees who will soon join the Post family to help grow the pet food business.

Location Description

Visalia, CA is home to 360,000 square feet of manufacturing, packaging, warehouse, and office space. Approximately 250 employees work here, utilizing the latest technologies and systems, capable of producing extensive, diverse, and innovative pet food products. Visalia is in California’s San Joaquin Valley and the gateway to Sequoia National Park, part of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. It also has a minor league baseball team, the Visalia California Oaks, and several colleges and universities.

Responsibilities

Essential duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Observe flow of materials and listen for machine malfunctions, such as jamming or spillage.
• Set temperature and time controls; light oven, burners, dryers, or roasters; and start equipment,
  
  
  

such as conveyors, cylinders, blowers, dryers or pumps.

• Observe, feel or otherwise examine products during and after drying processing in order to
  
  
  

ensure conformance to standards.

• Observe temperature, humidity, pressure gauges, product samples, and adjust controls, such as
  
  
  

thermostats and valves, in order to maintain prescribed operating conditions for specific stages.

• Transfer product from dryer to fat coating system then into storage bins.
• Read work orders in order to determine quantities and types of products to be dried.
• Must have knowledge of products being produced.
• Record production data, such as weight and amount of product processed, type of product, and
  
  
  

time and temperature of processing.

• Complete NRI testing form to ensure product integrity.
• Use basic measuring tools to measure and weigh fat.
• Clear dislodge blockages in bins, screens, using poles, brushes, mallets, or other similar
  
  
  

equipment.

• Responsible for housekeeping of the drying machine and plant area (e.g. sweeping the floor,
  
  
  

removing trash, cleaning the machine at the end of the shift, preparing for next shift’s production,

and finalizing any paperwork in an accurate, clear, and concise manner).

• Clean equipment meticulously.
• Report any food safety issue observed to manager/supervisor.
• Report any security breaches, attempts at product tampering or contamination, or other
  
  
  

suspicious behavior observed to manager/supervisor.

• Complete and comply with the Master Sanitation Schedule (MSS), Daily Routine List (DRL),
  
  
  

HACCP procedures, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Compliance.

• Maintain a food-safe sanitary environment at all times.
• Complete records/quality checks with accuracy and attention to detail.
• Escalate any non-conforming product/equipment/material to the appropriate manager/supervisor
  
  
  

immediately.

• Follow Company’s quality assurance procedures and protocols at all times while on duty (eg.
  
  
  

Labeling of containers, Inventory Control, PM programs).

• Promote a positive proactive environment where input from team members is valued and
  
  
  

encouraged.

• Provide back-up support for other roles as necessary.
• Available for overtime work on a scheduled or call-in basis, as necessary.
• Other duties as assigned by the manager/supervisor.
  
  
  

Qualifications

Qualifications and Competencies:

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill or ability necessary to perform this job successfully:

• Education/Experience:
• A high school diploma or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ability to communicate in English effectively verbally and in written form.
• One to two (1-2) years’ related experience in a manufacturing environment; experience in
  
  
  

a food manufacturing environment is preferred.

• Previous “hands on” machine operating experience.
• Skills:
• Basic computer skills (touch screen).
• Basic mechanical and math knowledge.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Understands the general job tasks and can perform each task with consistent guidance.
• Attention to detail and a commitment to quality.
• Receives direction well, open to feedback and does not have a problem submitting to
  
  
  

authority

• Physical Requirements:
• Continuously stand and walk throughout the day.
• Regularly lift and/or move objects weighing up to 50 pounds; occasionally lift objects
  
  
  

weighing greater than 50 pounds.

• Regularly climb ladders and occasionally work at heights of 100 feet.
• Environment:
• Regularly exposed to work near moving parts/equipment.
• Regularly exposed to major amounts of dust.
• Regularly exposed to a moderate to severe noise levels.
• Regularly exposed to outdoor/uncontrolled weather conditions.
• Occasionally exposed to chemicals used in the manufacturing process.