Control Room Operator

The Morning Star Company; North Middlesex; On-site; Full time

Job summary

A leading company in tomato processing seeks a Control Room Operator for their facility in North Middlesex. The role involves monitoring and controlling processes to ensure operational efficiency while responding to system alarms. Candidates should have a high school diploma and prior experience in plant operations or control rooms and possess strong communication skills.

Qualifications

• Prior experience in a control room, plant operations, or monitoring environment.
• Familiarity with computer systems and control room software.
• Ability to work under pressure in rotating 12 hr. shifts.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and operate control panels using HMI software.
• Ensure continuous and safe operation of processes.
• Communicate with operators and lab techs to ensure operational continuity.

Skills

Attention to detail

Quick decision-making

Effective communication

Teamwork abilities

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Technical diploma or relevant certifications

Tools

Control room software

Process instrumentation

Job description

The Morning Star Company

Control Room Operator (Tomato plant air traffic controller)

The Company

The Morning Star Company and its affiliates operate three tomato processing facilities in Central California, processing over 1/3 of the California processing tomato crop, in addition to tomato transplanting, farming, harvesting and trucking operations. The company employs over 500 year-round and approximately 4,000 seasonal Colleagues.


Job Summary: To operate the world’s largest tomato, paste facility.
A Control Room Operator is responsible for monitoring and controlling systems, processes, or operations from a centralized location to ensure efficiency, safety, and compliance with operational standards. The role requires attention to detail, quick decision-making, and effective communication to coordinate with field personnel and respond to system alarms, equipment issues, or emergencies.Key Responsibilities:

• Monitor and operate control panels, using HMI software. (human machine interface)
• Ensure continuous and safe operations of processes or equipment by adjusting controls and parameters. Balancing tomato/juice/paste flows from unloading to final stage of filling tomato paste bins.
• Track system performance, detect abnormalities, and initiate corrective actions.
• Maintain accurate records of system status, plant upsets, incidents, logbook and CIP logs sheets.
• Communicate with finisher operators, unloading station, lab techs and mechanics to coordinate activities and ensure operational continuity.
• Respond quickly and effectively to emergencies, following established protocols.
• Report malfunctions, hazards, or violations of safety and operational procedures.

Qualifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent; technical diploma or relevant certifications preferred.
• Prior experience in a control room, plant operations, or monitoring environment
• Familiarity with computer systems, control room software, and process instrumentation.
• Ability to work under pressure in rotating 12 hr. shifts (day/night/weekends).
• Good communication and teamwork abilities.

Starting pay: $26 dollars an hour. This is a seasonal position for 80-90 days of plant operation. Control room operator wage increases with increase skill level using skill-based pathway.
Work Environment/Schedule:

• Position is based in climate-controlled environments.
• Will involve long hours of screen monitoring.
• Work schedules will include rotating shifts from day to night. (estimated 40 days per shift)
• 6 days on, 2 days off. 12-hour average shift.