1st Shift Cooler Associate

Paycom - ATS; Montgomery City (CA); On-site; USD 32,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

Paycom - ATS is seeking a Cooler & Smoker Associate to safely process, cool, smoke, label, and stage food products in a refrigerated environment. You will load and unload smokehouses, transfer products between departments, monitor temperatures, and ensure traceability and FIFO inventory practices.

This role requires attention to detail, strong teamwork, and adherence to GMP, HACCP, and SQF standards. Applicants should have basic math skills, the ability to read production documents, and be able

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED preferred.
• Ability to read and follow production documents.
• Basic math, temperature recording, and lot tracking.
• Experience in a fast-paced food manufacturing environment helpful.

Responsibilities

• Load and unload smokehouses per schedule and work instructions.
• Safely transfer products between departments and maintain traceability.
• Monitor temperatures and record data with required accuracy.
• Label products, verify lot numbers, and rotate inventory FIFO.
• Operate or assist with pallet jacks, scanners, and label printers as needed.
• Keep workstations clean and support sanitation and safety procedures.

Skills

Reading production docs

Basic math

Attention to detail

Teamwork

Safety focus

Communication

Overtime readiness

Education

High School Diploma or GED

Tools

Forklift operation

Pallet jack

Temperature probes

Label printers

Job description

The Cooler & Smoker Associate is responsible for safely processing, cooling, smoking, handling, labeling, and staging food products according to production schedules and company standards. Working under the direction of the Cooler & Smoker Lead and Supervisor, this position supports product quality, accurate inventory, traceability, and timely movement of products between departments.Essential Duties and Responsibilities• Load and unload smokehouses according to production schedules and work instructions.• Safely transfer products between Kitchen, Smoker, Cooler, Warehouse, and Repack departments.• Monitor and record product temperatures during cooling and smoking; follow required processing and cooling procedures.• Accurately label products, verify lot numbers and product identification, and maintain product traceability.• Rotate inventory using First In, First Out (FIFO), assist with inventory counts, and maintain organized storage areas.• Stage finished products for shipping or additional processing.• Complete production paperwork, temperature logs, and other required records accurately and promptly.• Perform product quality checks and immediately report damaged or nonconforming products and food safety concerns to the Lead or Supervisor.• Perform pre-operational equipment inspections and safely operate approved equipment, including pallet jacks, product racks, carts, temperature probes, scanners, scales, and label printers. Forklift operation is limited to certified operators.• Clean workstations throughout the shift, assist with sanitation during changeovers, and maintain department housekeeping.• Follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) procedures, Safe Quality Food (SQF) requirements, applicable USDA requirements, and company food safety policies.• Follow sanitation, allergen control, food defense, and food fraud prevention procedures to protect product integrity and prevent contamination.• Wear required personal protective equipment (PPE), follow applicable Lockout/Tagout procedures, and immediately report injuries, unsafe conditions, and equipment concerns.• Meet daily productivity and quality expectations while maintaining dependable attendance, punctuality, and respectful teamwork.• Support continuous improvement, cross-train in other production departments, and assist with training new employees when requested.• Perform other duties as assigned by leadership.Supervisory ResponsibilitiesThis position has no direct supervisory responsibilities.Required Qualifications• Ability to read and understand production documents and follow written and verbal instructions.• Basic math skills and the ability to accurately record temperatures, quantities, lot numbers, and production information.• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and basic problem-solving ability.• Effective communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to accept direction and work independently as assigned.• Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced food manufacturing environment while following safety, sanitation, and product quality requirements.• Dependable attendance and punctuality.• Ability to work overtime as business needs require.• Ability to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.Preferred Qualifications• High school diploma or GED.• Previous manufacturing or warehouse experience, particularly in food manufacturing.• Experience working in refrigerated production environments.• Forklift or pallet jack experience.• Knowledge of GMPs, food safety practices, and FIFO inventory rotation.Physical Demands• Frequently lift and carry up to 50 pounds.• Frequently push and pull up to 150 pounds using equipment.• Stand and walk throughout an 8–10-hour shift.• Frequently bend, stoop, squat, and kneel as production requires.• Constantly reach above shoulder level.• Perform continuous grasping, handling, and repetitive hand and finger movements.Work Environment• Refrigerated production and storage areas maintained at approximately 34–40°F.• Exposure to hot smoker equipment, wet floors, manufacturing noise, food ingredients and allergens, and approved sanitation chemicals.• Work near moving forklifts, pallet jacks, and production equipment.• Required PPE includes hairnets, beard nets as applicable, gloves, hearing protection, safety glasses, and slip-resistant footwear.