Job Details
Job Location: Montgomery City - Montgomery City, MO 63361
Position Type: Full Time
Education Level: High School
Salary Range: $18.00 - $19.00 Hourly
Travel Percentage: None
Job Shift: Swing
Job Category: Manufacturing
Position Summary
The Kitchen Associate is responsible for preparing ingredients, operating production equipment, following approved recipes and batch records, maintaining sanitation standards, and producing safe, high-quality food products in accordance with company procedures and GMP, HACCP, SQF, food safety, quality, and workplace safety requirements.
Essential Job Functions
- Prepare, weigh, measure, and stage ingredients according to approved recipes and production requirements.
- Operate industrial kettles, mixers, pumps, scales, pallet jacks, thermometers, hand tools, and other production equipment as trained and authorized.
- Follow approved recipes, batch sheets, work instructions, and production schedules accurately.
- Monitor ingredients and production processes for accuracy, quality, and food safety.
- Complete required batch records, production documentation, quality records, and sanitation documentation accurately and timely.
- Follow GMP, HACCP, SQF, allergen control, food defense, food fraud prevention, sanitation, and quality procedures.
- Properly handle ingredients and finished products to prevent contamination and allergen cross-contact.
- Clean and sanitize production equipment, utensils, tools, and assigned work areas.
- Maintain a clean, organized, and safe work environment.
- Follow all company safety procedures and wear required personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Immediately report food safety, quality, equipment, production, or workplace safety concerns to management.
- Work cooperatively with team members, leads, supervisors, Quality, Sanitation, Maintenance, and other departments.
- Perform other duties as assigned based on operational and production needs.
Supervisory Responsibilities
None.
Equipment Operated
- Industrial kettles
- Mixers
- Pumps
- Pallet jacks
- Scales
- Thermometers
- Hand tools
- Other production equipment as trained and authorized
Work Environment
- Hot, cold, wet, and humid conditions.
- Temperature changes throughout the facility.
- Noise from production machinery and equipment.
- Food ingredients and allergens.
- Approved cleaning and sanitation chemicals.
- Wet or slippery production surfaces.
- Moving machinery and equipment.
- Required use of company-designated PPE.
Essential Physical Demands
- Standing: Constant - up to 8-10 hours per shift.
- Walking: Frequent - throughout the shift.
- Lifting/Carrying: Frequent - up to 50 pounds.
- Pushing/Pulling: Frequent - up to 150 pounds with appropriate equipment.
- Bending/Stooping: Frequent.
- Squatting/Kneeling: Frequent.
- Reaching: Occasional, including above shoulder level.
- Hand/Finger Dexterity: Constant grasping, handling, and repetitive motion.
Safety Responsibilities
- Wear all required PPE.
- Follow company safety policies and applicable OSHA requirements.
- Follow lockout/tagout procedures when applicable and only when properly trained and authorized.
- Operate equipment only when properly trained and authorized.
- Immediately report injuries, incidents, unsafe conditions, and near misses.
- Participate in required safety training.
Food Safety & Quality Responsibilities
- Comply with GMP, HACCP, and SQF requirements.
- Follow allergen control procedures.
- Follow food defense requirements.
- Follow food fraud prevention procedures.
- Follow sanitation and cleaning procedures.
- Prevent product contamination and allergen cross-contact.
- Complete required food safety and quality documentation.
- Immediately report actual or potential food safety and quality concerns.
Attendance & Performance Expectations
Regular and dependable attendance and punctuality are essential functions of this position. Employees are expected to maintain acceptable attendance and punctuality, report to work ready to begin at the scheduled start time, work cooperatively and professionally with coworkers and management, follow established safety and food safety procedures, meet applicable productivity and quality expectations, and work overtime or additional scheduled hours when required by business and production needs.
Minimum Qualifications
- High school diploma or equivalent preferred.
- Basic reading, writing, and mathematical skills.
- Ability to understand and follow written and verbal instructions.
- Ability to accurately follow recipes, measurements, batch sheets, and production procedures.
- Ability to complete required production documentation accurately.
- Ability to work independently and effectively as part of a team.
- Strong attention to detail.
- Dependable attendance and punctuality.
- Ability to work safely and efficiently in a fast-paced food manufacturing environment.
- Ability to communicate effectively with coworkers, leads, supervisors, and other departments.
- Ability and willingness to comply with company safety, food safety, quality, sanitation, GMP, HACCP, SQF, allergen control, food defense, and food fraud prevention requirements.
- Ability to wear required PPE.
- Ability to work overtime and additional scheduled hours as required by business needs.
Preferred Qualifications
- Previous food manufacturing or food processing experience.
- Previous commercial kitchen experience.
- Previous manufacturing or production experience.
- Experience operating industrial food production equipment.
- Familiarity with GMP, HACCP, SQF, sanitation, allergen control, or other food safety programs.
- Experience completing batch records or production documentation.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
- Attention to detail.
- Dependability and reliability.
- Teamwork and cooperation.
- Effective communication.
- Basic mathematical skills.
- Ability to follow recipes and measurements accurately.
- Ability to follow established procedures and work instructions.
- Ability to recognize and report safety, quality, and food safety concerns.
- Ability to maintain an organized and sanitary work area.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, production-driven environment.
Physical Qualifications
Qualified employees must be able to perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation, including:
- Standing for up to 8-10 hours per shift.
- Frequently walking throughout the production area.
- Frequently lifting and carrying up to 50 pounds.
- Frequently pushing or pulling up to 150 pounds using appropriate equipment.
- Frequently bending, stooping, squatting, and kneeling.
- Occasionally reaching above shoulder level.
- Constantly using hands and fingers for grasping, handling, and repetitive movements.
- Working in hot, cold, wet, humid, and noisy production environments.
- Working around food ingredients, allergens, and approved cleaning and sanitation chemicals.