Extruder Operator: $31.82/hr (5PM-5AM)

Resource-Plastics; Eagan (MN); On-site; USD 63,000 - 69,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual Bonus Potential

Generous Healthcare Benefits

401k + Company Match

Paid Time Off

Tuition Reimbursement

Job summary

Resource Plastics is seeking a Plant Operator in Minnesota to oversee daily plastic recycling operations, load chips, run equipment, and perform quality checks. After training, you will work 12-hour shifts (approx. 5pm-5am) on a 4 days on, 4 days off schedule, with duties spanning loading, shipping, receiving, warehousing, and lab work.

You will join a safety‑minded team with benefits, 401(k) matching, tuition reimbursement, and PTO to support career growth and community impact.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent is required.
• Forklift, skid steer, and yard tractor training provided; prior experience not required.
• Knowledge of safety practices and procedures.
• Moderate mechanical and technical aptitude.
• Basic PC skills to access and maintain information.
• Ability to work independently and in a team.
• Warehouse experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Operate and maintain mobile equipment (forklift, skid steer, yard tractor).
• Transport plastic chip trailers between facilities.
• Load extrusion system with plastic chips and monitor operation.
• Enter, track and prepare packing and shipping orders.
• Perform routine lab testing of plastic pellets.
• Complete daily forms and paperwork.
• Maintain clean and safe work area and follow SOPs.
• Support safety, pollution control, and production reporting.

Skills

Forklift operation

Safety practices

Mechanical aptitude

Basic PC skills

Reading/writing/math aptitude

Teamwork

Work under pressure

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Mobile equipment training

Training in department procedures

Tools

Yard tractor

Forklift

Skid steer

Job description

Are you looking for career with job security where you can make a difference in your community and preserve the environment while making $31.82/hour? Gopher Resource has never had a layoff or reduced hours since the business opened in 1946.

At Gopher Resource, we are making the world a better place one battery at a time through the safe and efficient recycling of lead-based batteries throughout North America. As a Plant Operator, you collaborate with team members in the recycling process to meet team goals and ensure everyone's safety. After initial training, new hires are scheduled for 4 days on, 4 days off 12-hour shifts (approximately 5pm-5am).

• Annual Bonus Potential
• Generous Healthcare Benefits
• 401k + Company Match
• Paid Time Off
• Tuition Reimbursement

Position Purpose

Responsible for all functions involved in the overall daily operation of the Resource Plastics plastic recycling process. This includes transporting trailers of chips between Gopher and Resource Plastics, loading the system with plastic chips, the running, monitoring, and troubleshooting of all of the equipment needed to recycle plastic chips into pellets, performing all necessary lab work and quality control verifications, the shipping, receiving, inspection, and storing materials and products in the warehouse, loading trucks and railcars with finished product, and maintaining accurate records, daily paperwork, and following company policies and procedures.

Authority and Responsibility

• Consistently follow work instructions and operating procedures.
• Know how to safely operate and maintain the mobile equipment used in the recycling process. This includes the following:
  • A yard dog tractor to transport plastic chip trailers.
  • A skid steer to unload plastic chips from trailers.
  • A fork lift to load trailers, fill orders, and move product around the warehouse.
  • Follow all policies and procedures pertaining to proper operation of mobile equipment.
  • Monitor condition of forklift, skid steer, and yard tractor, and report malfunctions to a supervisor or maintenance personnel.
• Transport plastic chip trailers between Gopher and Resource Plastics.
• Load extrusion system with plastic chips with a skid steer.
• Enter, track, and prepare packing and shipping orders.
• Know how to operate and troubleshoot all the equipment associated with the recycling operation. This includes:
  • Wash lines, densifiers, the extruder, the screen changer, the pelletizer, the pellet transporter, and all the equipment in the lab.
• Fill orders and ship finished product out in Gaylord's, bulk tanker trucks, and railcars.
• Communicate any problems associated with safety, pollution control, and production to a supervisor or the Resource Plastics manger as soon as possible.
• Maintain proper housekeeping of work area, including but not limited to the following:
  • Exterior of the building. Clean up plastic chips, pellets, and trash where plastic chip trailers are unloaded, where bulk trucks are loaded, and where the railcars are loaded.
  • Interior of the building. Keep all working areas in wash bay, washroom, main warehouse, and the lab clean.
  • Dispose of waste in accordance with standard operating procedures.
• Perform routine laboratory testing of plastic pellets.
• Complete daily forms and paperwork.
• All other duties and projects as assigned by the Resource Plastics manager.

Education, Experience, and Skills

• Qualified forklift, skid steer, and yard tractor operator according to GR training standards (will train - no prior experience required).
• Knowledge of and adherence to safety practices and procedures.
• Moderate mechanical and technical aptitude.
• Basic PC skills to access and maintain information and communicate electronically.
• Basic reading, writing, and mathematical aptitude.
• Self-motivated and directed, ability to work well under pressure, manage and prioritize multiple tasks concurrently, attend to details, and meet deadlines.
• Capacity to work independently and within a collaborative and team-oriented environment.
• Previous warehouse experience a plus.

Education and Training Requirements

• High school diploma required.
• Mobile equipment training.
• Department procedures and work instruction training.
• Attend all other required training meetings.
• New hire JBS's (Job Breakdown Sheets).

GRERP

Gopher Resource is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Job Type: Full-time

Equal Opportunity Employer

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.