Industrial Operations Associate

Casella; North Canaan (CT); On-site; USD 25,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Maternity Leave

Parental Leave

Flexible Spending Accounts

Discounted Stock Program

401K

Employee Awards

Employee Assistance Plan

Wellness Incentive

Tuition Assistance

Career Pathways

Job summary

Casella in North Canaan, CT is seeking an Operations Associate to monitor and process materials, ensuring value delivery to customers. You will work with a team to handle materials safely, prepare accurate paperwork, and support continuous improvement across operations.

The role offers an hourly hire range of $18.00–$22.00 based on experience, with opportunities to grow as you gain forklift, truck operation, and site knowledge. This position emphasizes safety and teamwork.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required with ability to work in a team.
• 0-2 years manufacturing experience preferred; 6-12 months equipment ops helpful.
• Valid driver’s license and legal eligibility to work in the US are required.
• Able to lift 30 lbs frequently and 65 lbs several times a day; stand for 8 hours.

Responsibilities

• Operates equipment including bailers, forklifts, grinders and other site gear to recycle materials.
• Processes scrap, sorts materials, and bales cardboard and plastic film.
• Loads finished products onto trailers and follows safe loading procedures.
• Packages waste for transport in appropriate containers complying with regulations.
• Attends safety trainings, reports incidents, and wears PPE as required.
• Creates and manages shipping paperwork (BOL, packing list, trailer checklists, manifests).
• Generates packing lists and records weights for outbound loads.
• Communicates challenges to the Operations Supervisor as needed.
• Uses site experience to suggest program improvements.
• May operate a 22ft box truck or GVWR 26,001+ lbs truck.
• Participates in training and other duties to support company mission and values.

Skills

Active listening

Communication skills

Problem solving

Equipment operation knowledge

Education

High school diploma or GED

0-2 years manufacturing experience

6-12 months equipment operations experience

Valid driver’s license

Legally eligible to work in the US

Tools

Forklift

Grinder

Box truck

Job description

Position Summary

The Operations Associate is a member of a team responsible for daily monitoring and processing of materials in order to add value to the customer. The incumbent will work with a team to ensure that materials are handled appropriately and that customers get the best value from our services.Hiring Range: $18.00 - $22.00 per hour based on experience

Key Responsibilities

• Operates a variety of industrial equipment including bailers, forklifts, grinders and other equipment based on location and loads recycling materials for collection and transportation.


• Processes production scrap, sorts materials, and bales cardboard and plastic film.


• Loads finished products onto trailers and ensures safe loading procedures are followed.


• Ensures proper packaging of food waste and recycling into containers most appropriate for the material and which comply with applicable transport regulations and disposal/recycling site acceptance parameters.


• Attends all safety trainings, reports any incidents or near misses and wears PPE as needed to ensure workplace safety and compliance with regulatory policies and procedures.


• Creates and manages all shipping paperwork (Bill-of-Lading, Packing List, Trailer Checklist, Waste Manifests, etc.)


• Generates packing lists for each outbound load and documents weights for each item loaded onto trailers in order to maintain organization within each order.


• Communicates any challenges or inquiries to the Operations Supervisor as needed.


• Utilizes workplace experiences to generate and present ideas for program improvement.


• May be required to operate a 22ft box truck or a truck with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 26,001 pounds or more.


• Participates in training and other learning opportunities to expand knowledge of the company, products, sales and services and performs any other duties needed to help drive our vision, fulfill our mission, and/or abide by our core values.

Career Path Definitions & Distinctions

Associate:Demonstrates high performance in attendance, safety, productivity and customer service as well as demonstrating knowledge of site material types and site and program needs. Completes necessary training for role. Shows and understanding and ability to execute basic job functions and plans for the day. Has the ability to prepare a trailer according to DOT requirements, complete necessary paperwork and basic material separation.

Senior Associate:Demonstrates high performance in attendance, safety productivity and customer service and completes forklift certification with the ability to complete pre/post inspections on forklift. Has ability to manage the scrap floor, look for and communicate leads and improvement opportunities. Understands and uses strategic account team when relevant. Can develop and maintain relationships and rapport with site contracts.

Education, Experience & Qualifications

The successful candidate will have a high school diploma or GED, 0-2 years of manufacturing experience and, a demonstrated ability to work as part of a team in a collaborative environment. Having 6-12 months of equipment operations experience is helpful for this position. It is required to have a valid driver’s license and be legally eligible to work in the US. The physical ability to lift 30lbs frequently and 65lbs. several times a day, stand for 8 hours, and work extended hours (if needed).

Excellent listening, communication, and problem solving skills, and knowledge of equipment operation such as a forklift, grinder and box truck are expected. Knowledge of lockout tagout procedures and the ability to navigate and use Microsoft Office are helpful.

Attributes

Positive, team-oriented individual who has a strong work ethic, is committed to safety, customer driven, open to personal and professional training and development, and results-oriented with the ability to see the larger picture while focusing on detailed information.

Benefits

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life & Disability Insurance, Maternity & Parental Leave, Flexible Spending Accounts, Discounted Stock Program, 401K, Employee Awards, Employee Assistance Plan, Wellness Incentive, Tuition Assistance, Career Pathways, and More.