Manufacturing Team Member - Service

Russell Stover Chocolates, LLC; Iola (KS); On-site; USD 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Protective gear provided

Climate-controlled environment

Cross-training opportunities

Job summary

Russell Stover Chocolates in Iola, KS, is seeking a Service Employee to join our production team. You will pack, inspect, and palletize products, maintain a clean, safe workspace, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to meet quality standards.

Responsibilities include operating equipment safely, ensuring GMP compliance, and participating in FSQA programs to protect consumer safety and product quality. We value reliability, teamwork, and a willingness to learn in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to speak, read, and write English fluently.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to routinely and frequently stand, stoop, bend and lift overhead.
• High School diploma or GED preferred.

Responsibilities

• Operates equipment and tools safely according to company standards.
• Inspects, receives, delivers, secures, and maintains product per guidelines.
• Inspects finished candy and transfers to trays for palletizing.
• Monitors candy weight, seals boxes, and transfers to pallets.
• Maintains records and supports other team members.
• Performs clean-up activities and adheres to GMP.

Skills

Communication

English fluency

Lift 50 lbs

Stand for long

Teamwork

Education

High School diploma or GED

Job description

At Russell Stover, not only do we love chocolate, but we love our jobs! Every day we go to work exhibiting our values of excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship, responsibility, and collaboration. Working at Russell Stover you’ll be part of the leading manufacturer of boxed, seasonal, and sugar-free chocolates. For over 100 years, Russell Stover Chocolates, Whitman’s, and Pangburn’s have been crafted with the finest ingredients to bring happiness to generations. Today, we produce over 55 million pounds of chocolate annually, and our legacy brands can be found in 13 company-owned stores and over 9,000 wholesale accounts. Join our team and let’s continue making chocolate lovers happy!

A day in the life…

As a Service Employee, you will play a key role in our chocolate production process, ensuring the highest level of quality from start to finish. You will be responsible for packaging, inspecting, and palletizing each product to meet the "Only the Finest" standards that our customers expect. In addition to your production responsibilities, you will maintain a clean and safe work environment, collaborate effectively with fellow team members, and participate in cross‑functional training to continuously enhance your skills.

What you will be doing…

• Operates equipment and tools in a safe and proficient manner according to company standards and guidelines.
• Inspects, receives, delivers, secures, and maintains product (raw or finished) per Russell Stover Chocolates guidelines.
• Inspects finished candy as it exits cooling tunnels; transfers candy from conveyor belt to trays and places trays in steels.
• Monitors candy weight, seals and secures boxes, and transfers to pallets.
• Maintains records, delivers, inspects, and performs all activities required of other members of the area, line or team.
• Performs clean‑up activities as assigned.
• Adheres to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to ensure product quality and maintain compliance with food safety standards.
• Completes and follows FSQA training and programs to comply with regulatory requirements, ensure consumer safety, and support the plant’s food safety and quality objectives.
• Promptly reports and takes appropriate action on any observed or potential food safety hazards, process deviations, or non‑conformities by notifying the designated plant supervisor, in accordance with your role and responsibilities.
• Actively contributes to the continuous improvement of the company’s Food Safety Culture through engagement and actions aligned with your role.

This job posting is not all inclusive and other duties may be assigned.

Do you have what it takes?

Basic Qualifications

• 18 years of age or older
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to speak, read, and write English fluently, with or without an accommodation
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
• Ability to routinely and frequently stand, stoop, bend and lift overhead.
• Ability to stand on hard surfaces for the duration of shift.

Preferred Qualifications

• High School diploma or GED.
• 2 or more years’ experience in a manufacturing facility.
• Ability to read and understand rulers, tape measures, scales, and thermometers.
• Ability to read and understand product specifications established by Russell Stover Chocolates and recognize deviations from those specifications.
• Experience operating a scan gun.
• Willingness to learn new processes and adapt to a fast‑paced manufacturing environment.

Experience Life at Russell Stover Plants!

• Safety First: Your well-being is our top priority, and we’ve got you covered with protective gear. On day one, you’ll dive into Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) training, and we’ll keep you on your toes with daily safety tips to ensure you’re always in the know!
• Surroundings: Get ready to work alongside a variety of equipment like automated packing machines, forklifts, electric pallet jacks, and those irresistible chocolate candy banks/steels – it’s a dynamic environment where every day brings something new!
• Active & Engaging Work: Whether you’re on your feet for extended periods, moving around, climbing ladders, or lifting up to 50 lbs, there’s never a dull moment. This is a place where you’ll stay on the move!
• Comfortable Climate: In most roles, you will be comfortable year‑round with our climate‑controlled environment.
• Appealing Smells: The air is filled with sweet aromas of chocolate, and by the time your shift ends, you might just leave smelling like chocolate!
• Dress to Impress (Food Safety Style): A simple yet important dress code ensures safety and hygiene, following Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to keep everything running smoothly.
• Allergens: You will be exposed to a variety of ingredients that may be considered food allergens.

At Russell Stover Chocolates, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products, and our community. Russell Stover Chocolates is proud to be an equal‑opportunity workplace.

We provide equal employment opportunities to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition, genetic information, military service, veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by law.

Employment by Russell Stover Chocolates is contingent upon I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification, passing the urinalysis drug screen, education verification, and satisfactory reference and background checks.

Make Happy. Work Happy.