Packaging Associate - 1st Shift

Kettle Cuisine, LLC.; Green Bay (WI); On-site; USD 29,000 - 38,000; Full time

Job summary

Kettle Cuisine is seeking a packaging operator for a Monday–Friday shift 6:30am–3:00pm with intermittent Saturdays for overtime. The role involves operating, cleaning, and maintaining packaging equipment, ensuring product quality, and collaborating with a team in a temperature-controlled food-production facility.

Requirements include a high school diploma or GED and at least 2 years of machine-operator experience in manufacturing, preferably in food.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• 2+ years as a machine operator in manufacturing, preferably food.
• Experience in temperature-controlled settings and handling perishable items.
• Spanish language skills are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Operate, clean, and maintain multiple pieces of manufacturing equipment, including packaging lines.
• Ensure finished product conforms to specifications.
• Perform preventative maintenance and troubleshoot equipment.
• Maintain clean work area and record downtime.
• Train other packaging operators and assist in cross-training.

Skills

Machine operation

Manufacturing experience

Food industry experience

Bilingual Spanish (plus)

Education

High school diploma or GED

Tools

Pallet jack

Conveyor systems

Job description

At the heart of our company is a deep passion for creating fresh, healthy, and artisan-quality food that brings people together. We honor the craft of artisan cooking, using scratch-made stocks, hand-chopped herbs, and only the highest-quality ingredients, complemented by cutting-edge technology. This allows us to deliver consistently safe, exceptional products on a large scale.

But it’s not just about the food. Our culture is built on principles that shape how we grow, both as individuals and as a team. One of our core values, Honoring Development, guides us to actively seek out, celebrate, and nurture one another’s talents, strengths, and interests. By fostering each other’s growth, we strengthen our relationships and capabilities, driving both personal and professional success.

We also believe in Honoring Each Other. We surround ourselves with passionate people who share our love for great food. Through mutual respect and collaboration, we create an environment where employees are empowered to thrive, building trusting, and rewarding relationships with our clients, partners, and one another.

If you’re looking for a place where your skills, passion, and ideas can flourish, we invite you to explore the opportunities available within our dynamic and supportive team.

Attention candidates: This position runs: M-F, 6:30am to 3:00pm, intermittent Saturday work is required for overtime purposes.

The packager position is responsible to perform all tasks conducted by the team in the assembly process and rotate through all or most of them rather than being assigned to a specific task on a permanent basis. Responsible for operating, cleaning and maintaining multiple pieces of machinery equipment. This includes set-up, changeover and troubleshooting. The ideal candidate must have strong experience.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Responsible for operating, cleaning, and maintaining multiple pieces of manufacturing equipment. This may include material handling to the production line, set-up, changeover, operation and troubleshooting of all retail packaging equipment (Spiral through Final Case palletizing.
• Ensure finished product conforms to specifications.
• Removes damaged products or supplies, as needed.
• Responsible for production, package, and product changeovers.
• Maintains required product inspection processes.
• Performs basic troubleshooting and minor repairs to ensure production equipment runs efficiently.
• Perform preventative maintenance, clear jams as well as set up for new production runs.
• Operate all manufacturing equipment (including new technologies) efficiently and safely.
• Maintain clean work area through good housekeeping practices.
• Perform cleaning, inspection, and lubrication of equipment.
• Keep daily records of down time and machine operations.
• Work well with others in a team-oriented atmosphere.
• Responsible for training other packaging machine operators or cross train other PMOMs.
• Ability to understand and perform equipment changeovers in a timely manner.
• Be able to quickly learn and explain the operating principals for assigned equipment.
• Understand and perform manufacturer related sanitation and assembly tasks on equipment.
• Be able to perform basic technical functions such as removing belts for cleaning and changing out basic damaged components.
• Be able to notify and explain to maintenance when the assigned equipment is not running to center line.
• Assist in the development of a lubrication schedule for the assigned equipment and execute the schedule.
• Gain a subject matter expert level of understanding of the operational principles of the assigned equipment.
• Ability to operate pallet jack.
• Performs miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.
• Follows all Good Manufacturing Practices as stated within the policy.
• Follows all Safety rules & procedures by working safely and ensuring safety of others.
• Follows all food safety procedures.
• Follows all environmental protocols as applicable.
• Follows all sanitation procedures and work instructions.

Knowledge/Education:

• High school diploma of GED certificate.
• 2 + years’ experience as machine operator in manufacturing facility. Preferably in food.
• Experience working in temperature-controlled settings.
• Experience with perishable items proven track record in safe working practices.
• Bilingual in Spanish is a plus.

Competencies and Abilities:

• Must have high attention to detail.
• Must be dependable, trustworthy, able to bring energy to the performance of a task and able to show consideration for and maintain good relations with others.
• Ability to exhibit a professional and collaborative demeanor toward others; able to work productively with a variety of personalities and individuals.

Performance Expectations:

Confidentiality, quality, accuracy, timeliness, reliability, and thoroughness of work performed; ability to gain the trust and respect of management team at the facility and employees, maintain the integrity of confidential business and product information; ability to communicate effectively and develop good working relationships with employees at all levels of the company, and ability to work with and through others is essential to accomplish goals and objectives of the Company.

Working Conditions

Work is performed largely in a plant environment. Hours of work will generally be during regular business hours equaling 40 hours per week. The work environment involves some exposure to hazards or physical risks which require safety precautions.

• Honor Food – We create and produce the best tasting, safest, all natural recipes that strive for perfection in every batch, from bench to kettle
• Honor Each Other – We seek to develop trusting, respectful and mutually rewarding relationships with all our team members and business partners
• Honor Development – We recognize and nurture each other’s talents, strengths and interests in order to further strengthen and grow our team
• Honor Innovation – We continually strive for creative and sustainable ways to achieve excellence

Americans with Disabilities Act

Equal Opportunity Employer

Kettle Cuisine is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment decisions at Kettle Cuisine are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.

Kettle Cuisine will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.

Core Values

Kettle Cuisine takes the utmost pride in its people, products and reputation. Each employee is expected to understand and live our Core Values every day.