PC / PET Machine Operator

Emerald Plastics USA Inc.; Phoenix (AZ); On-site; USD 25,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive hourly wage

Full-time hours with consistent shifts

Health benefits after probation

Overtime opportunities

Career path as leads/relief roles grow

Small direct team

Job summary

Emerald Plastics USA Inc. in Phoenix, AZ is hiring Machine Operators for blow-moulding lines producing PC and PET bottles. You will own the machine on your shift — startup, changeovers, product quality, packaging, and shutdown — with support from the Plant Manager and Lead Operator.

You will perform startup/shutdown procedures, monitor quality against specs, and run mould changes. This is a full-time, on-site role with room to scale as the plant grows.

Qualifications

• Basic mechanical aptitude and ability to read a tape measure, scale, and simple gauges.
• Ability to follow written procedures (SOPs) and complete production paperwork accurately.
• Team-first attitude and clear communication in English.

Responsibilities

• Perform startup, warm-up, hot-hold, and shutdown procedures on PC and PET blow-moulding machines.
• Monitor bottle weight, wall thickness, neck finish, and cosmetic quality against spec, and adjust process variables to stay in range.
• Run mould and neck-tooling changeovers between products (e.g., crown vs. screw-top, 3-gallon vs. 5-gallon).
• Operate resin dryers, feed systems, and regrind handling; verify moisture and material readiness.
• Complete pallet-packing logs, shift production reports, and QC drop-test sampling every 100 bottles.
• Keep the machine area, work-in-progress, and finished-pallet zones clean, safe, and organized.
• Communicate clearly with the incoming/outgoing shift and supervisor on issues, downtime, and quality holds.
• Assist with mould changes, minor mechanical adjustments, and preventive-maintenance tasks.

Skills

Mechanical aptitude

Tape measure reading

English communication

Tools

Blow-moulding machines

Resin dryers

Pallet jacks

Job description

Emerald Plastics USA Inc. is the U.S. operation of the Emerald Plastics group, a growing manufacturer of polycarbonate (PC) and PET water bottles — including 3-gallon and 5-gallon returnable jugs used across the bottled-water industry. Our Phoenix plant runs customer orders daily and is scaling to full 24/7 production. We are a small, hands-on team where operators are treated as skilled tradespeople, not just line staff.

The role

We are hiring Machine Operators to run and maintain our blow-moulding lines producing PC and PET bottles. You will own the machine on your shift — startup, changeovers, product quality, packaging, and shutdown — with support from the Plant Manager and Lead Operator.

What you will do

• Perform startup, warm-up, hot-hold, and shutdown procedures on PC and PET blow-moulding machines
• Monitor bottle weight, wall thickness, neck finish, and cosmetic quality against spec, and adjust process variables (parison, temperatures, cycle) to stay in range
• Run mould and neck-tooling changeovers between products (e.g., crown vs. screw-top, 3-gallon vs. 5-gallon)
• Operate resin dryers, feed systems, and regrind handling; verify moisture and material readiness
• Complete pallet-packing logs, shift production reports, and QC drop-test sampling every 100 bottles
• Keep the machine area, work-in-progress, and finished-pallet zones clean, safe, and organized
• Communicate clearly with the incoming/outgoing shift and supervisor on issues, downtime, and quality holds
• Assist with mould changes, minor mechanical adjustments, and preventive-maintenance tasks

What you bring

Required

• Legal authorization to work in the United States
• Reliable attendance and willingness to work assigned shift, including weekends when scheduled
• Comfortable on your feet in a warm plant environment, lifting up to 50 lbs and moving pallets
• Basic mechanical aptitude and ability to read a tape measure, scale, and simple gauges
• Ability to follow written procedures (SOPs) and complete production paperwork accurately
• Team-first attitude and clear communication in English

Preferred (nice to have, not required)

• Prior experience in blow moulding, injection moulding, extrusion, or bottling
• Experience with PC and/or PET containers, 3-gallon / 5-gallon returnables, or beverage packaging
• Forklift and/or electric pallet-jack certification
• Familiarity with resin dryers, chillers, and compressed-air systems

What we offer

• Competitive hourly wage — pay is based on real experience, not a fixed grid
• Full-time hours with consistent schedules and paid breaks
• Health benefits after probationary period
• Overtime opportunities as the plant scales
• Real career path — we are staffing three shifts and adding lead/relief roles as we grow
• Small, direct team — no corporate layers between you and the plant manager

Emerald Plastics USA Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.