Rendering Operator A

Perdue Farms; Sioux Center (IA); On-site; USD 25,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

Perdue Farms is seeking a Rendering Operator to support the production and quality control of grease and bone meal in our rendering operations. The role involves handling inedible materials, operating cooking machinery, grease pumps, valves, and associated equipment on a single shift.

The position emphasizes adherence to safety standards, proper use of tools, and timely documentation of cooker start/stop times and process parameters.

Qualifications

• High school or equivalent required.
• 2–4 years industrial maintenance experience preferred.
• Reading, writing and analytical skills are required. Must be able to use hand tools and industrial shop equipment.
• Knowledge of math related to maintenance activities and precision measuring instruments.

Responsibilities

• Operate rendering equipment for grease and bone meal production and quality control.
• Unload and manage raw materials, maintain cleanliness of equipment and work area.
• Monitor and record cooker times, grease pumps, and expeller throughput.
• Ensure safety protocols and PPE are followed; report issues promptly.

Skills

Industrial maintenance

Reading & writing

Math for maintenance

Education

High School or equivalent

Tools

Hand tools

Industrial shop equipment

Job description

Perdue’s Emerging Brands & Specialty Meats division leverages our core strengths in poultry while specializing in premium pork, beef, lamb, and pet nutrition segments while emphasizing health, sustainability, and convenience. Perdue's Emerging Brands & Specialty Meats is part of Perdue Farms, a fourth-generation, family-owned food and agricultural business deeply rooted in tradition yet with a forward-thinking mindset. We believe that success starts with our people, and our culture is built on a foundation of teamwork, integrity, and respect, where every voice matters and everyone is encouraged to contribute to our shared goals. We believe that success starts with our people, and our culture is built on a foundation of teamwork, integrity, and respect, where every voice matters and everyone is encouraged to contribute to our shared goals. We are dedicated to creating a supportive, inclusive environment where associates feel valued and inspired to make an impact, both within the company and in the communities we serve. From promoting growth and development to prioritizing work-life balance, we’re committed to helping our team members thrive. That's Perdue.

SUMMARY:

Rendering Operator will be primarily responsible for the Production & Quality of Grease & Bone meal from Plant Rendering Operations, operator will work with Inedible product from the processing floor, inedible raw material that will be ground & cooked, operator will work with cooking machinery/grease pumps/valves/auger conveyors/product press/bins/hoppers/box combo dumper/forklifts/etc.

Schedule: Monday through Friday, 1:00pm-10:30pm

• Refill buckets after you used them for next person (Expeller) Grease Centrifuge
• Combos in this order, bone, skin, and fat. If you have more skin or fat/ bones need to mix in with kill floor product in the Holding Bin.
• Grease expellers choke every 5 hours.
• Centrifuge needs to be cleaned once per day.
• Day Renderer: unload truck and Blend combo boxes in bin.
• Night Renderer: blend combo boxes in the Holding bin.
• All shifts need to make sure all dead hogs are put in Scrap bin or cooker.
• No more than 2 or 3 dead hogs may be put in a cooker at one time.
• If we have excess of dead hogs, they need to be ground back into the Holding bin.
• Expeller cribs need to be cleaned out at the end of the shift.
• All grease pumps need to be blown out at least every hour, so they don’t get plugged with solids. Some pumps may need blown out sooner.
• (NWIP) Combos need to be spread out, it doesn’t slow cookers down.
• Pre-rendering and Rendering need to be cleaned at the end of each shift.
• Cookers need to be dumped at 257⁰.
• Check antifoam barrel if empty or not.
• Make sure all Pre-Rendering augers are full at all times.
• 12 minutes grind time to fill cookers.
• Write down start and stop times of cookers on time sheet.
• Check product coming out of expeller every now and then to check for dryness of product.
• Load meat and bone trailers when they come in.

Preferred Education and Experience

• High School or equivalent. 2 – 4 year of industrial maintenance experience Reading, writing and analytical skills are required. Must be able to use and operate hand tools and industrial shop equipment. Knowledge of math that relates to performing maintenance activities. Able to determine clearance of parts to ensure conformance to specification using precision measuring instruments.

Physical Requirements and Environmental Factors

When in a plant environment: Exposure primarily consists of wet and moist floors which include metal and plastic grating surfaces. May be exposed to temperatures of 28 degrees to 100 degrees Fahrenheit with both ambient and 100% humidity. May handle product 25 degrees to 50 degrees Fahrenheit. May be exposed to noise ranges of 50 db to 110 db. May be exposed to all chemicals used in pork, food, processing facility. Must wear and use protective and safety equipment required for the job as directed by the Company.

Perdue Farms Inc. is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

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