Lead Hand Production Line

Crofters is growing and we are seeking an energetic, reliable & flexible team player to join our Team. Here’s your chance to join a highly skilled team of professionals at one of North America’s pioneering brands in the organic food movement! Crofters Food Ltd, known in the grocery aisles as Crofters Organic Fruit Spreads, is the leading manufacturer of organic jams, jellies and fruit spreads in North America. Headquartered in picturesque Parry Sound, Ontario, about two hours north of Toronto, we manufacture a vast array of fruit-based spreads sold in stores across Canada, the United States, and select international markets. From the way we source our fruit, to the way we carefully manufacture our products using forward-thinking sustainable processing techniques, to our innovative, health-conscious formulations, every aspect of our operations receives the care and attention they deserve. A small but mighty team, with the support of a US based private equity firm, join us as we look to aggressively scale our business on our mission to become one of the leading organic food brands in North America.

Position Overview: Lead Hand, Production Line, Packaging Department – Afternoon Shift

This position reports directly to the Production Department Manager (Filling/Packaging) and includes the following duties and responsibilities:

General Responsibilities:

1. Follow all GMP’s, HACCP, and Health and Safety policies outlined by Crofter’s Organic.

2. Set an example for all employees by working in a safe manner, abiding all H & S policies and procedures and using proper PPE in the required areas of the plant.

3. Constantly audit and observe production process to ensure all Quality Food Safety procedures are being followed at all times. Immediately escalate issues to the QA team and direct Production Manager.

4. Lead Hand will be a subject matter expert of all areas and processes of the assigned production department.

5. Responsible for owning and providing employee training, including new hires, new equipment, and communicating procedure changes.

6. Follow equipment Standard Operating Procedures and assist with operator training when new equipment or changes to current equipment or processes are implemented.

7. Primary backup to operators when required due to vacation or absenteeism.

8. Backup to lead hands in other departments (if required) due to vacation or absenteeism.

9. Complete tasks outlined by management (i.e. aid in managing site celebrations, various data collection tasks, 5S projects, continuous improvement projects, etc)

10. General Housekeeping, 5S, and cleaning/organization of the department you are assigned to.

11. Support process improvements and ongoing change management as the site continues to evolve.

12. Take initiative to understand and produce results aligned to department priorities and accept responsibility for shift performance and results.

13. Understand how individual decisions and actions impact the needs of the department as well as overall corporate business goals.

14. Ensure production teams are communicating by building an environment of collaboration, partnership, and trust, as well as holding others accountable.

15. Lead change by example through generating unique ideas and solutions, championing new initiatives, and overcoming resistance to change.

16. Complete weekly audits and follow leader standard work to ensure processes remain in a controlled and sustainable state.

17. Identify and elevate issues with the maintenance of the equipment, tools, and other assets of the company to ensure they remain in optimal operating condition with the primary objective of keeping production equipment functional and reliable.

18. Backup to maintenance personnel to be able to complete simple troubleshooting and repairs for all equipment located in the department in order to keep the production line operational.

19. Monitor facilities and equipment; communicate regularly with operators; and notify the Production Department Manager immediately of any developing potential problems that would impact H&S, Quality, Cost or Production.

20. Promptly verify all applicable records as required, including production, cleaning, sanitation, maintenance of equipment and food safety records.

21. Be familiar with and have regard for HACCP, GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices), Food Safety, Food Security, Organic Certification, Standard Operating Procedures and all other applicable regulatory and company programs and policies. Ensure all workers are aware and comply.

22. Work with all employees to ensure compliance with applicable health and safety regulations through identifying risks and ensuring that corrective actions are implemented.

23. Identify possible improvement initiatives to reduce operational costs or improve production efficiency.

24. Responsible for opening and closing the building (depending on shift assigned) to ensure security of the premises.

25. Other duties as may be assigned to the Employee as required by the direct manager.

Production Responsibilities:

• Confirm that Quality Control is notified as soon as possible of any abnormalities (e.g. power failure, equipment failure, raw material defects) encountered during production and coordinate crew to complete appropriate corrective actions.

• Ensure all equipment is fully operational for each day of production before startup. The Lead Hand will provide coverage in the absence of the Department Manager and will act as a Float for vacation and other absences of production employees.

• Ensure daily Leader Standard Work is completed in order, accurately and in full.

• Ensure shift produces required production targets to achieve business and volume objectives and all production visual management tools are up to date.

• Assist the Department Manager with communicating to Human Resources, Quality Control, Scheduling and Warehouse regarding any concerns, changes to daily production, staff absences, and or other pending concerns with production.

• Assist with monitoring the changeover of all production equipment within a preset timeframe to meet production requirements. Ensure that all operators understand and follow changeover SOPs. Assist with providing training to new operators and frequently provide guidance on best practices.

• Complete Maintenance Work Order requests when equipment related issues are identified and require repairs.

• Monitor and assist in end of day clean up procedure for all production equipment to setup for next day’s production.

• Work with all warehouse staff to provide guidance and occasionally assist in pulling / staging of all materials required during production days or on weekends.

• Verify operators are recording correct quantities / lot #’s and storage bins are correctly labelled following proper GMP’s.

• Ensure that all production lines follow the proper scheduled sequence to maximize production and minimize downtime for cleaning.

• Ensure that production sheets are present for current day’s production and that each area of production has current record keeping sheets.

• Communicate between production departments (Pre-Batching, Batching, Filling, Packaging, Quality), of any problems encountered during production to ensure smooth operation of entire plant and to avoid delays that could potentially compromise product.

• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties as a Lead Hand.

Required experience and skills:

– High school diploma or equivalent.

– Mechanical and or Maintenance skillset

– Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook).

– Production Line/Manufacturing experience

Job type: Full-time, Permanent, on-site (not remote), afternoon shift.

Benefits: Basic Benefit Plan including Health and Medical, Vision Care, Dental, Wellness & Preventative Services. RSP and Bonus Program.

Rate of Pay: $31.00 per hour + $2.00 per hour Shift Premium.

Please submit your resume to hr@croftersorganic.com indicating your experience and interests.

Crofter’s Food Ltd. welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities.

Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $31.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Dental care
• Paid time off
• RRSP match
• Vision care

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Work Location: In person

ATTENTION JOB SEEKERS • The job description presented in this posting is solely that of the employer. The YMCA Employment Service is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability or currency of this information and does not accept any liability for the conduct and/or practices of employer.