Production Associate I

Job Title: Production Associate I
Department: Production
Reports to: Production Manager

Status: Full Time, 40 hours per week, Non-Exempt

About us:
Hummingbird Wholesale is a small, family and employee owned & operated company distributing organic food throughout the Pacific Northwest and into northern California.
We are a team of highly engaged and extraordinarily productive people who are inspired to work hard, have fun, and give our very best at all times. We are motivated by our mission, vision, and values. We work effectively & efficiently, and enjoy connecting with each other through our daily work.

Our Mission, Core Values and Culture:
We endeavor to serve people and the planet by providing the highest quality, most nutritious foods, grown as locally and sustainably as possible to nourish the body, mind, and soul. We practice principles of ecological & social justice in our business operation, and strive for minimum packaging and waste. We value long-term relationships with farmers, vendors, coworkers, and customers.

Do you want to work at an Employee-Owned Company that is rated one of the 100 Best Green Workplaces in Oregon? 

In January 2023, Hummingbird owners Charlie and Julie Tilt made a bold move by transitioning their ownership of the company to an Employee Owned Purpose Trust, securing and guiding the mission and values of the business into perpetuity. The Purpose Trust was established to serve as a co-creator of life-enhancing, inclusive, and healthy food systems for our regional and global community. We invite you to join us as we work together to transform the world toward a sustainable food production system which supports the health of the people who depend on it, as well as the earth’s precious ecosystems.

Can work be fun?
We think so Creating a positive, safe, and healthy work environment is central to our mission and values. From our weekly, all-company huddles where we share what's going on in each department and our quarterly profit sharing program, to unique benefits like our coworker annual self-care stipend, we walk our talk. Oh yeah, and we measure FUN as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) of our success as a company. Seriously. We invite you to join us.  

Compensation, Benefits + Perks:
We offer competitive wages and generous benefits and perks including health insurance with an HSA option, paid vacation, paid holidays, paid sick leave, 401(k), profit sharing, self-care funds, wholesale pricing on Hummingbird products and with a curated list of local vendors, and more

Job Summary:
The Production Associate is an integral part of the Hummingbird Team and is responsible for safely and efficiently producing high quality and consistent product in a timely and accurate manner, ensuring that Hummingbird product is available to our customers.
The Production Associate is responsible for repackaging, manufacturing, cleaning and recording activities to fulfill the company’s goals of making safe, clean, high quality food.
The Production Associate upholds department values of safety (physical and food); product availability and quality; efficiency of production; and development of people and process in all activities in the Production Department while actively striving to help the company fulfill its mission.

Essential Functions – All levels:

• Use all company systems in compliance with the Mission Statement, Core Values, and established policies and procedures.
• Participate and contribute to a strong safety culture by working safely and supporting safety among coworkers.
• Uphold the highest standard of food safety by following all policies and procedures in the Food Safety Plan applicable to the job title.
• Comply with all applicable company, governmental, and regulatory agency policies and guidelines.
• Attend and participate in department and all company meetings and trainings.
• Give great customer service, understanding that every relationship counts. Build mutually rewarding long term relationships with coworkers, customers, vendors, and community.
• Receive and place calls and text messages in a friendly and professional manner.
• Utilize principles of continuous improvement (LEAN) in collaboration with co-workers, as trained, to reduce waste, improve customer outcomes, and support Company goals and objectives.
• Help drive our sustainability practices through participation and improvement of Company sustainability initiatives and programs. Complete Company-sponsored training as offered and participate in waste-stream reduction program, minimizing waste and properly sorting waste-stream items into designated receptacles.
• Arrive to work each day excited and ready to participate in helping others do their best. Be committed to having fun. Contribute as part of a team to accomplish excellent daily work.
• Be enthusiastic and active in growing and improving personally and professionally.
  
• Have excellent attendance and punctuality.

Essential Functions – Per Level

Production Associate I:

• Consistently demonstrate safe and ergonomic work habits.
  
• Master and complete basic production work in assigned areas as trained, using all applicable department procedures and food safety standards.
  
• Repackaging liquids and honey.
  
• Dry goods blending and repackaging.
  
• Dehydration Manufacturing.
  
• Chocolate Panning.
  
• Returned Container Washing.
  
• Roasting.
  
• Other activities as assigned.
  
• Maintain a clean and sanitary workspace and production area using daily, weekly, and monthly cleaning checklists in assigned areas.
  
• Document work as assigned, using standard batch records and cleaning logs in English, in accordance with FSMA standards and HW recordkeeping policy. Track lot codes of raw and finished goods to ensure traceability and food safety for the customer.
  
• Basic understanding of LEAN Tools with an internal motivation to improve waste reduction in all work in Production.
  
• Monitor time throughout the day to ensure completion of assigned tasks according to established time standards.
  
• Monitor package integrity and product consistency.
  
• Accurately verify label, quantity, and appearance of finished goods in accordance with Finished Goods Verification Procedures.
  
• Proactively communicate within department about the need for training or support to complete tasks and resolve workflow challenges.
  
• Perform accurate product counts for cycle counts and inventory as assigned.
  
• Perform the building closing checklists as assigned.
  
• Safely operate production equipment as trained and assigned.
  

Production Associate II:

• Demonstrate ability to fulfill all duties of Production Associate I.
  
• Independently and accurately completes batches from start to finish, including recordkeeping and calculating.
  
• Reliably and efficiently performs all work in assigned and trained areas.
  
• Capable of prioritizing tasks and coordinating workflow in at least one of the Production areas.
  
• Document and resolve irregular production instances in production records in coordination with management and Quality Assurance.
  
• Review production forms and logs and follow up with production coworkers and manager as needed.
  
• Participate in quality monitoring and auditing as assigned.
  
• Coordinate between areas of production and the warehouse to facilitate workflow.
  
• Schedule own daily tasks based on FB monitor and cleaning checklists. Manage own time reliably throughout the day.
  
• Maintain stock levels as assigned and coordinate with lead to schedule needed labor.
  
• Process Fishbowl Manufacturing Orders and Transfer Orders with reliable accuracy.
  
• Competently perform basic equipment troubleshooting and maintenance.
  
• Accurately and competently print labels using Company printers including using Bartender.
  
• Review and edit Procedures under Manager direction.
  
• Demonstrate a knowledge of and use LEAN tools for continuous improvement.
  
• Reliably receive and send company communication in a timely manner (chat, email, calendar, etc. within 1 business day).
  
• Accurately and effectively train others on Production Associate I and II functions as assigned.
  
• Share in the responsibility to ensure building checklist is completed for production.
  
• Competent and productive, independently and as part of a team.
  

Production Associate III:

• Perform all functions of Production Associate I and II.
  
• Schedule, coordinate, train, and direct work in at least one of the Production areas to maintain quality, safety, efficiency, and responsiveness to sales.
  
• Support at least one other area with workflow knowledge to be able to cover production work as needed.
  
• Thorough mastery of the processes and best practices for the products produced.
  
• Safely perform the Undiluted Perasan Procedures.
  
• Maintain supply inventory as assigned, coordinate with purchasing and production coworkers to submit purchase requests and purchase supplies offsite.
  
• Proactively seek to improve workflow and improve production efficiency and safety.
  
• Identify and implement solutions to production challenges in collaboration with the Production Lead, Manager, and other coworkers.
  
• Competently perform basic equipment troubleshooting, repair, and maintenance coordination.
  
• Write and edit Forms and Procedures in collaboration with Production Lead and Manager.
  
• Demonstrate competency in using the computer for communication, organization, and planning (email, Google Calendar, Excel, Word, and Fishbowl).
  
• Reliably manage work outcomes and collaborate with other departments in a timely manner (chat, email, etc.) in areas of responsibility.
  
• Coordinate with customer service and purchasing to support production department and company objectives.
  
• Lead and monitor projects as assigned by Production Manager and Lead.
  
• Accurately and effectively train others on Production Associate I, II, and III functions as needed to accomplish workflow tasks.
  
• Occasionally available to Production Associates I, and II for workflow questions in off-hours.
  
• Acts as temporary Lead for short term vacancies in assigned areas of Production.
  

Additional Functions:

• Special projects and other duties as needed.
  

Job Requirements and Qualifications

Education:

• High school diploma or equivalent required.

Training Requirements (licenses, programs, or certificates):

• None required, although any training, including PCQI Certification or GMP training, relating to the items listed under Skill Requirements or Experience are helpful.

Skill Requirements:

• Detail oriented, well organized.
• Expert time management.
• Ability to prioritize work tasks in a changing environment and re-calibrate as necessary.
• Effective oral and written communication skills, good interpersonal communication skills.
• Knowledge of and attention to sanitation and food safety.
• Ability to learn to operate commercial food dehydrators and other processing equipment.
• Ability to follow complex multi-step processes in a predictable way.
• Strong fundamental math skills.
• Basic computer literacy.
• Ability to work well, individually, and with others.
• Ability to work in a multilingual environment effectively.

Experience:

• 2 years experience working in the Food Industry is required.

Physical, Mental, and Visual Requirements:

• Able to repeatedly lift up to 35 pounds. Squat, bend, and stand for long periods. Occasionally lift up to 60 lb.
• In support of some essential job functions, the position requires the Production Associates I, II, and III to work in commercial food production and warehouse environments. While in these environments, the employee must be able to safely comply with all Company and regulatory rules and guidelines.
• The position requires frequent and repeated exposure to major food allergens, including but not limited to, wheat, tree nuts, dairy, sesame, and soybeans.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable people with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the Production Associates I, II, and III jobs.

Other Information:

The Production Associate works in a shared environment with frequent interruptions. This position requires focus and flexibility to limit disruptions to workflow as much as possible.

Conclusion:
This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the Production Associates I, II and III positions but is not intended to be an exhaustive list of skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities or working conditions associated with the position.  We are excited to welcome our next "bird" into our "flock" and encourage you to apply even if you do not meet all of the listed qualification requirements.