Lead Pack Operator - 1st Shift

Location: Saginaw, TX – 401 East Industrial Blvd, Saginaw, TX 76179

Employment Type: Full time

About the role

As a Pack Lead, you will serve as a day-to-day leader of the flour packaging department, ensuring the safe, efficient, and timely packaging of finished products while meeting customer requirements, quality standards, and production schedules. This is a working lead position, meaning you will actively perform packaging operations alongside the team and be expected to cover operator positions during vacations, absences, staffing shortages, and other operational needs.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support the safe and efficient packaging of flour products from production through shipment while ensuring adherence to food safety, quality, and customer requirements.
• Serve as a working lead by performing operator duties as needed and filling in for vacations, call-offs, shortages, and other staffing gaps within the packaging department.
• Understand and manage the packaging schedule, customer specifications, product requirements, and outbound logistics to maximize department efficiency and customer service.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of the Final Product Zone, food safety requirements, GMPs, sanitation practices, and packaging processes.
• Champion safety initiatives and drive engagement in safety, food safety, quality, MSS, and audit readiness activities.
• Provide coaching, guidance, troubleshooting support, and training to packaging operators.
• Assist with onboarding, qualification verification, and development of team members.
• Perform sanitation activities as assigned and ensure equipment and work areas meet cleanliness standards.
• Use computer systems to operate equipment, document production activities, complete reports, and track operational performance.
• Use PRISM to open and close production orders and maintain accurate production records.
• Complete work orders, update OEE data, communicate equipment issues, and recommend corrective actions to plant leadership.
• Assist with maintenance planning and execution during outages and downtime events.
• Perform autonomous maintenance activities and minor repairs as trained and qualified.
• Assist other operational areas as needed throughout the facility.
• Support the Production Supervisor and Manager with scheduling and operational leadership functions.

Leadership Expectations

• Lead by example through active participation in daily operations.
• Build trust through reliability, integrity, accountability, and follow-through.
• Promote teamwork, ownership, and continuous improvement.
• Maintain a strong culture of safety, food safety, quality, and operational excellence.
• Ensure the department remains staffed and operational by stepping into any packaging role when needed.

Requirements

• Ability to stand, walk, climb, and perform physical work throughout the workday.
• Ability to safely perform all essential functions of packaging operations.
• Team members must be clean shaven in order to perform tasks where respiratory protection is required and the use of a respirator (including N-95 dust mask) requires a proper seal for adequate protection.

The duties, responsibilities, and requirements outlined above are not intended to be an exhaustive list. Responsibilities may change at the discretion of Ardent Mills based on business and operational needs.

Pay

Competitive market-driven base pay based on skills, abilities, and experience. The starting range for this position is $26.00 - $32.40 per hour, with additional earning potential possible commensurate with experience. Eligible team members may also participate in an incentive program with a target bonus of 5% annually based on company performance and individual results.

The company provides a shift differential to eligible employees who work shifts outside of standard business hours, paid in addition to the regular base hourly rate and included in the calculation of overtime.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage
• Health and Dependent Savings Accounts
• Life and Disability Programs
• Voluntary Benefit Programs
• Company Sponsored Wellness Programs
• Retirement Savings with Company Match
• Team Member and Family Assistance Program (EAP)
• Paid Time Off and Paid Holidays
• Employee Recognition Program with Rewards (RAVE)