Night Dry Extrusion Operator

Hours: 10pm–6am, Sunday–Thursday

Pay

All-in hourly compensation: $26.87/hr

• Base Pay: $23.32/hr
• Sign-on Bonus: $1.22
• 10% Shift Differential for Night Shift: $2.33/hr

Profit Sharing Eligibility: begins after completing 1 year of employment ($7.7 million paid to profit-sharing pool in 2025)

About Us

KLN Family Brands is a 3rd-generation family-owned business founded in 1964, headquartered in Perham, MN. We manufacture a diverse range of high-quality human and pet food products. Our vision is to be a proud people-first company, successful through trust-based relationships, first-rate products, and community care.

Responsibilities

• Review and follow daily production schedule, verifying against product information sheets for accuracy.
• Communicate with the mill room and dry packaging personnel regarding bin usage for production needs.
• Coordinate with slurry operators to verify tanks for liquid injection products.
• Choose correct die plate and set up knives for the next production run.
• Operate the extruder and monitor ancillary equipment to meet Quality Assurance specifications.
• Visually inspect and save samples during runs for Quality Control Lab analysis.
• Record operation parameters and submit at the end of each shift.
• Monitor feed formulas for color, odor, and grind; notify supervisor of any deviations.
• Clean systems between production runs and perform daily sanitation of the extruder area.
• Set up die plates for each production run and monitor knife wear.
• Calibrate process liquid mass flow meters prior to runs requiring their usage.
• Take monthly and semi-annual inventory of department ingredients.
• Participate in weekly cleaning of the extrusion area.
• Notify maintenance of any unusual equipment noises or failures.
• Train new department employees.

Requirements

• General mathematical ability and basic computer skills.
• Ability to learn, memorize, and execute a sequence of procedures.
• Must be able to read, speak, write, and understand English.
• Willingness to collaborate with others and fill in on other shifts as required.
• Good judgment, communication skills, and reasoning abilities.
• Ability to routinely handle weights of up to 100 lbs and 50 lbs.

Benefits

• Health, Dental, & Vision insurance.
• Wellness program discounts: up to $150 monthly discount on health insurance.
• 104 hours of PTO accrued in the first year of employment.
• 7 paid holidays.
• KLN Clinic: free doctor visits and over 300 free prescriptions.
• 401k match opportunity.
• Onsite financial advisor meetings.
• $10,000 forgivable home grant program.
• Tuition assistance.

*All hires are contingent on a clean background check and successful drug test.