Operator

About the role

Join Barrett Petfood in Brainerd, Minnesota, as a Full‑Time Operator and immerse yourself in an exciting environment that prioritizes safety and innovation. This onsite role offers the opportunity to be part of a high‑performance team dedicated to delivering quality products for our furry friends. If you have a passion for pet food manufacturing and want to make a meaningful impact, this is the perfect opportunity for you. Elevate your career with us and help shape the future of pet nutrition while enjoying a work environment that thrives on collaboration and creativity.

Responsibilities

• Operate production machinery
• Ensure quality control
• Maintain safety standards throughout the work process
• Collaborate closely with team members to troubleshoot issues
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives
• Mix ingredients
• Monitor equipment performance
• Package finished products
• Set packaging line to machine centerlines and confirm setup is set to the correct product
• Set dog food bags to the correct centerlines
• Drive quality through monitoring and validating that the product is within standards, checking paperwork, and ensuring the product is correct
• Conduct and record metal, weight, seals, and lot code checks
• Verify cleans are accurate by assigning duties to others on the line, filling out quality documents, and ensuring completion in a timely manner
• Communicate with material handlers on upcoming jobs for easy transition
• Communicate packaging needs with packaging supervisor as necessary
• Notify packaging supervisor of any safety, quality, or production escalation issues
• Support troubleshooting of equipment to ensure daily throughput requirements are met
• Notify maintenance if the packaging line breaks

Requirements

• Prolonged periods of standing and walking through the factory
• Ability to safely climb and descend stairs and ladders as required to perform essential job functions
• Must be able to lift 50 pounds at times
• Passion for pet food manufacturing and desire to make a meaningful impact

Skills

• Strong attention to detail
• Adept problem‑solving abilities
• Effective communication skills
• Solid understanding of basic mechanical concepts
• Commitment to safety protocols
• Customer‑centric mindset
• Adaptability and willingness to learn

Benefits

• Medical insurance (company paid) – 100% on us
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Life insurance
• Health savings account
• Paid time off
• Seven paid holidays
• Employee discounts
• Complimentary pet food
• Fun, company‑sponsored events

Pay

Competitive pay between $20.50 and $24.00 per hour, based on experience and shift differential. Shift differentials: $1.50/hr for 2nd shift, $3.00/hr for 3rd shift.

Schedule

Full‑time position. Available schedules:
2ND SHIFT MON - FRI 215PM -1045PM ($1.50/hr shift differential)
3RD SHIFT MON - FRI 10PM - 630AM ($3.00/hr shift differential)