Food Production - Pilot Plant Technician - Product Development - Growth To Roughly $50-60k Within 1-2 Years

Job Title: Pilot Plant Technician - 2nd Shift (ITQ Technologist - Cereal)

Job Description

This role supports pilot plant and test kitchen operations with a primary focus on the cereal platform during 2nd shift. You will autonomously set up, sanitize, and operate production equipment for trials, working closely with food product developers and other pilot plant teams. The position offers a flex environment where you support multiple platforms beyond cereal, building broad operational capabilities and gaining valuable food science exposure. This is a hands-on role in a food production setting that combines technical equipment operation, sanitation, and strong safety leadership.

Responsibilities

• Safely operate pilot plant and production equipment for cereal and other food platforms, following all food safety and Good Manufacturing Practices.
• Independently set up equipment for trials, including assembling and disassembling components using hand tools.
• Lead and perform sanitation activities before and after production runs, including cleaning and inspecting equipment to ensure proper sanitation.
• Apply strong human and food safety practices, including the use of appropriate personal protective equipment and adherence to safety procedures such as HACCP and lock-out/tag-out.
• Conduct risk assessments to identify and mitigate human and food safety risks in the pilot plant environment.
• Maintain and develop skills across multiple unit operations and systems, achieving mastery on some systems and operating them efficiently.
• Train and coach others on specific unit operations and systems, sharing knowledge to drive incremental value for internal customers.
• Support maintenance, electrical, and controls-related activities with a technical focus, escalating issues as needed.
• Collaborate closely with food scientists, product developers, and production staff to execute trials and test variables in new and existing food products.
• Participate in projects and efforts to find and resolve safety risks, demonstrating leadership in safety initiatives.
• Handle, manipulate, and transport ingredients and equipment weighing up to 55 pounds consistently and repeatedly.
• Perform manual work including standing, walking, climbing, bending, pushing, pulling, and twisting for extended periods.
• Flex between different pilot plant platforms (such as cereal, fruit snacks, dairy, pet food, grains and bars) to support evolving business needs.
• Adapt to changing schedules, including flexing to different shifts or hours with advance notice based on business requirements.
• Work occasional overtime before or after scheduled shifts and support weekend production or trials as needed.
• Operate powered lifts such as stackers and pallet jacks to move materials safely.
• Work around industrial high-speed moving machinery and equipment that may generate electromagnetic interference.
• Follow all safety standards and policies, including working carefully around hazardous compounds and gases.
• Adhere to all Good Manufacturing Practices to ensure food safety and maintain a clean, organized work area.
• Comply with allergen control procedures and work safely around common food allergens.

Essential Skills

• High school diploma or equivalent with 1-3 years of relatable experience in production, machine operation, labor roles, or warehouse environments.
• 6-12 months of sanitation experience, ideally involving food-grade chemicals.
• Experience operating industrial equipment in a production or manufacturing setting.
• Familiarity with using hand tools for assembling and disassembling equipment.
• Understanding of fundamental human and food safety practices, including proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Knowledge of food safety systems such as HACCP.
• Awareness of lock-out/tag-out procedures for equipment safety.
• Ability to lift, manipulate, and transport up to 55 pounds consistently and repeatedly.
• Ability to perform physically demanding tasks for extended periods, including standing, walking, climbing, bending, pushing, pulling, and twisting.
• Willingness and ability to work around industrial high-speed moving machinery.
• Willingness and ability to work around hazardous compounds and gases safely.
• Ability to wear protective clothing and equipment such as safety shoes, face masks, safety glasses, hearing protection, hard hat, hair/beard net, and gloves when required.
• Willingness and ability to adhere to all safety standards and Good Manufacturing Practices.
• Ability to work in hot, warm, and cool conditions within the plant.
• Ability to climb ladders and stairs while maintaining three points of contact.
• Willingness to use powered lifts such as stackers and pallet jacks.
• Ability to work around equipment that may have electromagnetic interference.
• Availability to work 2nd shift (2:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.) Monday through Friday with occasional weekends and overtime.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience in food production, food manufacturing, or plant operations is a strong plus.
• Experience in a pilot plant, test kitchen, or food production environment is beneficial.
• Military experience is considered a plus.
• 2-year science degree or 4-year science degree with exposure to food science, dairy science, nutrition, or related coursework, especially with a desire to work in food scale-up and creation environments.
• Experience working under Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and food safety standards.
• Exposure to or interest in working with cereal, fruit snacks, dairy, pet food, grains and bars, and other food categories.
• Strong customer service mindset when supporting internal teams and platforms.
• Ability to lead or participate in teams focused on identifying and resolving safety risks.
• Interest in developing broad operational capabilities across multiple pilot plant platforms.
• Comfort working in environments with potential exposure to common allergens including milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame.

Work Environment

This is a 2nd shift role scheduled from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, with occasional weekend work and the potential for up to 4 hours of overtime before or after the assigned shift. Actual workdays and hours may change based on business needs, and the position is considered flex, meaning you may be asked to support different shifts or hours with advance notice. The role is based in a pilot plant production environment that supports multiple platforms, including cereal, fruit snacks, dairy, pet food, grains and bars, and other food products. You will work closely with food product developers, food scientists, occasional test kitchen staff, and production staff to create and improve food products. The environment involves hands-on, manual work with frequent equipment setup, sanitation, and operation. You will work in conditions that can be hot, warm, or cool and will regularly lift and transport items up to 55 pounds. The facility operates multiple pilot plants and industrial high-speed moving machinery, and you may work around equipment that generates electromagnetic interference and around hazardous compounds and gases. The role requires wearing protective clothing and equipment such as safety shoes, face masks, safety glasses, hearing protection, a hard hat, hair or beard nets, and gloves as needed. You must adhere to strict safety standards and Good Manufacturing Practices to ensure food safety, including working safely around common food allergens. The position offers six paid holidays and the potential for conversion to a permanent full-time role based on performance and business needs. Over time, there may be opportunities to move to different shifts or roles within the broader pilot plant and food development organization, with strong potential for growth and learning in food science and production.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Minneapolis, MN.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $21.00 - $21.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Minneapolis,MN.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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