About Prairie Farms – “Farmer Owned. Locally Produced. Since 1938.”

We are a farmer-owned cooperative. This means we are owned and operated by over 800+ farm families who are critical members of society. They have selflessly taken on the tremendous task of producing nutritious, high-quality milk for a growing population, which requires being on the job 24/7, 365 days a year.

We have represented American agriculture since our founding in 1938. Many of our dairy farms are operated by several generations of family members with roots dating back to the 1800s. On average, each farm milks around 120 cows and everyone pitches in to keep them happy and healthy - which means around-the-clock care!

Our Mission:

• To produce dairy products of the highest quality
• To conduct our business with professional integrity
• To exceed expectations of our customers and consumers
• To support our communities in a positive, sustainable manner
• To deliver exceptional patronage to our network of farm families
• To simply “do right” for our farm families, employees, and communities

Summary/Objective 

The Group Leader oversees the manufacturing and plant operations on a shift basis with direct responsibility for specific work teams and larger projects receiving support and direction from the Plant Manager in compliance with food safety, quality and regulatory requirements. This position is also responsible for developing the culture through coaching and supporting the work area team structure.  

Benefits

• Thrift retirement plan with generous company contributions
• Excellent health benefit plans including medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Company paid Short Term Disability and Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Health Saving Account (HSA)
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays
• Employee Assistance Program

Key Responsibilities 

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Ensure work area teams follow the continuous improvement framework in the areas of Safety, Food Safety Quality and Productivity when conducting Daily Management Meetings 
• Develop a culture of accelerated continuous improvement utilizing standard work, problem identification, A3 problem solving, and decision making at the level of execution 
• Work with other group and team leaders, both operational and functional, to identify, prioritize and resolve issues between the teams 
• Responsible for leading operational improvements in the assigned work area teams 
• Develop the leadership capabilities of work area team leaders with formal bi-weekly coaching, goal setting, training and timely completion of performance reviews 
• Support team leaders in developing and maintaining standard work, implementing and following defined standards 
• Collaborates directly with customers by attending meetings and discussions to ensure production plans, timelines, and quality expectations are met
• Primary liaison between floor personnel and management 
• Stay current with industry trends and technology 
• Live and promote our vision and mission 
• Provide support to improve quality excellence, food safety, and product development efforts, cooperating closely with the quality control team 
• Follow work practices that align with and support the negotiated collective bargaining agreement 
• Other duties as assigned 

Safety, Food Safety Quality, Productivity 

• Ensure appropriate implementation and management of Safety and Food Safety Quality GMP’s 
• Ensure that we adhere to all state and federal regulations in the areas of safety and food safety quality 
• Ensure that we follow all company and customer standards 
• Collaborate with teams to set goals to improve and demonstrate meaningful improvements in Safety, Food Safety Quality, and Productivity 

Financial 

• Responsible for improving the cost position of the assigned work teams preventing or eliminating issues including overtime, labor efficiency, shrink, energy consumption, etc. with an expected annual savings goal of 3% 
• Responsible for identifying annual capital improvements and creating appropriate business cases to justify investment 
• Prioritize and manage top improvement goals and projects to ensure appropriate support from shared services like preventative maintenance, scheduling, and supply chain 

Required Duties of all Associates 

• Manage all company business according to the cultural objectives of the company (values and behaviors) 
• Understand and execute the principles of the company’s Operational Excellence program driving the right behaviors, standards and continuous improvement across all operating entities 
• Participate in cross-functional teams as required to advance the business interests of the company 
• Compliance with all company and regulatory policies/guidelines relating to associate safety, food safety and food quality 

Competencies 

• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office 
• Excellent communication and organization skills, including written and oral presentation skills 
• Strong time management skills 
• Confidentiality is a must 
• Must be insurable by company standards 
• Must demonstrate excellent analytical and critical thinking skills 
• Strong organizational and influential leadership skills - managing and empowering personnel or teams 
• Demonstrated ability to problem solve 
• Comfortable in fast-paced environment 

Supervisory Responsibility/Reporting and Working Relationships 

• Work to communicate and execute the business goals and mission statement 
• Develop and execute a culture of continuous improvement through use of clear prioritization, problem solving and empowerment 
• In conjunction with the Human Resources Department and Plant Manager, develop and execute annual training and skill development with associates 
• Collaborate with all areas of Operations, Quality, Sanitation, and all leaders to execute priorities including improvements to safety, food safety quality and uptime of equipment 

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work 

• Typically, Sunday - Thursday 8pm start  
• Must be willing to work a varied schedule up to fifty hours per week 
• Additional hours and days (holidays, weekends) as required 
• Will work to cover other salaried associate’s PTO/days off as needed
• Expected Work Activity 
• 70% on-site supervision, problem solving, implementing, and observing 
• 20% office, planning, reporting 
• 10% staff meetings, group planning, audits, tours, misc. 

Education and Experience Required: 

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Agricultural Science, or a related technical field, or equivalent experience
• Three to five years’ experience in production supervision 

Work Environment 

• Exposed to fumes or airborne particles 
• Exposed to moving mechanical parts and vibration 
• Occasionally exposed to a variety of extreme conditions, hot and cold 
• Noise level can be loud on job site 
• Occasionally exposed to outside weather conditions 
• Both office and plant environment 

Physical Demands 

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. 

• Regularly required to talk and hear 
• Active position requires standing, walking, bending, kneeling, stooping, crouching, crawling, and climbing 
• Able to lift up to 80 pounds 
• Vision requirements include: close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus 

Working Conditions

• (S)he will be required to sit and stand for long periods of time.
• Will be required to lift and move large amounts of paperwork (boxes of files).
• Will be required to stoop, bend, and reach above the head and below the knees to file and retrieve data.
• Must have the ability to travel for multiple days. Travel is estimated at less than 5%.
• May require overtime hours.

Travel 

• Must have the ability to travel for multiple days. Travel is estimated at less than 5%.

EEO Statement

Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.