The Heavy Equipment Operator (HEO) is a hands-on role that is critical in ensuring the highest levels of safety, quality, customer satisfaction and operational efficiency in the production of grain-based food products. HEO’s are cross-trained in multiple tasks that includes loading moving, staging, and scaling of products in Pneumatics hoppers and bulk grain and ethanol rail cars, as well as locomotive and yard truck operations to increase contributions to the organization, enhance production flexibility and readiness, while also providing job enrichment and growth opportunities to incumbents. Employees entering into the HEO role are expected to actively and purposefully grow their skill set to potentially grow within their role and the company.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Personal and Work Environment SAFETY is achieved through:
- Development and ownership of all aspects the Mill Safety Culture. Safety Maturity is advanced through constant development of safe behaviors, procedures and systems.
- Commitment to follow all safety procedures, GMP’s, performs risk assessments prior to commencing an unfamiliar task, seek to identify and implement proactive safety improvements, and use PPE when required such as: chemical handling, hearing protection, lock-out tag-out, harnesses, respiratory masks, etc.
- Ensure compliance to highest level of food safety not limited to filling in the appropriate documentation like return to service checklists, etc.
- Absolute adherence to safety procedures with use, inspection, and care of vehicles, equipment, and tools to include test equipment, lab equipment, industrial trucks, yard dog, rail locomotive, production equipment and man lifts.
The highest levels of PRODUCTION and EFFICIENCY are achieved through passionate commitment and proactive ownership. People in this key role:
- Committed and unfailing truck and rail load out and movement support for Didion milling and ethanol operation and team working to achieve operational excellence; HEO work is integral to preparing and providing a quality shipped Didion end product to our customers.
- Operate all equipment associated with the loading process for trucks and/or rail: including scales, conveyors the locomotive and the shuttle car. Perform pre- and post-operation inspection of the equipment in accordance with Company policy to ensure windows, lights, and mirrors are clean.
- Continuously monitor the condition of the equipment to ensure it is operationally ready at all times to minimize down time; clean tracks or wheels on equipment, as needed.
- Safely and efficiently operate equipment that may include: forklift, front-end loader and other equipment using proper safety standards.
- Perform and document minor service on equipment, referring more complicated mechanical issues to Maintenance Shop for repair.
- Winter upkeep of rail tracks, removing snow from switches and minor rail track inspections.
- Summer upkeep of rail tracks: weed control.
- Maintain an updated railcar and trailer inventory.
- Proactively monitor radio communications to anticipate needs and quickly resolve any issues.
- Drive locomotive to move rail cars and stage cars to maximize efficient rail movement.
- Drive the yard truck to move trailer from staging area and backing into loadout bay and weighting loaded trailer.
- Ensure final paperwork and computer data entry for shipped loads is completed promptly and correctly.
- Consistently perform fumigation duties on rail cars to ensure a quality product is shipped on time, every time from Didion.
- Demonstrate a proactive approach during loading in operating machinery to safety compliance, sustaining a food safety compliant environment including and not limited to fumigation certification, supporting high levels of area/equipment sanitation, etc.
- A proactive commitment to growing and expanding skill set through training and education leading toward meeting requirements of and promotion to another role.
- Personally committed to add value to the organization, the department, and the team by performing all tasks required to support the Production group in the efficient operation of the plant.
- Perform sealing of vessels exposure points on the bottom of all vessels, including Hopper trailers, PD trailers, PD cars, Gravity PD cars.
- Inspections and cleaning of railcar bottom gates.
REQUIREMENTS to help ensure success include:
To qualify for this position, an individual must possess any combination of experience and education that would likely produce the desired job outcomes. Specific requirements include:
- High School Graduate, GED, or equivalent experience. Technical school certificate or degree in related field a plus, but not required.
- Two years of prior related experience in heavy equipment operation. Locomotive or yard dog driving experience a plus.
- One year of prior experience working at sites regulated by OSHA.
- General computer competency required for use with HMI interface, submitting work requests for equipment maintenance, and schedule selection.
- Previous experience in a manufacturing environment, in particular a food safe environment, a plus.
- Fumigation licensure for fumigating rail cars; if not currently certified the team member is expected to promptly receive certification as part of job requirement’s following hire.
- Ability to work autonomously using critical thinking, problem solving, and troubleshooting skills to complete assigned tasks safely without supervision.
- Demonstrate ownership of job function and area equipment.
- Demonstrate personal initiative and collaborative, team player approach.
- Ability to proactively drive continuous improvement project creation and execution.
- Ability to read, write and speak English fluently in order to communicate effectively with team members within and external to pack department.
- A positive, proactive demeanor resulting in a passion for excellence while being humbly confident and displaying a can do attitude.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND ENVIROMENTAL FACTORS
- Must be able to work in environmental factors that include noise, dust, hot weather, and cold weather.
- Must be able to lift 55 pounds and occasionally 75 pounds.
- Must be able to ascend and descend stairs, ladders, and gangways on a frequent basis and be able to work while standing on a continuous basis.
- Ability to safely work aloft (heights over 20’) including ladders, man lifts, harnesses, equipment tops and scaffolding.
- Ability to enter confined spaces, following all safety procedures, while in performance of job duties.
- Must be able to communicate by using and hearing 2-way radio.
- Have dexterity and ability to maneuver equipment in tight working spaces.
