Group Leader - 3rd Shift

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 (value