Material Handler I

About SunOpta
SunOpta delivers customized supply chain solutions and innovation for top brands, retailers, and foodservice providers across a broad portfolio of beverages, broths, and better-for-you snacks. With over 50 years of expertise, SunOpta fuels customers’ growth with high-quality, sustainability-forward solutions distributed through retail, club, foodservice, and e-commerce channels across North America.


Job Summary:
Material Handler I is responsible for operating all energized and non-energized Forklift and Palletizing equipment including Forklifts, Pallet Jacks, Floor Scrubber, and shrink wrap machines. Ensure efficient operation of equipment as well as maintaining all paperwork accurately. Follow written and verbal instructions to ensure quality and efficiency standards are being met. Assume responsibility for safety, quality, and effective communication relevant to shift and plant performance.

Essential Functions of the Job:
• Responsible for operating a forklift to move, locate, relocate, stack and count product.
• Pull and prepare product for shipment, ensuring that the exact number and type of product is loaded and shipped per load sheets in an efficient manner that meets customer service standards
• Efficiently move product from staging and/or storage areas into trailers
• Operate and be accountable for the safe and efficient operation of the vehicle
• Unload inbound shipments safely and move product to storage locations
• Ensure inbound and outbound shipments are accurate and free of damage, reporting any quality variances
• Keep appropriate records and reports to guarantee that inventory control and security are maintained.
• Assist in physical inventories and proper stock rotation
• Maintain all forklift inspection prior to shift with accurate documentation.
• Conducts required quality checks to assure standards are met.
• Maintain clean and organized area around equipment.
• Maintains communications within production team ensuring smooth shift transitions, etc.
• Troubleshoot and resolve basic to moderate operating difficulties involving area equipment.
• Pick and load outbound trucks as per paperwork.
• Unload and put away inbound trucks.
• Support mechanics in appropriate maintenance activities.
• Monitor raw packaging material and supplies to ensure it is supplied in an efficient manor to support production.
• Maintain ingredients and material in a First In First Out basis (FIFO)
• Relieve other production team members for breaks and absences as required.
• Accurately prepares and maintains all area paperwork.
• Complies with Good manufacturing practices.
Key Accountabilities:
Safety
• Follows all plant safety rules.
• Reports all accidents to the production supervisor.
• Serves an active role in the plant safety program by attending safety meetings, participating in monthly safety inspections, and reporting any potential safety hazards to the safety committee or Production Supervisor.
Quality:
• Adheres to all Quality Assurance System guidelines.
• Follows SOP’s to make machine adjustments
• Follows SOP’s on truck inspection for loading and unloading
• Responsible for compliance with the HACCP & SQF program
• Must adhere to and follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP’s)
• Responsible for accurate documentation
Housekeeping
• Maintain a clean and organized work area.
• Cooperates with other shifts and the management team in housekeeping endeavors.
• Perform all warehouse Sanitation process with documentation.

Communications
• As a member of the Materials team, ensures the effective shift communication and teamwork with the other operators occurs each scheduled shift
• Maintains effective communication with members of the support group
• Maintain communication with shift supervisor as well as Materials Manager
Teamwork and Training
• Promotes and contributes to the development of teamwork among materials team members
• Assist in coaching and training employees as requested by the management team

Personal Development
• Continuous improvement of knowledge of batch output and all other areas in the plant
• Continuous improvement of knowledge of other company warehouses

Supervisory Responsibilities:
None
Qualifications:
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. They should have concrete knowledge of automated or computerized system operations. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.