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

Job Title: Pilot Plant Technician - 2nd shift

Job Description

This role supports pilot plant production by independently setting up, operating, sanitizing, and troubleshooting equipment used in food trials, with a primary focus on the cereal platform. You will work closely with food scientists and product developers to help scale up and refine new and existing food products. The position runs on a 2nd shift schedule and offers the opportunity to build broad operational skills across multiple pilot plant platforms, creating a strong foundation for future growth in food production and technology.

Responsibilities

• Safely operate pilot plant equipment and systems to run product trials, primarily on the cereal platform, while also supporting other platforms as needed.
• Autonomously set up equipment for trials, including assembling and disassembling components using hand tools according to operating procedures.
• Lead and perform equipment sanitation activities before and after production runs, including working with sanitation chemicals and inspecting equipment to ensure proper cleaning.
• Apply human and food safety leadership by identifying, assessing, and helping resolve safety risks, and by leading teams through safety-focused projects and efforts.
• Maintain and develop skills across multiple unit operations and systems, achieving mastery on some systems and running them efficiently to deliver value to internal customers.
• Train and coach others on equipment operation, sanitation procedures, and safety practices, sharing knowledge to build team capability.
• Support maintenance, electrical, and controls activities with a technical focus, including basic troubleshooting and coordination with maintenance personnel when needed.
• Handle, lift, manipulate, and transport ingredients, materials, and equipment up to 55 lbs consistently and repeatedly during production and sanitation activities.
• Collaborate closely with food product developers, food scientists, and test kitchen staff to execute trials, test variables, and help optimize new and existing food products.
• Follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and all food safety requirements, including proper use of personal protective equipment and adherence to HACCP and Lock-out Tag-out procedures.
• Work flexibly across different pilot plant operations, learning various processes for different business units to broaden capabilities and support evolving business needs.
• Adapt to changing schedules by flexing to different shifts or adjusting start and end times when given advance notice to meet business demands.
• Perform physical tasks for extended periods, including standing, walking, climbing, bending, pushing, pulling, and twisting while working around industrial high-speed machinery.
• Operate or assist with powered lifts such as stackers and pallet jacks to move materials safely within the pilot plant.
• Work carefully around hazardous compounds and gases, following all safety standards and plant protocols.
• Support weekend and overtime production as needed, including working up to 4 hours of overtime before or after the assigned shift and occasionally 8-12 hours on weekends.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe work area, including proper storage of tools, equipment, and materials.
• Comply with all company safety standards, plant rules, and quality procedures to ensure consistent, safe production of food products.

Essential Skills

• High school diploma or equivalent with 1-3 years of relatable experience in production, sanitation, machine operation, labor roles, or warehouse environments.
• Experience operating industrial equipment in a production or manufacturing setting.
• Familiarity with using hand tools for assembling and disassembling equipment.
• Experience with sanitation processes, including working with sanitation chemicals and cleaning production equipment.
• Understanding of human and food safety fundamentals, including proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE), HACCP principles, and Lock-out Tag-out procedures.
• Ability to safely lift, manipulate, and transport up to 55 lbs consistently and repeatedly.
• Ability to wear required protective clothing and equipment such as safety shoes, face masks, safety glasses, hearing protection, hard hat, hair/beard net, and gloves.
• Ability to work for extended periods in hot, warm, or cool conditions within the plant.
• Ability to climb up and down ladders and stairs while maintaining three points of contact.
• Ability to perform physical tasks for extended periods, including standing, walking, climbing, bending, pushing, pulling, and twisting.
• Willingness to work around industrial high-speed moving machinery and equipment that may have electromagnetic interference.
• Willingness and ability to adhere to all safety standards and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) to ensure food safety.
• Comfort working around hazardous compounds and gases in a controlled environment.
• Ability to work in an environment with potential exposure to common allergens, including but not limited to milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame.
• Willingness to use powered lifts such as stackers and pallet jacks.
• Flexibility to work the 2nd shift schedule and to support overtime and occasional weekend work as business needs require.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience in food production, sanitation, or food manufacturing is a strong plus.
• A 2-year science degree or a 4-year science degree with some exposure to food science, dairy science, nutrition, or related coursework, combined with a desire to work in a food scale-up or creation environment.
• Experience in pilot plant operations, test kitchens, or food production environments.
• Experience in manufacturing environments that follow GMP and food safety standards.
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams through safety-related projects and to identify and mitigate safety risks.
• Ability to maintain and build skills across multiple unit operations and systems, including teaching and training others.
• Strong customer service mindset when working with internal partners and platforms.
• Interest in gaining food science knowledge and collaborating closely with laboratory and food science professionals.
• Desire for long-term growth in a large, innovation-focused food company with opportunities to move into different shifts, roles, or departments over time.

Work Environment

This role is based in a pilot plant production environment on the 2nd shift, typically working Monday through Friday from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., with occasional weekend work and overtime based on business needs. The position is flex in nature, meaning actual workdays, start times, and end times may change as business needs evolve, and you may be asked with advance notice to flex to a different shift or schedule. You will work hands-on with food product developers, food scientists, occasional test kitchen staff, and production teams to support trials across multiple pilot plants. The pilot plant division operates 10-15 different pilot plants, including areas focused on fruit snacks, dairy, pet food, grains and bars, cereal, and other products. The work involves significant manual activity, including heavy lifting, assembling and disassembling equipment, and performing sanitation before and after production runs. You will work in hot, warm, and cool conditions and around industrial high-speed moving machinery, powered lifts, hazardous compounds and gases, and equipment that may generate electromagnetic interference. The environment includes potential exposure to common food allergens such as milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans, and sesame. You must wear appropriate protective clothing and equipment, including safety shoes, face masks, safety glasses, hearing protection, hard hat, hair or beard nets, and gloves as required. The culture emphasizes being a force for good, continuous learning, and collaboration, with opportunities to grow, explore new perspectives, and reimagine possibilities. This assignment includes six paid holidays and, based on performance and business needs, may offer opportunities for conversion to a permanent full-time role with competitive pay progression, strong holiday and vacation options, potential pension programs, and extended primary and secondary care leave benefits as determined by the employer. The environment supports career growth within a large headquarters setting with thousands of local employees and multiple paths for advancement in pilot plant and related functions

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.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.