Forklift Operator

Local Bounti is a leading controlled environment agriculture (CEA) company. Our mission is to bring our farm to your kitchen and deliver the freshest, locally grown produce in the fewest food miles possible.

Our mission is rooted in sustainability and in turn human welfare. 

By growing local we help eliminate food waste and provide fresh, high-quality produce. Our sustainable greenhouse technology delivers ideal growing conditions for each of our crops, resulting in 90% less water consumption and 95% less land use than conventional agriculture, no need for herbicides or pesticides, and the lowest carbon footprint in the industry.

We are committed to the growth and cultivation of our employee’s well-being, so that our employees feel that they are in a career environment that enables them to thrive personally and professionally. We provide an educational and safe work environment and are dedicated to helping our employees grow within the company. We are proud to offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package to employees working over 30 hours a week.

• Competitive Pay
• Indoor Agriculture Environment
• A culture focused on Work/Life Balance
• Health, Dental, and Vision and very competitive contribution rates
• Health Care Flexible Spending Account or Health Savings Account
• Generous Vacation Time and 5 Sick days each year
• 10 Company Paid Holidays
• Immediate access to participate in the 401(k) plan with up to 5% company match
• Basic and Voluntary Life / AD&D
• Voluntary Accident and Critical Illness coverage
• Voluntary STD/LTD
• Aflac
• Caregiver Support
• Training and Development
• Adoption Assistance Program
• Commuter Benefits (includes part-time and seasonal staff)
• MarketPlace Perks at Work
• Free Employee Assistance Program services that focus on health physically, emotionally, socially, and financially.

Local Bounti employees are empowered, valued, and respected. They have a passion for their work and for Local Bounti’s success. This shared passion for achievement is the lifeblood of our company.

Position Overview:

As a Forklift Operator at Local Bounti, you will ensure timely, safe, and efficient receiving, storing, or moving of material in the warehouse, loading dock, yard, or storage area while upholding our commitment to sustainability and food safety. You will also transport materials to, from, or between manufacturing production lines.  By being a key part of our manufacturing process, you help guarantee our customers receive the freshest produce, supporting our mission to revolutionize agriculture.

Key Responsibilities:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The duties listed below are representative of the essential functions, qualifications, physical demands, and the work environment encountered in this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to work and perform the essential functions in this work environment. 

• Safety Protocols: Observe safety protocols and if applicable, manufacturer’s instructions when performing tasks.
• Food Safety Procedures: Follows food safety policies and procedures, including using the proper procedure to wash and sanitize hands before every shift and when returning to work.
• Ethics Compliance: Complies with safety and corporate guidelines on business ethics.
• Operator Safety: Operator safely, wears seat belt and obeys all safety procedures while operating forklift.  Wears all protective equipment, including clothing and footwear.
• Daily Forklift Inspection Checklist Form: Completes forklift inspection form prior to operating forklift to perform operations and safety check, including battery, brakes, lift controls and fire extinguishers.
• Forklift Safety: Does not operate forklift if it not safe to do so.
• Forklift Tasks:  Operates forklift, making runs throughout the facility to take product from packing areas to the cooler.  Stores and stacks materials, examines and reports deterioration and damage; rearranges and occasionally takes inventory of materials and product.
• FIFO Compliance:  Maintain FIFO compliance.  Monitor, report, and act on product(s) condition to reduce re-work and prevent losses. 
• Load Security: Ensures that shipments are properly packaged, identified with all the required shipping information, and loaded into transportation vehicles.
• Dry Goods Inventory:  Checks inventory of goods and materials as needed making sure that all departments have the required supplies.
• Receiving:  Receives deliveries of goods and materials ensuring they are in good shape and documents using the Incoming Inspection Checklist form.
• Incident Reporting: Promptly notifies designated company personnel via cell phone whenever delivery delays, accidents, and vehicle malfunctions occur.
• Documentation Accuracy: Completes all delivery documentation accurately.
• Pallet Exchanges: Obtains exchange pallets for all pallets (other than blue CHEP pallets) that are delivered to customers; accurately records on the delivery documentation the number of pallets delivered to, and the number of exchange pallets received from, each customer.
• Additional Duties: Performs other duties as assigned by supervisor.
• Other Duties: Any other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Core Values Adherence: Uphold Local Bounti's Core Values while ensuring adherence to safety and food safety standards.
• Food Safety Knowledge: Knowledge of GMP, GFSI, SQF, and food quality processes and procedures.
• Technical Information Interpretation: Ability to read, interpret, apply, and communicate technical information.
• Production Knowledge: Knowledge of equipment and production processes.
• Bilingual Communication: Ability to communicate in English (Bilingualism a plus).
• Troubleshooting Skills: Troubleshooting skills based on systematically identifying and solving transportation equipment-related problems.
• Timeline Management: Determine the completion timeline and monitor progress to keep the project on track and on schedule.
• Effective Communication: Ability to effectively communicate, in verbal and written form, with individuals at all levels of the organization.
• Data Verification: Ability to categorize, calculate, audit, or verify information or data, such as shipping documentation.

Education and Experience:

·         High school diploma or equivalent.

·         Minimum 2 or more years of work experience operating a forklift.

·         Possession of a Forklift Operator certification card.

·         Possession of a valid Driver’s License.

Physical Demands:

·         The working environment is subject to hot, cold or humidity.  Requires frequently working outdoors.

·         Hearing Requirements:

o        Sound Perception: Ability to perceive the nature of sounds by ear.

o        Sound Differentiation: Ability to detect differences in sounds based on loudness or pitch.

o        Directional Hearing: Ability to identify the direction from which a sound originates.

·         Lifting: raising or lowering objects weighing 45 pounds or less, from one level to another.

·         Mental Demands: mathematical reasoning, memorization, oral comprehension, spatial orientation, and written comprehension.

·         Sitting: remaining in the normal seated position.

·         Stooping: bending the body by bending the spine at the waist.

·         Talking: expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words.

·         Vision Requirements:

o        Near Acuity: Ability to see clearly at 20 inches or less.

o        Night Vision: Ability to see at night and under low-light conditions.

o        Glare Handling: Ability to see objects in the presence of glare or bright lights.

o        Peripheral Vision: Ability to detect objects or movement to the side while looking ahead.

o        Color Differentiation: Ability to differentiate between colors, including shades and brightness.

o        Depth Perception: Ability to judge distances between objects and oneself.

o        Spatial Awareness: Ability to understand one's position in relation to the environment and nearby objects.