According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were over 1.7 million food manufacturing employees in May 2024. These employees transformed livestock and agricultural products into products for intermediate or final consumption. Then, the food products typically were sold to wholesalers or retailers for distribution to customers.
Keeping the essential roles in food manufacturing filled supports production, employee morale, and retention. Partnering with a food manufacturing staffing agency can help.
Learn about the essential roles in food manufacturing and how to fill them.
Production Supervisor
A production supervisor coordinates, plans, and directs activities involved in food manufacturing. The supervisor monitors employees to ensure they meet production and safety standards.
Typical production supervisor duties include:
- Determining how to use the plant’s equipment and employees to meet production goals.
- Ensuring production stays on schedule and within budget.
- Hiring, training, and evaluating workers.
- Analyzing production data.
- Streamlining the production process.
Food Processing Equipment Operators / Machine Operators
A food processing equipment operator uses machinery to mix, process, or cook ingredients to manufacture food products. Common duties include:
- Setting up, starting, and loading food processing equipment or machinery.
- Using recipes to check, weigh, and mix ingredients.
- Checking final products to ensure quality.
- Recording batch production data.
- Cleaning workspaces and equipment according to safety standards.
Quality Control Inspector
A quality control inspector examines materials and products for defects or deviations from specifications. Then, the inspector removes or discards the products that do not meet specifications.
Typical quality control inspector duties include:
- Operating manual and electronic inspection equipment and software.
- Inspecting, testing, weighing, and measuring materials.
- Removing materials that do not meet specifications.
- Monitoring operations to ensure they meet production standards.
- Accepting or rejecting finished products.
Material Handlers
A material handler moves stock, freight, and other materials by hand, pallet jack, and/or forklift. They might stage or remove materials from machines or load and unload incoming and outgoing shipments.
Typical material handler duties include:
- Moving material by hand or material handling equipment
- Signaling machine operators to help move materials.
- Recording the materials moved.
- Packing or wrapping products by hand.
- Cleaning equipment and workplaces.
Maintenance Technicians
A maintenance technician maintains and repairs factory equipment, conveying systems, production machinery, packaging equipment, and other industrial machinery. Typical duties include:
- Repair and maintenance of food processing equipment and machinery
- Cleaning and lubricating equipment and machinery.
- Performing basic diagnostic tests to uncover problems.
- Disassembling machinery and equipment to resolve issues.
- Repairing or replacing broken or malfunctioning parts.
- Test and run initial batches to ensure the machine runs smoothly.
Partner with a Food Manufacturing Staffing Firm
Let Impact Staffing get to work helping you fill essential roles in food manufacturing with qualified candidates. Find out more today.
