Converting Specialist

Position Summary:

Associates serving as Converting Specialists are responsible for assisting the department toward the achievement of the Company’s goal – “Always Deliver a Quality Product on Time!” Associates serving as a Converting Specialist will lead by example and will exemplify the following characteristics and attributes: Must be disciplined in adherence to attendance, safety, and all other policies! Must be willing to take responsibility and be committed to being a problem solver! He/she will collaborate with cross-functional departments to implement sustainable process improvements and be a champion of continuous improvement throughout the entire manufacturing facility. Must be willing to communicate, openly and honestly, and teach, train, and coach others on how to do their jobs Faster, Better & Smarter! Must strive to continuously improve by generating ideas and follow-up. In the event of absence, these job responsibilities will be covered by employees in the “Shift Supervisor” or “Converting Department Leader” positions.

Responsibilities and Duties:

This job description and performance standard document has been prepared as a guide to ensure better communication and understanding. All responsibilities, however, have not been included, nor could they be. Your Supervisor/Manager may from time to time ask you to perform other related duties not specifically included in this description. Likewise, this description will be revised when required to meet current business needs.

• Strict adherence and personification of the Company Code of Conduct. Adherence and alignment to PPC’s Safety Culture and objective of Zero Safety Incidents. Adherence to Personnel Handbook, Code of Conduct, and GMP and food safety standards, with no repeat violations.
• Audit compliance by the operator with quality control processes and procedures throughout the production run – an in-process inspection!
• Assist, train, and coach operators to increase productivity on machines.
• Audit all machines to ensure guarding and safety curtains are in place and operational. Emphasize SAFETY in everything we do.
• Support other associates in operating machines productively (review order requirements, job approvals in the converting department, teach and train associates, and inspection of the bag, slit specification and print quality, etc.) Assist with paperwork, label, and Radius issues as needed.
• Work closely with Engineers to reduce quality defect rate, reduce set-up times, increase throughput on all machines, and utilize all available continuous improvement tools and techniques to obtain these goals.
• Must be open-minded and willing to explore and share all improvement ideas to improve Converting performance.
• Ensures that all responsibilities and functions performed are in accordance with company and quality procedures as set forth in the Personnel Handbook and the Quality Manual. Participates in quality programs and stays updated on changes to the Quality Manual.
• Supports the company’s emphasis on teamwork and cooperation to achieve our goals by performing other duties as assigned.
• Generates improvement ideas and embraces improvement projects to continuously better the business.
• Enhance the Management Of Change (MOC) process and ensure strict adherence to either process or equipment changes. Provide training to key stakeholders, such as Safety, Quality, Production, and/or Maintenance departments.
• Collaborate with Maintenance and Production on Preventative Maintenance (PM) recommendations for optimal product quality and machine uptime. Review existing PMs for effectiveness.
• Utilize Design of Experiments (DOE) to identify machine setup parameters that produce consistency and throughput, conferring with machine vendors where necessary to understand the machine capability limits.
• Capture best practice machine setup parameters, and database and deploy as Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for each item type asset.
• Improve manufacturing efficiency by analyzing and planning workflow, space requirements, and equipment layout.
• Deploy other Lean methodologies such as the A3 Process, 5S, Kaizen events, etc.
• Keep all sensitive company or personnel information confidential and do not engage in or encourage gossip.
• Ensure that all shifts are properly utilizing the tooling in the Tooling Room; that they are disciplined in following the established procedures for obtaining and returning all tooling. You will be expected to be accountable for following the tooling process.

Skills and Qualifications:

• Able to follow directions, work with little or no supervision, have good math skills, ability to read a tape measure, micrometer, and test equipment, and possess good communication / organizational skills.
• Detail orientation required for auditing completion of required paperwork and information system inputs with a high degree of accuracy.
• Able to read and understand provided work instructions, and accept verbal direction to successfully complete procedures and assigned tasks.
• Exceptional knowledge of PPC’s product and manufacturing processes.
• Previous printing, laminating, slitting, or converting experience.
• Good verbal and written communication skills are required, and proven experience with effective teams and continuous improvement methods is strongly preferred.
• Ability to lead by example, act as a role model and deal sensitively with confidential information.

Working Conditions and/or Physical Requirements:

• Able to lift up to 50 pounds.
• Must travel as required; overnight travel may be required.
• Able to stand on feet for up to 12 hours.
• Able to discern differences in product specification and compare bag or slit standards for quality control audits.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.