1st Shift Machine Operator

At Russell Stover, not only do we love chocolate, but we love our jobs! Every day we go to work exhibiting our values of excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship, responsibility, and collaboration. Working at Russell Stover you’ll be part of the leading manufacturer of boxed, seasonal, and sugar-free chocolates. For over 100 years, Russell Stover Chocolates, Whitman’s, and Pangburn’s have been crafted with the finest ingredients to bring happiness to generations. Today, we produce over 55 million pounds of chocolate annually, and our legacy brands can be found in 13 company-owned stores and over 9,000 wholesale accounts. Join our team and let’s continue making chocolate lovers happy! 

A day in the life…

As a Machine Operator, you will play a key role in the chocolate production process, ensuring that every piece meets the exceptional quality standards our customers expect. From start to finish, you will contribute to creating confections that embody our commitment to delivering Only the Finest products.

In this role, you will operate and maintain machinery with precision, conduct quality inspections, and keep detailed records to uphold production excellence. Additionally, you will troubleshoot issues as needed and maintain a clean, organized work environment. Your attention to detail and dedication to quality will help drive efficiency and ensure a seamless production process.

What you will be doing…

• Operating machinery, equipment, and tools in a safe and proficient manner according to standards, guidelines, and instructions.
• Working with product. Inspect, receive, deliver, secure, and maintain product (raw or finished) per Russell Stover Chocolates guidelines.
• Inspecting finished candy as it exits cooling tunnels; transfers candy from conveyor belt to trays and places trays in steels.
• Monitoring candy weight, seal and secure boxes, transfer to pallet.
• Maintaining records, deliver, inspect, and perform all activities required of other members of the area, line, or team.
• Performing clean-up activities as assigned.
• May be assigned other duties by plant management as required.
• Adhering to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) guidelines to ensure product quality and uphold food safety standards.
• Learning to Identify and address potential food safety hazards, process deviations, or non-conformities, while maintaining proactive communication with supervisors.
• Documenting food safety and quality procedures, maintaining detailed records of monitoring, verification, and corrective actions.

Do you have what it takes? 

(Basic Qualifications)

• Must be 18 years or older.
• Must be able to read and write in English.
• Must be able to lift up to 50 lbs.
• Must be able to routinely and frequently stand, stoop, bend and lift overhead during a 10-hour shift.
• Must be able to stand on hard surfaces for the duration of a 10-hour shift.

Do you stand above the rest?

(Preferred Qualifications)

• 2 or more years’ experience operating machinery.
• Ability to read and understand rulers, tapes, scales, and thermometers.
• Ability to read and understand product specifications established by Russell Stover Chocolates and recognize deviations from those specifications.
• Experience operating a scan gun.
• A passion for learning.

What it’s like at the Russell Stover Plants

• Safety. Your safety is important to us, so we provide protective gear. We also go through an in-depth Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) training on your first day and continue to share safety tips daily
• Surroundings. You’ll be working around different machines – Schubert’s, forklifts, electric pallet jacks, and chocolate candy banks/steels.
• Activity. Some activities may require standing in one place for long periods, walking around, or climbing stairs/ladders, and routinely lift 50 lbs.
• Temperature. You will be comfortable year-round with our climate-controlled environment. Our temperatures are consistently around 63°F but could fluctuate depending on your specific role. Temperatures within the warehouse are more consistent with the outdoor temperature.
• Smell. You will enjoy a variety of deliciously sweet aromas and you may end your day smelling like chocolate!
• Dress code. Relaxed, with a few rules to follow for food safety, personal safety and in guidance with our good manufacturing practices (GMP). Comfortable, closed-toe shoes are required. Leather, imitation leather, or rubber boots or shoes must be worn in the kitchen and other areas when working around hot liquid/product or hot water.

At Russell Stover Chocolates, we don’t just accept difference — we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products, and our community. Russell Stover Chocolates is proud to be an equal-opportunity workplace.

We provide equal employment opportunities to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, religion, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition, genetic information, military service, veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by law.

Employment by Russell Stover Chocolates is contingent upon I-9 Employment Eligibility Verification, passing the urinalysis drug screen, education verification, and satisfactory reference and background checks.

Make Happy. Work Happy.