Sugar Warehouse & Co-Products Supervisor

Summary of position:

The Sugar Warehouse & Co-Products Supervisor (SWCPS) is responsible for directing the daily tasks, and coordinating sugar warehouse and co-products maintenance and operations with responsibilities for the storage and distribution of sugar and co-products at Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative (SMBSC). The SWCPS will help SMBSC reach its mission and goals by 1) monitoring, inspecting, and directing warehouse and co-product activities to meet and exceed customer expectations, (2) working with crews to ensure a quality final product, and (3) coaching and developing employees to create a skilled workforce for current and future needs. This position is expected to train and become certified in food quality, safety, and food defense topics including but not limited to Preventative Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) for human food and animal food, Safe Quality Foods (SQF), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), and heavy equipment operation including forklifts, front end loaders, skid loaders, and railcar movers.

Essential Functions:

 Production and Maintenance Activities

• Takes direction from the warehouse manager on essential tasks that need to be performed, organizes and directs sugar warehouse, co-product, and rail yard crew to run optimum day-to-day operations to meet the company’s budgetary needs and goals as well as the customer’s demand for bulk sugar and bulk co-product, totes, and bags products without compromising safety, quality, and environmental compliance.


• Directs maintenance crew members to prioritize maintenance needs to ensure minimal downtime or equipment failure; oversees special projects in the sugar warehouse and co-products area.


• Performs pre-operational daily inspections on the sugar warehouse, coproducts, rail yard crew safety and housekeeping, machinery, work conditions and safety equipment to identify and correct potential hazards and ensures safety regulation compliance and conformance across each work site.


• Takes direction from the warehouse manager and director of supply chain to ensure daily sugar inventory including storage and rotation; ensure production-shipping plans are followed and efficient, including understanding weekly and day-to-day schedules and constraints.


• Communicates closely with the sugar warehouse manager and director of supply chain to ensure timely transportation and logistics.


• Partners with the onsite Food Safety Team, warehouse manager, and director of supply chain to investigate customer issues and complaints; implements corrective action procedures to reduce and/or eliminate future risk as directed by the sugar warehouse manager.


• Maintains professional and technical knowledge by participating and sharing relevant information to and from employees when Root Cause Analysis are conducted (RCA’s).

 Training and Development

• Trains all sugar warehouse and co-product employees to warehouse and co-product-specific policies and procedures, including good manufacturing practices, master sanitation scheduling, and safety; instructs crews by giving daily/nightly tasks.


• Ensures the mechanical reliability of sugar and co-product conveying, packaging, and storage equipment. Ensuring maintenance PMs are completed in a timely manner.


• Ability to leverage technology to implement warehouse and co-product trainings, and write modify standard operating procedures (SOPs), work instructions, and policies.


• Assists Inventory Specialist, foreman/leads to coach, develop, and mentor their team members, which includes providing resources to increase individual knowledge, conducting regular reviews evaluating performance, and working with employees to identify opportunities for improvement.

 Leadership

• Promotes an Employer of Choice environment aimed at a zero-lost time work force with 100% environmental compliance and uncompromising quality.


• Maintains a respectful work environment with all staff.


• Attends staff meetings as needed.

 Core Competencies and Skill Requirements:

• Able to work rotating shift schedule.


• Commitment to safety, environmental, and quality excellence
  
  
  
  • Ability to work in a responsible, safe manner by adhering to SMBSC’s safety and housekeeping protocol.
  
  
  
  


• Strong understanding of factory operations including production and maintenance
  
  
  
  • Knowledge of production processes, quality control, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
  
  
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving goods by rail and road.
  
  
  • Knowledge of the Sugar Trax program with the ability to teach and train others.
  
  
  • Knowledge of tools and machines, including their designs, uses, repair and maintenance.
  
  
  
  


• Proficient analytical and critical thinking skills
  
  
  
  • Ability to gather information by observing, receiving, and obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  
  
  • Ability to identify trends, patterns, and anomalies with data to draw conclusions and make recommendations for current and future needs.
  
  
  • Ability to quantify the characteristics of products and materials used at the Company, which includes estimating sizes and quantities or determining time, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
  
  
  • Ability to inspect equipment, structures, or materials to identify the cause of errors or other problems and defects.
  
  
  
  


• Expert understanding of factory equipment and maintenance techniques
  
  
  
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principals involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
  
  
  • Knowledge of tools and machines, including their designs, uses, repair and maintenance.
  
  
  
  


• Excellent communication skills
  
  
  
  • Ability to develop constructive and cooperative working relationships with internal and external audiences and maintain these relationships over time to advance the overall public image of SMBSC.
  
  
  • Ability to document information in a logical, sequential manner which includes entering, transcribing, recording, storing, and maintaining information.
  
  
  • Ability to maintain high attention to detail.
  
  
  
  


• Proficient in Microsoft Office
  
  
  
  • Ability to import, export, sort, and analyze data in Microsoft Excel
  
  
  • Ability to create and edit documents in Microsoft Word
  
  
  • Familiarity and comfort using Microsoft Outlook, Access, and PowerPoint
  
  
  
  


• Strong conflict management and resolution skills
  
  
  
  • Ability to handle complaints, settle disputes, resolve grievances, and conflicts.
  
  
  • Ability to maintain a high level of interpersonal skills to handle sensitive and confidential situations.
  
  
  
  


• Commitment to safety
  
  
  
  • Ability to work in a responsible, safe manner by adhering to SMBSC’s safety and housekeeping protocol.
  
  
  • Ability to provide guidance and expert advice to employees and other groups based on technical, systems-related, or process-related topics regarding safety.
  
  
  
  

 Required Education and Experience:

• 2-3 years’ experience working with logistics or supply chains.


• 2-3 years’ experience working in warehousing.


• 2 or more years of experience directly supervising employees preferred.


• Proficient in English written, spoken, and reading.