Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Jelly Processor

🎯 Role Definition

The Jelly Processor is a hands-on production role focused on operating cooking, filling, and packaging equipment for fruit spreads and jellies while ensuring product quality, food safety, traceability and on-time throughput. This role requires strict adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), HACCP and GMP requirements, proactive equipment troubleshooting, accurate batch and CIP documentation, and close collaboration with quality assurance, maintenance and production leadership to meet daily production targets and customer specifications.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Production / Manufacturing Associate (line operator)
Food Batch Operator or Mixer
Packaging Operator

Advancement To:

Lead Jelly Processor / Team Lead
Shift Supervisor / Production Supervisor
Quality Assurance (QA) Technician or Supervisor
Production Manager or Operations Manager
Process Improvement Engineer / Continuous Improvement Lead

Lateral Moves:

Sanitation Lead / GMP Specialist
Inventory / Materials Coordinator
Packaging Development Technician

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Operate and monitor cooking kettles, vacuum cookers, mixers, homogenizers and automated filling lines to produce jellies according to batch sheets, production schedules and approved recipes while maintaining target throughput and minimizing waste.
Accurately weigh, measure and blend fruit bases, pectin, sugar, acid and flavoring agents to recipe specifications, ensuring correct ingredient lot traceability and adherence to recipe change controls.
Conduct pre-operational equipment checks, perform safe start-up and shutdown of production lines, and verify all safety interlocks and guards are functioning prior to production.
Maintain precise process parameters (time, temperature, pressure, pH and viscosity), record readings in batch logs and electronic records (ERP or MES), and take corrective action when readings deviate from specifications.
Execute Clean-In-Place (CIP) and sanitation procedures for kettles, pipelines, pumps, fillers and packaging equipment following SOPs, documenting completion and ensuring compliance with allergen control plans.
Inspect finished product for appearance, color, texture, fill weight and seal integrity; identify and segregate non-conforming product and notify QA for disposition or rework.
Perform in-process quality checks including pH, Brix, viscosity and microbial sampling as directed by QA, and assist with in-house QC testing or sample submission to external labs.
Monitor metal detectors, x-ray equipment and checkweighers; investigate and document product holds, foreign object detections and packaging defects to support product safety and traceability.
Execute FIFO inventory handling and raw material staging, verify lot numbers and expiration dates, and rotate ingredients to minimize spoilage and maintain product freshness.
Maintain accurate batch records, production logs and sanitation checklists in both paper and electronic systems to support regulatory inspections and customer audits.
Troubleshoot common mechanical and electrical issues on production equipment, coordinate with maintenance and electricians for repairs, and perform basic preventive maintenance tasks to reduce downtime.
Set up and change over filling, capping and labeling equipment for different container sizes and SKUs, complete changeover checklists and validate tooling adjustments to maintain throughput.
Follow GMP, HACCP and SQF/IFS procedures, participate in daily safety briefings and lockout/tagout (LOTO) when performing maintenance to ensure a safe working environment.
Support allergen control and significant hygiene practices by following farm-to-fork traceability protocols, segregating allergen-containing batches and documenting cleaning verification.
Participate in root-cause investigations for quality deviations, non-conformances and customer complaints; implement corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) with QA and continuous improvement teams.
Train and mentor new operators on standard operating procedures, batch documentation, sanitation practices and safe equipment handling to build operator capability and consistency across shifts.
Work cross-functionally with QA, R&D and packaging teams during new product introductions and scale-ups to ensure recipe transfer, process validation and manufacturability.
Adhere to company safety policies, report near-misses or incidents, and take part in workplace ergonomics and hazard mitigation initiatives to reduce injuries and improve employee wellbeing.
Maintain a clean, organized and 5S-compliant workspace in production, including proper storage of tools, spare parts and consumables to improve efficiency and reduce contamination risk.
Assist with seasonal production planning, overtime scheduling and ad-hoc production runs to meet peak demand periods and customer delivery windows.
Validate allergen cleaning, conduct product hold and release processes, and prepare documentation for third-party audits and regulatory inspections as required.
Monitor packaging supply levels (pails, jars, lids, labels) and coordinate with inventory or procurement to prevent stockouts that could disrupt production schedules.
Implement continuous improvement suggestions on line speed, reduce product giveaway and optimize fill accuracy through hands-on experimentation and collaboration with engineering.
Ensure compliance with local and federal food safety regulations (FDA, FSMA) and company policies, and proactively support audits and corrective action implementation.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Strong working knowledge of GMP, HACCP, SQF or equivalent food safety systems and ability to follow SOPs precisely.
Experience operating food processing equipment: kettles, mixers, pasteurizers, fillers, cappers, labelers and conveyors.
Proficiency with basic quality testing: pH meters, refractometers (Brix), viscometers, metal detector operation and checkweighers.
Familiarity with Clean-In-Place (CIP) systems, sanitation protocols, and allergen control procedures.
Ability to read and interpret batch sheets, work instructions, process flow diagrams and equipment schematics.
Basic mechanical aptitude and troubleshooting skills for routine adjustments and preventive maintenance tasks.
Competence with electronic recordkeeping or enterprise systems (ERP/MES/WMS) and basic data entry / production logging.
Understanding of FIFO inventory management, lot traceability and expiry date control in a food manufacturing environment.
Knowledge of food labeling requirements and packaging line changeover best practices.
Experience following lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures, working under confined space awareness and performing safe equipment isolation.
Familiarity with continuous improvement tools (Lean, Kaizen, 5S) and ability to contribute to process optimization initiatives.
Forklift/PTO certification preferred (for material handling and staging of bulk ingredients).

Soft Skills

Strong attention to detail with a quality-first mindset to consistently meet product specifications.
Clear verbal and written communication to coordinate with QA, maintenance and supervisors.
Problem-solving and analytical thinking to isolate process deviations and propose practical fixes.
Team-player attitude, able to work cooperatively across shifts and functions in a production environment.
Adaptability and resilience to work in a fast-paced, schedule-driven manufacturing setting.
Time management and organizational skills to prioritize tasks during production runs and clean-downs.
Willingness to train others and contribute to a culture of continuous learning and safety.
Strong work ethic and reliability with consistent attendance and punctuality.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

High school diploma or equivalent (GED).

Preferred Education:

Vocational certificate or associate degree in Food Science, Manufacturing Technology, Mechanical Technology, or related field.
Certifications: HACCP, SQF, ServSafe (where relevant) or Lean/Six Sigma Yellow Belt (preferred).

Relevant Fields of Study:

Food Science or Food Technology
Industrial/Mechanical Technology
Manufacturing Operations
Quality Assurance / Food Safety

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

1–5 years in food production or manufacturing roles; entry-level candidates with relevant certification and strong mechanical aptitude considered.

Preferred:

2+ years of direct experience in fruit spread/jelly/preserve processing or a related viscous food product line with demonstrated knowledge of batching, filling and sanitation procedures.