Forklift Operator Job at Russell Stover in Iola

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 forklift operator, it is your job to transport materials to the work areas and move finished product to storage areas using a forklift as well as return unused materials. You are responsible for placing pallet tops, banding, shrink-wrapping skids of material, moving trash bales, and loading trash trailer. You will also use scanning equipment for inventory movement and placement in proper locations. Ensuring proper counts are entered into the system is a must. Some other job functions include maintaining the printer by the shrink wrapper for ribbon, labels and cleaning; assisting in loading and unloading trucks, and other job functions assigned by plant management. The typical schedule for this position will be 5:00pm to 3:30am Monday through Thursday.

What you will be doing...

• Operates machinery in a safe and proficient manner according to standards, guidelines, and instructions.
• Unloading and loading trailers
• Using scan guns to receive orders and put away products into storage locations.
• Verifying and maintaining inventory
• Cycle counting
• Issuing production to the production lines
• Consolidating product as needed
• Keeping area clean and organized to be audit ready at all times.

Do you have what it takes?

(Basic Qualifications)

• Must be able to operate and maintain a forklift.
• Must be good with mathematical figures and be able to perform quality control checks as required.
• The ability to work overtime is required.
• To retain this position, you must be able to pass forklift certification training.
• Weekends may be required.
• Must be 18 years of age or older.

Do you stand above the rest?

(Preferred Qualifications)

• 2 or more years' experience operating a forklift.
• 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 and is an affirmative action employer.

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.