Forklift Operator (Days)

At Hilmar Cheese Company we improve lives around the world through wholesome dairy products. Since our founding in 1984, Hilmar Cheese Company has been committed to innovation and sustainability. Our state-of-the art production facilities convert an abundance of locally sourced high-quality milk into a variety of nutritious cheeses, whey protein and lactose. The Cheese and Ingredients that we produce create a wide variety of retail and food service products from sliced and shredded cheeses, to protein supplements and infant formula. We are a trusted partner to premier food and beverage brands in more than fifty countries helping bring their vision into reality.

Throughout our decades of success and growth we have remained committed to our mission and values and these principles unite our people and guide all that we do.

A Typical Day

The Forklift Operator is responsible for facilitating shipping and receiving of all products produced in the cheese plants utilizing the warehouse management system. Organize products with an emphasis on internal and external customer service. Operation of all equipment and must report any malfunctions.

Job Responsibilities

• Create a positive work environment. Strive to develop good relational skills, communication and teamwork.
• Must take personal initiative to advance knowledge of warehousing/distribution procedures.
• Assist packaging areas in the plants with an emphasis on communication and teamwork.
• Required to follow all safety measures and standard operating procedures.
• Ability to perform operations in a consistent, repeatable fashion.
• Stage all products before shipment and verify paperwork for shipping. Report any inaccuracies on the paperwork to the supervisor's office.
• Responsible for making adjustments to quantity inaccuracies using the warehouse management system.
• Inspect all incoming products to insure HCC product will not be contaminated.
• Insure all incoming products are marked correctly including product types, case count and production date.
• Maintain order and cleanliness in the cold box and surrounding areas.
• Complete daily forklift inspection and report unsafe conditions.
• Sort all incoming products by plant and organize them accordingly.
• Follow and understand Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
• Must complete all shipments as required/stated by the manifest.
• Responsible for the operation of equipment, and must report any malfunctions to their supervisor
• Must consult the shipping schedule for any changes as communicated by the logistics coordinator or by direct supervisor.
• Active participation and ownership in your training and development program and associated activities, classes and events, which will be held before, during, after shifts and during scheduled days off.
• Help coach and train teammates and participate in on the job, buddy training.
• Place high priority on food safety and sanitation by understanding and executing HCC's food safety and sanitation policies and procedures. This includes communicating any food safety incident, observation, or opportunity to your leadership team or teammates as well as participating in food safety and sanitation root cause analysis and improvement activities when required.
• Prioritize safety above all other job duties by having a safety first approach at all times. This includes reporting any safety issues, observations, opportunities to your teams and follow up.

What You Will Need

• English skills must be proficient to understand, read, write and speak English
• Must be able to work 8-hour or 12-hour variable shifts, including weekends, holidays and overtime as needed.
• Ability to work in a cold environment, estimated temp of 35 degrees
• Ability to lift 60lbs

What Will Put You Ahead

• High School diploma or GED from an accredited institution
• Forklift certification
• Warehouse forklift experience
• Knowledge of warehouse management software
• RF scanning knowledge
• Experience in manufacturing or distribution

Physical Demands & Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee will be required to:

• Stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel and reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl and talk or hear.
• Stand and walk almost the entire workday.
• Employees must be physically capable of working in any of the job tasks within thei respective areas.
• Required to work at heights and in fairly small areas.
• Pushing, pulling, reaching, bending, stooping, squatting, kneeling, handling and grasping, twisting/turning, repetitive bending.

Food safety is a companywide responsibility and each employee must know their role in the manufacture and distribution of safe, wholesome, and high quality products.

This description is a general statement and does not include other duties as assigned


Hilmar Cheese Company, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer/EEO. We participate in E-Verify.

English Information | Spanish Information

null :Salary Range: USD( 24.1 -28.71 )