Operations & Automation Partner

Operations & Automation Partner

Trupanion is a leading provider of medical insurance for cats and dogs in North America. Our mission is to help loving, responsible pet owners budget and care for their pets.

Landspath, a Trupanion initiative, is dedicated to revolutionizing pet nutrition through advanced technology. We offer a casual, collaborative environment where innovation and teamwork are paramount.

Job Description

Landspath is hiring team members to help build, launch, operate, maintain, and optimize a state-of-the-art automated kitchen facility producing fresh, high-quality pet food. This is a hands-on, cross-functional role. You will be a key player in everything from managing automated production systems and performing equipment maintenance to packaging finished products and assisting with general facility upkeep. This role requires a "no task is too small" mindset and includes comprehensive training in food safety and quality assurance.

This role offers the opportunity to be a key member of a new division of the company. As Landspath grows, so will your opportunities. As we expand, we will need team members to transition to alternate shifts, lead new lines, lead shifts, and ultimately help start and lead additional facilities in other geographies, both within the US and internationally.

Location: This is a 100% on-site role in our San Leandro, CA facility.

Schedule: The typical schedule for this role will be 12-hour shifts, 3 days per week, plus a 4-hour day once weekly. During facility and equipment startup, this schedule may be modified to meet the operation's needs. Long-term, there will be opportunities to transition to night shift as we expand our operations.

Travel: Candidates must be willing to travel to our R&D facility in Lincoln, Nebraska, for training and to participate in R&D activities. This travel will primarily take place during the first 6 months of your employment, but other, less frequent travel may be required.

Key Responsibilities:

• Operations: You will work in the automated kitchen to produce super-premium pet food. This includes receiving incoming raw materials, performing quality checks, transferring ingredients, operating processing equipment, cleaning/sanitation, packaging, and shipping. You will be cross-trained to perform every task in the manufacturing process, including troubleshooting product issues as they arise. Our goal is to have a highly cross-trained team.
• Equipment Maintenance: You will perform planned maintenance and calibration activities in accordance with SOPs. You will also troubleshoot unplanned equipment issues and perform repairs to keep the automated facility running.
• Continuous Improvement: You will be a key member of a team culture for continuous improvement. You will occasionally work closely with the technical team to run validation and process trials. You will actively contribute to continuous improvement initiatives to maximize efficiency, minimize equipment downtime, and improve quality.

Core Competencies and Skills:

• Must be a good teammate
• Must have a desire and ability to learn new skills
• Must have a strong mechanical aptitude
• Must have extraordinary attention to detail in your work
• Must be interested in a role where you work with your hands as well as your mind
• Ability to work flexible hours
• Ability to lift 50 pounds
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Ability to build relationships across all levels of the organization.
• Willingness to embrace change initiatives and process improvements.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Creative thinking and an innovative approach to challenges.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in a food production, pharmaceutical, or manufacturing environment
• Experience working in a hands-on role
• Experience with equipment maintenance or operations

Compensation:

• The pay range for this position is $90,000 - $110,000, on a full-time schedule.
• Along with base compensation, Trupanion employees are currently eligible for monthly bonuses.
• We want all employees to be invested in Trupanion's success, so we grant Restricted Stock Units to all new team members. Our new hire grants vest over 4 years.

Additional Information

Benefits and Perks:

• Full medical, dental, and vision benefits at no cost to the employee
• Four weeks of paid time off and nine paid float holidays (you can decide which days are most important to you!)
• Five-week sabbatical after five years of employment
• Open, casual, and fun work environment
• Free medical health insurance for your pet (1 dog or cat)
• Paid time off to volunteer at nonprofit organizations