ABBOTT LABORATORIES Production Specialist - Altavista, VA Plant (2nd Shift) Salary in the United States

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 103,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

Primary Function / Primary Goals / Objectives:

The Production Specialist position is responsible for all tasks associated with the operation of all production related equipment including, but not limited to:  fillers, sterilizers, labeler’s de-palletizers, palletizers, casepackers, coders, cap hoppers, loader, unloader, etc.  The operator will be expected to perform all quality and production checks required by work order or PM.  Responsible for boil out of sterilizer equipment and housekeeping of related filler, sterilizer and capping equipment.  This position involves the ability to trouble shoot on-line situations and to prioritize and complete several tasks concurrently within a given time frame and in a safe and efficient manner.

The operator must be able to start up and shutdown all equipment according to established procedures or specifications and perform minor to major clearing of jams and downtime issues on the line. The operator must report any abnormal equipment function, or product problems to the Supervisor. The operator is responsible for the safe operations of all equipment, promptly report all incidents, injuries, or safety hazards. The operator is responsible for maintaining general housekeeping cleaning, sanitation and safe work area by utilizing all 5S cleaning and tools necessary to keep the area clean and clear of debris, safe, neat and organized.  The operator may be required to perform job tasks at different work times, on different work schedules, and also in other departments dependent upon business needs. The operator will be required to work overtime as needed, and to provide line coverage during vacations, roving holidays and sick time.

Major Responsibilities:

• Responsible for implementing and maintaining the effectiveness of the quality system.
• The following responsibilities are dependent upon which manufacturing line the Production Specialist is working on:
• Operates the filler to assure proper filling of all product according to filling specifications, including maintaining proper fill weights, security systems, vacuums, and troubleshooting the system to maintain optimal performance.
• Operates cappers and monitors/corrects any jams.
• Monitors pressure gauges, filler speeds and line conveyors.
• Completes product hookups between filling line and processing, completes product blow downs/flushes as necessary to achieve timely batch changes with minimal fluid loss.
• Keeps accurate documentation of all production and quality reports.
• Interprets and responds to various alarm conditions on all filling and sterilizing equipment in a safe and timely manner.
• Operates the sterilizer system within required parameters, completes related documentation and monitors the specifications, making adjustments as needed.  Completes sterilizer rounds, sediment and chlorine checks as required by work order.
• Responsible for adhering to product isolation procedures, monitoring pH levels and taking water samples.
• Responsible for reporting any abnormal equipment functions and product problems to the Supervisor.
• Responsible for operating all equipment in a safe and efficient manner, reporting accidents/incidents and adhering to all corporate/division/plant policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Conducts double seam evaluations.  A record can loss and organizes work order form.
• Cleans sterilizer infeed and discharge tracks, can dryer and any related filler/sterilizer/capper equipment.  Responsible for boil outs of the sterilizer system.
• The operator is expected to proactively identify and implement production improvements in their areas of responsibilities.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education:

High school diploma/GED

Background:

Knowledge of applicable regulatory standards and requirements for infant formula and nutritionals.

Prior job experience within plant is preferred.  Experience with tools and equipment related to the position or experience as a Sr. Production Equipment Operator is desired.  This position requires good written/verbal communication skills, interpersonal skills, analytical troubleshooting skills and the ability to multitask.

Accountability / Scope/Budget:

Accountable for production issues surrounding fill requirements, sterilization and/or seam integrity. This position is accountable for their personal responsibility and pride to Abbott. 

This position is accountable to ensure that he/she holds their team members accountable for their actions and ensure for them that all rules and regulations applicable to the manufacture of both pediatric and nutritional products are in compliance. Any error or failure to comply could result in customer complaints, violations resulting in label claims, federal actions, product recall or loss of business. This position is accountable for complying with applicable FDA, GMP, OSHA and Abbott regulations, policies, procedures or guidelines.