Sr. Cooking Process Operator (1st/2nd/3rd Shifts) in Totowa, New Jersey at New Cibo Vita LLC

About Us:
Cibo Vita is a leading innovator in the wellness and nutrition sector, dedicated to enhancing lives through premium, health-conscious products. We compete in a range of snacking and confection categories, including fruit snacks, dried fruit, snack nuts, and trail mixes. Our diverse portfolio includes several owned brands and a robust private label business, supporting top-tier retail partners across the U.S.

Position Summary
Experienced Senior Operators to manage and monitor continuous cooking processes operating under high temperature and vacuum conditions in a food manufacturing environment. The ideal candidate should have strong process awareness, mechanical aptitude, and the ability to troubleshoot equipment while maintaining production, quality, and safety standards.
Key Responsibilities
• Operate and monitor continuous cooking systems running under high temperature and vacuum conditions.
• Follow and control process parameters through HMI/SCADA screens and machine interfaces.
• Monitor alarms, process trends, temperatures, pressures, vacuum levels, flow rates, and cooking conditions.
• Perform routine process adjustments to maintain product consistency and efficiency.
• Troubleshoot process deviations, mechanical issues, and equipment alarms.
• Coordinate with Maintenance, Quality, and Production teams to minimize downtime.
• Conduct startup, shutdown, cleaning, and changeover activities safely and efficiently.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, GMP, HACCP, and company safety procedures.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives related to process optimization and equipment performance.
• Train and support junior operators when needed.
Required Qualifications
• Minimum 5 years of experience operating industrial cooking or processing equipment in a food manufacturing environment.
• Experience with continuous cooking systems, vacuum cookers, kettles, thermal processing, or similar high-temperature process equipment.
• Ability to understand and monitor process parameters through HMI/PLC systems.
• Strong mechanical troubleshooting and problem-solving skills.
• Experience responding to machine alarms and process deviations independently.
• Good understanding of pumps, valves, piping systems, vacuum systems, heat transfer, and process flow.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced production environment with minimal supervision.
• Knowledge of GMP, food safety, and workplace safety practices.
• Strong communication and teamwork skills.
Preferred Qualifications
• Experience with vacuum cooking systems, fruit processing, confectionery, pectin-based products, or thermal processing operations.
• Basic understanding of PLC-controlled systems and industrial automation.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish).
• Leadership or senior operator experience preferred.
Ideal Candidate Profile
• Process-oriented and detail-focused.
• Mechanically inclined with strong troubleshooting capability.
• Able to make quick operational decisions during process deviations.
• Comfortable working around hot surfaces, vacuum systems, pumps, and industrial processing equipment.
• Strong ownership mentality and accountability on the production floor.

What do we offer:
• Medical, Dental and Vision Benefits
• Life Insurance
• 401K
• PTO
• Company Paid Holidays
• Career advancement and training