Packaging Lead Operator at SUGAR FOODS LLC – Whiteland, Indiana

Packaging Asset Owner (Packaging Lead Operator)

Reports to: Plant Manager
Location: Whiteland, IN
Role Type: Full-time

About the Company

Sugar Foods LLC is a privately owned company with production facilities in Georgia, Massachusetts, California, Indiana, and Mexico. Our products are sold and distributed throughout the U.S. and Canada. Sugar Foods manufactures and packages croutons, tortilla chips, crispy toppings, as well as cheese-based toppings. Additionally, Sugar Foods packages a variety of items including sugar, sweeteners, powdered creamer, and dried fruits and nuts.

The Sugar Foods Way

At Sugar Foods, the Customer is King, and our team is our Family. The vision of Sugar Foods is for our products to be on every plate and in every cup. We continue to grow our business and adapt to changing business conditions to consistently provide value to our customers, our associates, and our community, by adhering to high standards of quality and safety and always acting in a respectful and responsible manner.

Position Summary

Join our team as a Packaging Lead Operator, where you’ll take ownership of high-performing packaging lines and drive operational excellence every day. In this role, you’ll lead setups, changeovers, and troubleshooting to keep production running smoothly while ensuring top-tier product quality. The Packaging Asset Owner serves as the technical and operational owner of packaging equipment and lines. This role is hands-on and combines lead operator responsibilities with administrative ownership, documentation, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the primary owner of assigned packaging assets and lines
• Lead daily packaging operations, setup, changeovers, and troubleshooting
• Ensure optimal performance, efficiency, and product quality
• Partner with Maintenance Owners to address reliability issues
• Create/Maintain operating procedures, training documentation, and line standards
• Support operator training and onboarding
• Track performance metrics and drive continuous improvement

Qualifications / Requirements

• 5+ years of packaging or manufacturing operator experience
• Previous lead operator or informal leadership experience preferred
• Strong understanding of packaging equipment and processes
• Working knowledge of basic administrative tasks and documentation
• Proficient in Microsoft Word; Experience with PowerPoint preferred

Career Path

Designed as a progression to supervisory or operations leadership roles in the future as the plant expands.

Sugar Foods Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The policy of Sugar Foods Corporation is to extend opportunities to qualified applicants and employees on an equal basis regardless of an individual's race, color, gender, age, national origin, religion, citizenship status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other categories protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.