Palletizer Operator-Conversion at Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream

At Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, we are excited to start a new chapter of accelerated growth as part of Froneri – a global pure-play ice cream leader. Come help us transform DGIC into the #1 ice cream brand! With nearly 100 years of winning experience in the U.S, a robust portfolio of powerhouse brands that consumers know and love such as Häagen-Dazs, Drumstick, Dreyer’s & Edy’s, Skinny Cow and Outshine, and the backing and coaching of European-based ice cream experts, we know we have the winning recipe.

Headquartered in Walnut Creek, the Bay Area’s hub for up-and-coming food trends, our teams across our offices and factories are raising the bar on all things ice cream. We are investing in significant capital expansions to grow our Operations and Supply Chain and are transforming how we work at every level to become agile, accelerate growth and elevate our quality. With a renewed focus on frozen treats, our tight-knit team of ambitious innovators are fully immersed in the business and encouraged to flex and make decisions quickly. We are committed to pursuing every great idea and delivering the best ice cream experience for our consumers, when and where they want it.

Unleash your potential at Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream and discover what a sweet career we have in store for you.

Main Purpose of Job:

A Palletizing Operator performs the functions required to bundle, palletize and introduce finished ice cream and frozen snacks into storage. These functions include a variety of activities and skills that are directly, or indirectly, linked to the safe production and distribution of the highest quality ice cream products possible. These tasks are performed in a 20° F to a -20° F environment.

Role and activity:

• Safety
  • Comply with all company safety policies and procedures.
  • Take an active role to insure that personal safety and the safety of others is never compromised.
• Quality
  • Comply with the Good Manufacturing Practices as outlined by the plant quality department.
  • Complete and document all food safety checks as required by the plant HACCP program.
  • Complete and document all product quality checks as required by the plant MCP program.
  • Actively participate in preventing and correcting quality related errors.
• Plant Citizenship and Interactions (Grooves)
  • Communicate and interact with others in a manor consistent with the company’s management philosophy, the “Grooves”.
  • Actively participate in team meetings, committees and task forces.
  • Comply with the plant’s attendance and other policies to maintain a corrective action free status.
• Operational
  • General:
    • Become proficient in multiple skill areas and annually refresh your operational skill sets.
    • Support hiring process by mentoring and on-boarding new team members.
    • Lead and encourage problem solving within the Business Unit and Functional Team
    • Communicate and follow-up on daily information.
    • Be willing to learn and to train a variety of skills.
    •  
      • Complete all required documentation in each area to support the plant inventory control, quality assurance, line reliability, damage reduction, and cost tracking systems.
      • Hardener Operation:
        • Understand basic hardener operations.
        • Operate the hardeners under normal and product evacuation conditions.
      • Bundling:
        • Load and operate multiple bundlers (wrappers).
        • Make minor adjustments to equipment settings to insure quality wrap.
        • Insure that the proper materials and quantities have been staged for use.
      • Palletizing:
        • Understand the appropriate pallet pattern by product.
        • Palletize using manual and semi-automatic and automatic palletizing stations.
        • Load and operate the stretch wrapping equipment.
        • Insure that product is properly palletized and ready for storage and distribution.
      • Input Operator:
        • Identify product SKU’s for palletizing station assignments.
        • Complete all required IMREX and Panel View transactions and reports.
        • Understand shuttle car and ASRS operations and correct errors as needed.
        • Support ASRS inventory process as needed (usually done quarterly).
        • Insure that palletized product is ready for storage
      • Currie Auto Palletizer:
        • Understand basic Currie operations.
        • Program Daily SKU’s.
        • Know and understand correct procedure for releasing lanes.
        • Identify all aspects of Currie equipment performance and communicate with other operators and maintenance.
        • Insure the quality of all products prior to and immediately following the Currie.
        • Manage reject line to ensure product does not spoil.
      • Shipping Coordinator:
        • Communicate pick-ups and deliveries with carriers/ customers
        • Communication with warehouses and logistics for order changes updates.
        • Enter and release orders in CC Software system
        • Maintain inventory levels for west-coast warehouses.
        • Lab 48 hour hold and reject products.
        • Ship and confirm orders in IMREX system daily
        • Maintain pallet program and pallet reconciliation by carrier.
      • Sanitation
        • General:
          • Understand the safest and most effective cleaning methods used in the hardening, bundling and palletizing areas.
          • Conduct basic sanitation preventive maintenance as required.
          • Follow the proper cleaning procedure for each piece of equipment used in the hardening, bundling and palletizing process.
        • Environmental Cleaning:
          • Maintain work area in an “inspection ready” condition at all times.
          • Follow the proper cleaning procedure for non-product contact surfaces and equipment.
          • Represent The Froneri Way of working through the behaviors and characteristics in our Operating Model and Core Values  

BEHAVIORS AND CORE VALUES: Must consistently showcase the desired behaviors that represent our Core Values. 

We Take Ownership 

• Stay committed to responsibilities from start to finish 

• Make sound decisions and get into the right level of detail 

• Apply resources to initiatives that add growth, improve efficiencies, or reduce waste 

We Do What Is Right 

• Choose transparency over convenience, even if it means difficult conversations 

• Set clear roles and responsibilities, enabling everyone to exercise appropriate initiative and judgment 

• Speak up when you see something that does not align to our values and policies 

We Seek to Improve 

• Strive to continuously improve and innovate to exceed expectations 

• Value feedback from others and encourage open dialogue to understand how we can improve  

• Learn from both successes and failures  

We Are Better Together 

• Ensure decisions are based on what’s best for the whole business  

• Practice inclusion by seeking diverse perspectives 

• Treat everyone with fairness and respect 

In this position, the employee will regularly work with and around others; in a wet and/or humid environment; in areas of high noise level; and around mechanical, electrical, and pressurized equipment. The work is fast paced.

Position Qualifications:

• 18 years of age or older.
• Aptitude for automated mechanical processes with good troubleshooting and diagnostic skills.
• Excellent interpersonal communication, math and problem solving skills.
• Ability to work multiple shifts and/or schedules.

Work Environment:

In this position, the employee will regularly work with and around others; in a wet and/or humid environment; in areas of high noise level; and around mechanical, electrical, and pressurized equipment. The work is fast paced.

Cold Temperatures: Parts of the facility, such as storage and production areas, may be kept at low temperatures.  

• Requires use of cold-protective PPE.  

• May involve standing, lifting, and walking in refrigerated zones for extended periods.   

Fast-Paced: Workers often operate under strict timelines to meet production quotas.  

• High-speed manufacturing floor with frequent movement, line assignment changes, and tight production timelines.    

Standing for Long Hours: Many roles require prolonged standing and repetitive tasks.   

• Repetitive hand and arm movements required.    

• Must be able to stand for hours with frequent bending, reaching, and lifting.    

Food Safety Regulations: Employees must follow hygiene and safety guidelines, including wearing protective gear (gloves, hairnets, etc.).  

Team-Oriented: Workers collaborate to ensure smooth production and packaging. 

The position involves frequent exposure to nuts and other potential allergens.

The pay scale for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. At Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. The pay range for prospective employees in this role is $26.18 per hour.

Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Inc. provides equal employment opportunities for all applicants, regardless of race, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.