Mastronardi Produce pioneered the commercial greenhouse industry in North America, and we’re now the leading greenhouse vegetable company on the continent. Our award-winning, flavorful produce is packed under the SUNSET® brand and is available at leading grocery retailers across North America. Family owned for over 65 years, we pride ourselves on having the most flavorful products and the best people in the industry. We are constantly pushing boundaries to be a leader in fresh produce innovation. We seek individuals that demonstrate our PRIDE values (Passion, Respect, Innovation, Drive, Excellence) to help us fulfill our mission to inspire healthy living through WOW flavor experiences.

Fresh4U Farms Ltd. (a greenhouse partner) is a greenhouse farming operation growing 18 acres of vegetables under glass in Abbotsford, BC. Along with Fresh4Sunset Farms Ltd. in Delta and Creekside Hothouses in Surrey and Aldergrove, our farms form The Fresh4U Group.

We are seeking a Warehouse Assistant which is instrumental in completion of the daily packing and shipping activities. This position entails the management of packaging produce for shipping, checking orders for accuracy, maintaining quality standards, and receiving inventory and other supplies. Central to this position is daily communication with owners, senior grower, operations manager, marketing agencies and staff.

Values:

To perform the job successfully, the incumbent’s behavior must be consistent with the PRIDE values expected of all Mastronardi Produce employees; be Passionate; have Respect; be Innovative; be Driven and strive for Excellence.

Primary Responsibilities:

Shipping & Receiving:

• Coordinate packing and delivery of produce as required by customer orders

• Supervise the packing and shipping of product, ensure product labelling is correct

• Quality inspections of products shipped

• Organize BOLs at the end of every day, sending scanned copies to Admin staff and a printed copy for the ED

• Supervise the loading and unloading of shipments, including assisting with forklift work when needed

• Receiving of supplies and materials: checking quantities against paperwork, submitting documents to Admin staff, distributing to received good to the ordering department

• Monitoring and managing pallet program and inventory: daily online update to CHEP, ordering or returning excess/short inventory, notifying admin of errors or changes

• Maintain accurate records for all activities, keeping documents and file neat and organized

• Ensure Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are documented and followed for all activities in the warehouse and shipping areas

Employees:

• Estimate labour requirements for jobs and plan work schedules accordingly

• Assign duties to the staff in the production area and then direct and supervise the teams to meet timelines

• Train staff and supervisors as necessary to perform efficiently and effectively and within the guidelines required. This includes training and providing orientation regarding Food Safety and WorksafeBC

• Keep track of time spent packing and create labour reports, ensuring that packing targets and labour budgets are being met

• Maintain compliance with all company policies and procedures, including government programs such as Food Safety, WorksafeBC, Temporary Foreign Workers program, etc.

• Assist in reviewing workers’ performance to evaluate the quality, and quantity and preparing performance evaluation reports

• Work with Human Resources and Operations manager to develop and execute a plan for any worker not meeting standards, including training and/or disciplinary action

• Detect inefficient or unsafe work procedures or problems and initiate corrective actions as necessary

• Assist in finding ways to improve packing procedures and efficiency (decrease time it takes to pack)

• Daily approval of timesheets (in Payworks) for all packing positions or weekly approval of contractor timesheets (to be submitted to admin by Monday AM)

Communication:

• Attend weekly and daily communication meetings inside the company, including with sales (agency), growers, and operations management

• Daily communication with Grower Liaison (Sunset) regarding pack requests

• Relaying quality issues to individual staff and upper management when issues come up

• Relaying issues with sales orders to Operations Manager and marketing agencies

• When repairs or maintenance is required on packing machinery, communicate needs and coordinate repairs with the Operations Manager

• Communicate with responsible manager when orders for more materials, fertilizers or supplies are needed

• Responding to emails and phone calls within 24 hours

General Duties:

• Maintaining cleanliness and order in packing and shipping area

• Daily walk through of warehouse with Food Safety checklist, daily inspections, forklift forms

• Fill foot baths as needed (weekly) and hand sanitizer

• Ensure rodent traps are in correct place and checked weekly

• Assisting management with projects and priorities, particularly in off-season when shipping and receiving activities are at a minimum

General Maintenance:

• Monitoring and maintaining packaging equipment and problem-solving or repairing when needed. Try to complete all repairs and maintenance before calling a tradesperson

• Maintenance documentation (log book) and preventative maintenance measures

• Scale Calibrations are completed when scheduled

• Spare Parts are in stock at the start of the season for quick repairs during the season

Food Safety:

• Ensure Food Safety Program procedures are followed in the warehouse; complete all forms

• Participate in Food Safety Audits

Inventory:

• Weekly checks of inventory on hand (during growing season)

• Track depleting inventory and consult with manager responsible to order more and/or through GSP system

• Ordering supplies in a timely manner, to reduce panic (more expensive) ordering

• Assist in annual counting of inventory at fiscal year end

• Tracking inventory errors/waste and applying for credits from suppliers

Specific Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required

• Preferred First Aid Level II, Food Safety Certification, Forklift Certification

• Two years of experience in a similar or comparable role

• High level of proficiency using Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook

• Health and Safety knowledge and experience

Working Conditions:

• The position reports to the Executive Director, with daily check-ins and direction from the grower and facility manager

• This position will be working primarily indoors in a climate-controlled, smoke-free office and/or warehouse and growing environment. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

• During the main growing season (March-October) you may be required to work irregular hours depending on weather and operational requirements.

Please note: Mastronardi Produce has accommodation processes and policies in place and provides accommodation for employees with disabilities. If you require a specific accommodation because of a disability or documented medical need, please contact the Human Resource office so that arrangements can be made for the appropriate accommodation to be put into place before you begin your employment

Hourly pay: $20-$21/hr CAD