Lead Packaging Operator at Novonesis in West Allis

Job description

Interested in a career that matters? 
 Are you passionate about leading people, driving operational excellence, and ensuring products are manufactured safely and efficiently? At Novonesis, our production teams play a critical role in delivering innovative biosolutions that help address some of the world's biggest challenges. As a Lead Operator, you will be a hands-on leader who supports daily production activities, promotes a strong safety culture, and helps develop a high-performing team. The Role & Your Impact As a Lead Packaging Operator, you will be responsible for supporting production performance, maintaining quality standards, and fostering a collaborative and accountable team environment. You will serve as a key resource for Operators and Supervisors while helping drive continuous improvement initiatives across the operation. Key responsibilities include: Demonstrate a safety-first, quality-always mindset and promote the same standards across the team. Identify and document process non-conformances and equipment failures while supporting root cause investigations and corrective actions. Manage inventory activities in MRP system, including cycle counts, physical inventory, and inventory discrepancy investigations. Maintain and update procedures, process documentation, and controlled forms. Schedule and assign work, establish priorities, and evaluate results. Coach team members, provide feedback, support performance discussions, and contribute to employee development. Champion continuous improvement through process standardization and lean manufacturing principles. Support employee training programs and develop training materials. Participate in new product introductions, customer trials, audits, and compliance activities. Maintain required certifications and ensure training compliance for yourself and the operational team. What You’ll Need to Be Successful High school diploma or equivalent required. Previous manufacturing, production, biotech, food, pharmaceutical, or related industry experience. Experience leading or coordinating production teams in a manufacturing environment. Knowledge of inventory management processes and electronic MRP systems. Experience with process documentation, quality systems, and continuous improvement methodologies. Strong troubleshooting, problem-solving, and root cause analysis capabilities. Ability to effectively communicate across functions and provide constructive coaching and feedback. Commitment to safety, quality, compliance, and operational excellence. Ability to work in a fast-paced manufacturing environment while managing multiple priorities. Additional Skills & Interests We Value Experience with Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement programs. GMP, food safety, biotechnology, fermentation, or regulated manufacturing experience. Experience supporting internal or external audits. Training development or facilitation experience. Exposure to new product commercialization or customer trial activities. Forklift certification or other manufacturing-related certifications. What We Offer At Novonesis, you'll join a collaborative team dedicated to innovation, operational excellence, and personal growth. We offer opportunities to develop leadership skills, contribute to meaningful improvement initiatives, and work alongside talented colleagues who are passionate about making a difference. You'll play an important role in shaping team performance and supporting the delivery of biosolutions that positively impact the world. Working Conditions This position combines office responsibilities with hands-on production work in a controlled manufacturing environment. Shift: This position works a 7 on / 7 off schedule with hours of 4:30pm-3:00am Monday-Friday and 4:30pm-5:00am Saturday-Sunday. Exposure to temperatures ranging from approximately 55-65°F. Exposure to wet, humid, dusty, and loud environments, moving machinery, airborne particles, and cleaning chemicals. Periodic w