Harvest Team Leader

At Johnsonville, our Members are responsible for everything! If you’re passionate about making a difference, we want you to help make our products, our processes, our communities and each other better. As part of our manufacturing leadership and support group, you’ll help ensure production and maintenance Members have the resources and support needed to work safely and efficiently. The group will also ensure the products we produce are of only the highest quality and ready for consumers to enjoy.

Johnsonville, LLC

Team Leader- Harvest

Watertown, WI

Pay Range:  $29.83 - $35.76 per hour (plus $1.50 shift premium)

Hours: 2pm - 11pm, Monday-Friday (Overtime as production demands)

Position Overview:

The successful candidate will be a proactive, “change agent” in the facility and provide support and direction to Members of the team.  The Team Leader will be expected to lead, motivate, and facilitate learning for Members to achieve productivity results, improve individual skills, and enhance teamwork; ensure compliance with safety, quality, production and sanitation requirements; function as a technical and business resource in areas of system operations; work towards continuous improvements in performance measures by leading actions for assigned duties; and establish and sustain effective relationships with all Members in order to foster an environment where innovation, cooperation and ownership are used to solve problems. 

WHAT IS HARVEST? Harvest is the department at Johnsonville where Members disassemble the euthanized sows (female pigs), essentially removing from the body anything that won’t go into our brats, breakfast sausage and ground pork products. The Harvest Members have the task of taking a mostly untouched carcass and removing the hide, head, internal organs, and feet so that the De-Boning Department can then remove all the meat from the bones. There are a variety of different positions on the Harvest Floor, but all of them require some form of handling the sow’s body or body parts. 

Responsibilities:

• Coach Members of the team to deliver continuous improvement in the areas of safety, food safety, quality, cost of goods manufactured, customer service and Member development
• Write and conduct performance reviews
• Be responsible for the performance, productivity and efficient utilization of resources
• Complete production-related paperwork and work orders
• Create an environment that ensures Member involvement and implementation of programs, ideas, and guidelines
• Interact with the USDA and suppliers
• Encourage cross training and Member growth through Skill Blocks
• Lead effective, daily team meetings and be a champion for the Industrial Athlete Stretching program
• Lead the evaluation of Members of the team and coordinate learning opportunities to enhance team development
• Lead staffing needs of lines and maintain budgeted resources to maximize line output and lowest cost production results
• Evaluate, coach and guide Members in need of development and lead a progressive disciplinary process by determining what, if any, discipline is needed
• Ensure the completion of daily production performance reports and shift paperwork
• Foster Member engagement through the communication of information to Members
• Be able to create and promote a team environment, coach through conflict, and resolve current issues
• Complete all other duties as assigned 

Education:

• High School Diploma Preferred
• Associate Degree or Bachelor Degree is required for outside candidates. 
• Internal candidates who do not have a high school diploma or advanced degree may be considered

Experience:

• 1-3+ years of experience in a leadership or supervisory role preferred
• 2 years of Harvest experience preferred

Skills and Competencies:

• Bi-Lingual knowledge of Spanish and English preferred
• Demonstrated experience in providing positive feedback and coaching on performance improvement
• Desire to learn, grow and take on increasing responsibility
• Excellent written, verbal and people skills 
• Demonstrated ability to problem solve effectively and efficiently

• Ability to lead by example and involve others in the decision-making process
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and be flexible by adjusting priorities
• Ability to innovate and implement

Physical Demands:

• Must be able to hand grip/push/pull up to 50 lbs, carry 32 lbs, and lift 24 lbs
• Walking and/or Standing throughout the shift
• Bending and/or Reaching throughout the shift
• Willingness to work in cold conditions – the room is kept around 40 degrees F

Other Requirements:

• Ability to work with inside conditions that include exposure to moderate noise levels and moderate odor
• Willingness to travel to other facilities to learn their processes and expand knowledge
• Ability to pass a pre-employment, post offer drug screen, physical and background check

Date:                                     June 3rd, 2025

Location:                              Watertown, WI

Coach:                                  Omar Gonzalez, Site Coordinator

Member Status:                 Full Time, Hourly

Positions Available:          4

Benefits:                             Members have potential for a monthly bonus, 401k with a company match and profit sharing. Members also have access to terrific benefits including affordable medical, dental and vision coverage; flexible spending accounts; disability and life insurance; and fertility and adoption assistance. Johnsonville also offers competitive paid time off, including paid parental time off and tuition reimbursement! 

About our Company

Since 1945, our family-owned band of sausage-makers has invented better ways to make, eat and prepare crave-able sausage. Today, we are 3,000 Members strong. We sell our famous sausage in all 50 United States and more than 40 countries. We have a culture built on the idea that if we make developing your talents our top priority, great business results will follow naturally. We call it The Johnsonville Way. It has been our secret sauce for decades, and we hope you get to experience it for yourself!

How to Apply:  

Apply online only at: careers.johnsonville.com

Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without requiring sponsorship now or in the future.

Johnsonville is an equal opportunity employer, including Vet/Disability.

We embrace the principles of Equal Opportunity Employment and do not discriminate on the basis of any protected characteristic, including protected veteran and disability status.