Job Description
Company Description Grower-owned by The Wonderful Company, Suterra is part of one of the world’s largest agricultural companies and the global leader in pheromone pest control products. Leveraging over 40 years of experience, Suterra produces hundreds of products used in growing regions across five continents. Suterra’s state-of-the-art facility in Bend, Oregon integrates all aspects of the business under one roof: research and development, large-scale pheromone synthesis, product engineering, and manufacturing. Suterra’s pest control solutions come in several different forms including proprietary aerosol emitters, sprayable formulations, hand-applied dispensers, and specialized monitoring lures. Are you ready to go beyond the ordinary and help transform how a global leader in sustainable agriculture operates? At Suterra, we are revolutionizing crop protection through science, innovation, and a shared mission to protect our food supply — and we’re looking for a bold, curious, and hands-on problem solver to help us do it better, faster, and smarter. Job Description Are you an experienced manufacturing leader driven to bring cutting-edge solutions to a rapidly growing industry? As an Ops Tech/Area Supervisor at Suterra, you'll drive process control and oversee a dynamic team of individuals producing products for sustainable agriculture. You will gain experience in all aspects of our operation including production area oversight, quality control, engineering support projects, continuous improvement projects, and supply chain logistics. This position is based in our Bend, Oregon headquarters and requires onsite presence Monday – Friday 5:00 am-3:30 pm. (4 to 5 ten hour days per week). Our production facility is clean, temperature controlled, and involves light duty manufacturing on a variety of custom equipment. This is an exciting opportunity to join a fast-paced and innovative Biotech manufacturing operation in Central Oregon. The Operations Technician position will provide experience in all aspects of the operation including area oversight, quality control, engineering projects, continuous improvement sessions, and supply chain management. After training is completed between these groups, the person is expected to be promoted to an Area Supervisor role. The Area Supervisor will rotate through different areas of responsibility to facilitate their development. During the rotations, they will work with additional business groups including Purchasing, Sourcing, Engineering, Product Development, and outside vendors. Regardless of the area assigned, they'll strive for continuous improvement through the implementation of LEAN principles. This person will help facilitate problem-solving sessions with peers and production operators to improve the quality of our product and the production environment. Responsibilities and Dynamics in the role: Oversight of an assigned area within the operation, which will change based on the needs of the business and the individual's development. Rotations include Production Area Oversight Support the operating team by teaching best practices Task operating team members with work based on Forecasts and Orders Maintain an accurate inventory of Raw Materials and Finished Goods through the use of our ERP system Support special projects such as: New equipment commissioning Experimental product construction Engineering improvement projects Ops efficiency improvements New technology research and integration Equipment Specification Supply Chain Ownership Facilitate local and international shipping between business sites and to our customers Oversee the supply of raw materials in an organized fashion to a variety of different production areas Propose improvements to process and equipment by writing proposals that include ROI calculations Lead problem-solving sessions with quality and operations team members Use ERP (Dynamics AX) to maintain inventory/shipping/operations records Maintain efficient communication with vendors and internal stakeholders Qualifications Beneficial qualities and skillsets: Proficient in the Microsoft Office suite and highly confident using computers Demonstrated experience managing short and long-term projects. Strong written and oral communication skills are essential. The ability to communicate professionally in high-pressure situations is critical. Enthusiasm for teamwork across multiple functions of the organization. Experience in teaching and or educating peers on new processes/equipment. Demonstrated ability to solve problems while understandi