Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Install equipment, such as spray units, cutting blades, or screens, using hand tools.
• Observe, feel, taste, or otherwise examine products during and after processing to ensure conformance to standards.
• Fill or remove product from trays, carts, hoppers, or equipment, using scoops, peels, or shovels, or by hand.
• Smooth out products in bins, pans, trays, or conveyors, using rakes or shovels.
• Set temperature and time controls, light ovens, burners, driers, or roasters, and start equipment, such as conveyors, cylinders, blowers, driers, or pumps.
• Weigh or measure products, using scale hoppers or scale conveyors.
• Signal coworkers to synchronize flow of materials.
• Operate or tend equipment that roasts, bakes, dries, or cures food items such as cocoa and coffee beans, grains, nuts, and bakery products.
• Set temperature and time controls, light ovens, burners, driers, or roasters, and start equipment, such as conveyors, cylinders, blowers, driers, or pumps.
• Clean equipment with steam, hot water, and hoses.
• Observe temperature, humidity, pressure gauges, and product samples and adjust controls, such as thermostats and valves, to maintain prescribed operating conditions for specific stages.
• Open valves, gates, or chutes or use shovels to load or remove products from ovens or other equipment.
• Test products for moisture content, using moisture meters.
• Take product samples during or after processing for laboratory analyses.
• Start conveyors to move roasted grain to cooling pans and agitate grain with rakes as blowers force air through perforated bottoms of pans.
• Weigh or measure products, using scale hoppers or scale conveyors.
• Observe flow of materials and listen for machine malfunctions, such as jamming or spillage, and notify supervisors if corrective actions fail.
• Clear or dislodge blockages in bins, screens, or other equipment, using poles, brushes, or mallets.
• Observe flow of materials and listen for machine malfunctions, such as jamming or spillage, and notify supervisors if corrective actions fail.
• Record production data, such as weight and amount of product processed, type of product, and time and temperature of processing.
• Observe, feel, taste, or otherwise examine products during and after processing to ensure conformance to standards.
• Read work orders to determine quantities and types of products to be baked, dried, or roasted.
• Push racks or carts to transfer products to storage, cooling stations, or the next stage of processing.

Skills

• Quality Control Analysis
  • Testing how well a product or service works.
• Programming
  • Writing computer programs.
• Troubleshooting
  • Figuring out what is causing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs to not work.
• Technology Design
  • Making equipment and technology useful for customers.
• Science
  • Using scientific rules and strategies to solve problems.
• Critical Thinking
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
• Monitoring
  • Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.
• Social Perceptiveness
  • Understanding people's reactions.
• Judgment and Decision Making
  • Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.
• Systems Evaluation
  • Measuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
• Speaking
  • Talking to others.
• Operations Monitoring
  • Watching gauges, dials, or display screens to make sure a machine is working.
• Learning Strategies
  • Using the best training or teaching strategies for learning new things.
• Instructing
  • Teaching people how to do something.
• Service Orientation
  • Looking for ways to help people.
• Reading Comprehension
  • Reading work-related information.
• Installation
  • Installing equipment, machines, wiring, or computer programs.
• Operation and Control
  • Using equipment or systems.
• Writing
  • Writing things for co-workers or customers.
• Persuasion
  • Talking people into changing their minds or their behavior.
• Complex Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
• Equipment Selection
  • Deciding what kind of tools and equipment are needed to do a job.
• Management of Financial Resources
  • Making spending decisions and keeping track of what is spent.
• Management of Personnel Resources
  • Selecting and managing the best workers for a job.
• Active Learning
  • Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.
• Operations Analysis
  • Figuring out what a product or service needs to be able to do.
• Active Listening
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
• Negotiation
  • Bringing people together to solve differences.
• Repairing
  • Repairing machines or systems using the right tools.
• Mathematics
  • Using math to solve problems.
• Equipment Maintenance
  • Planning and doing the basic maintenance on equipment.
• Management of Material Resources
  • Managing equipment and materials.
• Coordination
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions.
• Systems Analysis
  • Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in the future will affect it.
• Time Management
  • Managing your time and the time of other people.

Abilities

• Fluency of Ideas
  • Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Depth Perception
  • Deciding which thing is closer or farther away from you, or deciding how far away it is from you.
• Wrist-Finger Speed
  • Making fast, simple, repeated movements of your fingers, hands, and wrists.
• Spatial Orientation
  • Knowing where things are around you.
• Flexibility of Closure
  • Seeing hidden patterns.
• Dynamic Flexibility
  • Quickly and repeatedly bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching out with your body, arms, and/or legs.
• Inductive Reasoning
  • Making general rules or coming up with answers from lots of detailed information.
• Visual Color Discrimination
  • Noticing the difference between colors, including shades and brightness.
• Peripheral Vision
  • Seeing something to your side when your are looking ahead.
• Auditory Attention
  • Paying attention to one sound while there are other distracting sounds.
• Sound Localization
  • Noticing the direction that a sound came from.
• Oral Expression
  • Communicating by speaking.
• Originality
  • Creating new and original ideas.
• Stamina
  • Exercising for a long time without getting out of breath.
• Near Vision
  • Seeing details up close.
• Speech Clarity
  • Speaking clearly.
• Written Expression
  • Communicating by writing.
• Visualization
  • Imagining how something will look after it is moved around or changed.
• Response Orientation
  • Quickly deciding if you should move your hand, foot, or other body part.
• Reaction Time
  • Quickly moving your hand, finger, or foot based on a sound, light, picture or other command.
• Speed of Limb Movement
  • Quickly moving your arms and legs.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness
  • Keeping your arm or hand steady.
• Explosive Strength
  • Jumping, sprinting, or throwing something.
• Category Flexibility
  • Grouping things in different ways.
• Number Facility
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, or dividing.
• Dynamic Strength
  • Exercising for a long time without your muscles getting tired.
• Manual Dexterity
  • Holding or moving items with your hands.
• Finger Dexterity
  • Putting together small parts with your fingers.
• Control Precision
  • Quickly changing the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.
• Rate Control
  • Changing when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.
• Selective Attention
  • Paying attention to something without being distracted.
• Time Sharing
  • Doing two or more things at the same time.
• Night Vision
  • Seeing at night or under low light.
• Written Comprehension
  • Reading and understanding what is written.
• Speed of Closure
  • Quickly knowing what you are looking at.
• Hearing Sensitivity
  • Telling the difference between sounds.
• Far Vision
  • Seeing details that are far away.
• Glare Sensitivity
  • Seeing something even if there is a glare or very bright light.
• Deductive Reasoning
  • Using rules to solve problems.
• Oral Comprehension
  • Listening and understanding what people say.
• Information Ordering
  • Ordering or arranging things.
• Mathematical Reasoning
  • Choosing the right type of math to solve a problem.
• Memorization
  • Remembering words, numbers, pictures, or steps.
• Multilimb Coordination
  • Using your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down.
• Perceptual Speed
  • Quickly comparing groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
• Gross Body Coordination
  • Moving your arms, legs, and mid-section together while your whole body is moving.
• Static Strength
  • Lifting, pushing, pulling, or carrying.
• Speech Recognition
  • Recognizing spoken words.
• Problem Sensitivity
  • Noticing when problems happen.
• Trunk Strength
  • Using your lower back and stomach.
• Gross Body Equilibrium
  • Keeping your balance or staying upright.
• Extent Flexibility
  • Bending, stretching, twisting, or reaching with your body, arms, and/or legs.

Knowledge

• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Public Safety and Security
  • Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.
• Therapy and Counseling
  • Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Education and Training
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
• Psychology
  • Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
• Medicine and Dentistry
  • Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
• Sales and Marketing
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
• Building and Construction
  • Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• Geography
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
• Administrative
  • Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• Administration and Management
  • Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Chemistry
  • Knowledge of the chemical composition, structure, and properties of substances and of the chemical processes and transformations that they undergo. This includes uses of chemicals and their interactions, danger signs, production techniques, and disposal methods.
• Philosophy and Theology
  • Knowledge of different philosophical systems and religions. This includes their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and their impact on human culture.
• Communications and Media
  • Knowledge of media production, communication, and dissemination techniques and methods. This includes alternative ways to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
• Physics
  • Knowledge and prediction of physical principles, laws, their interrelationships, and applications to understanding fluid, material, and atmospheric dynamics, and mechanical, electrical, atomic and sub-atomic structures and processes.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• Foreign Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of a foreign (non-English) language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition and grammar, and pronunciation.
• Engineering and Technology
  • Knowledge of the practical application of engineering science and technology. This includes applying principles, techniques, procedures, and equipment to the design and production of various goods and services.
• Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• Personnel and Human Resources
  • Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Education

Education

No formal educational credential

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

1 to 12 months on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

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Education and Training Opportunities

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Pay

Washington Annual Salary

44150/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

21.23/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

840

Yearly Projected Openings

120

Personality

Realistic: People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They do well at jobs that need:

• Dependability
• Attention to Detail
• Independence
• Cooperation
• Self Control
• Initiative

Tools

• Belt conveyors
• Blowers
• Carts
• Commercial use plastic shovels
• Commercial use scoops
• Cooking machinery
• Cooling machine
• Dissolved oxygen meters
• Drying racks
• Food drying equipment
• Furnaces
• Heat exchangers
• Hopper scale
• Humidifiers
• Hydraulic pumps
• Hygrometers
• Loading equipment
• Metallic bins
• Moisture meters
• Portable data input terminals
• Pressure gauge
• Remote reading thermometers
• Roasting machinery
• Roller conveyors
• Spectrometers
• Temperature gauge
• Thermostats
• Turntables

Technology

• Electronic mail software
• Spreadsheet software