Food Cooking Machine Operators and Tenders

• Summary

• Details

Work Activities

• Observe gauges, dials, and product characteristics, and adjust controls to maintain appropriate temperature, pressure, and flow of ingredients.
• Clean, wash, and sterilize equipment and cooking area, using water hoses, cleaning or sterilizing solutions, or rinses.
• Tend or operate and control equipment, such as kettles, cookers, vats and tanks, and boilers, to cook ingredients or prepare products for further processing.
• Pour, dump, or load prescribed quantities of ingredients or products into cooking equipment, manually or using a hoist.
• Pour, dump, or load prescribed quantities of ingredients or products into cooking equipment, manually or using a hoist.
• Set temperature, pressure, and time controls, and start conveyers, machines, or pumps.
• Set temperature, pressure, and time controls, and start conveyers, machines, or pumps.
• Observe gauges, dials, and product characteristics, and adjust controls to maintain appropriate temperature, pressure, and flow of ingredients.
• Read work orders, recipes, or formulas to determine cooking times and temperatures, and ingredient specifications.
• Place products on conveyors or carts, and monitor product flow.
• Collect and examine product samples during production to test them for quality, color, content, consistency, viscosity, acidity, or specific gravity.
• Turn valves or start pumps to add ingredients or drain products from equipment and to transfer products for storage, cooling, or further processing.
• Activate agitators and paddles to mix or stir ingredients, stopping machines when ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
• Listen for malfunction alarms, and shut down equipment and notify supervisors when necessary.
• Listen for malfunction alarms, and shut down equipment and notify supervisors when necessary.
• Collect and examine product samples during production to test them for quality, color, content, consistency, viscosity, acidity, or specific gravity.
• Record production and test data, such as processing steps, temperature and steam readings, cooking time, batches processed, and test results.
• Read work orders, recipes, or formulas to determine cooking times and temperatures, and ingredient specifications.
• Clean, wash, and sterilize equipment and cooking area, using water hoses, cleaning or sterilizing solutions, or rinses.
• Operate auxiliary machines and equipment, such as grinders, canners, and molding presses, to prepare or further process products.
• Remove cooked material or products from equipment.
• Listen for malfunction alarms, and shut down equipment and notify supervisors when necessary.
• Measure or weigh ingredients, using scales or measuring containers.
• Admit required amounts of water, steam, cooking oils, or compressed air into equipment, such as by opening water valves to cool mixtures to the desired consistency.
• Notify or signal other workers to operate equipment or when processing is complete.

Skills

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

Abilities

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

Knowledge

• Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
• 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.
• Transportation
  • Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• History and Archeology
  • Knowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
• Mathematics
  • Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Design
  • Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.
• Sociology and Anthropology
  • Knowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures, and their history and origins.
• 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.
• Telecommunications
  • Knowledge of transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
• Food Production
  • Knowledge of techniques and equipment for planting, growing, and harvesting food products (both plant and animal) for consumption, including storage/handling techniques.
• 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.
• English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mechanical
  • Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Computers and Electronics
  • Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• Biology
  • Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
• 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.
• 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.
• Fine Arts
  • Knowledge of the theory and techniques required to compose, produce, and perform works of music, dance, visual arts, drama, and sculpture.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Production and Processing
  • Knowledge of raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and other techniques for maximizing the effective manufacture and distribution of goods.
• 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.
• Law and Government
  • Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.

Education

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Work Experience

No work experience

Training

1 to 12 months on-the-job training

Education and Training Opportunities

×

Education and Training Opportunities

Close

Pay

Washington Annual Salary

48020/yr

Washington Hourly Wage

23.09/hr

Washington Employment Trends

Currently Employed

750

Yearly Projected Openings

110

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
• Self Control
• Integrity
• Attention to Detail
• Stress Tolerance
• Cooperation

Tools

• Bucket conveyors
• Commercial use food grinders
• Conveyor feeders
• Cooking machinery
• Filling machinery
• Floor or platform scales
• Forming machine
• Hand trucks or accessories
• Hoists
• Roasting machinery
• Sifting machinery
• Smoking machinery
• Steaming machinery
• Water hoses

Technology

• Data base user interface and query software