Seed Production / Bagging Team Lead

Bloomington, IL • Full-time, first shift • 2 openings

Estimated total comp: $50,000-$60,000/year $19-$20/hour base + overtime during peak season + 15-17% profit sharing bonus (paid in December and August) + full benefits

Why You'll Want This Job

• Profit sharing that actually pays out — adds roughly $3-$4/hour on top of base, twice a year
• Health, dental, disability, 401(k), $150 clothing allowance, and paid team-building days
• Real growth path — we promote from within, and our Management Trainee program builds location managers from the ground up
• Family-owned feel with a worldwide footprint — leadership knows your name, decisions get made fast, and you're treated like a partner, not a number

What This Job Actually Is (In Plain Terms)

We produce seed for farmers — corn, soybeans, wheat — and before that seed leaves our facility, it has to be cleaned, sorted, and bagged to meet customer specifications. The whole process is called conditioning. As Team Lead, you run the conditioning floor: keeping the line moving, keeping the bagger fed, controlling quality, and making sure the product going into bags is exactly what the customer ordered.

If you've worked a production line in food manufacturing, packaging, grain handling, feed milling, or fertilizer processing, the work will feel familiar. The product is different, but the rhythm is the same: keep upstream feeding downstream, watch for quality issues, prevent downtime, and make the run.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

Running the line

• Operate the conditioning tower so the bagger never sits idle waiting for product
• Maximize the number of units bagged per run
• Make sure every bag meets customer quality specifications
• Complete accurate production records throughout each run

Quality and product integrity

• Thoroughly clean equipment between runs and when transferring seed into the processing tower — cross-contamination between seed varieties is the biggest quality risk in this work
• Implement the company's Quality Management System within the production area

Leading the team

• Direct the day-to-day work of other employees on the production crew (this is a working team lead role — you're on the floor with the team, not managing from an office)
• Train newer team members on equipment, process, and safety

Safety

• Enforce safety programs every day and lead by example
• Suggest improvements to safety and process — we want people who think, not just do

Equipment upkeep

• Perform preseason maintenance on production equipment to prevent downtime once the season ramps
• Some forklift work moving seed and supplies around the facility

Keeping things organized

• Maintain a neat, clean, organized work area at all times — audit-ready, every day

What You'll Bring

• Production, manufacturing, packaging, food processing, or grain/feed/seed plant experience
• Comfort running production equipment, and basic mechanical aptitude for preseason maintenance
• Ability to lift 30-75 lb bags repeatedly throughout the day
• Comfort being on your feet all day — there's not much sitting in this role
• Some forklift experience, or willingness to get certified
• Leadership instincts — the kind of person other employees naturally turn to for direction
• Strong attention to detail (quality work is the whole job)
• Reliable attendance and a long-tenured work history

What the Work Is Really Like

The job runs in seasons. September through March is conditioning and shipping season — high volume, real urgency, overtime hours available, and the line runs hard. March through September slows down — the focus shifts to organizing, equipment maintenance, and prep for next season. People who like that rhythm tend to stick.

You'll be on your feet most of the day in a dusty environment with seed and pollen exposure. PPE is provided, but strong dust or pollen sensitivities aren't a fit for this role.

If you've worked food production, packaging lines, grain handling, or seed plants before, you already know what this kind of work looks like. If you haven't, but you're a strong production lead from another industry who's curious about ag and ready to learn — we want to hear from you.

Apply now — we're hiring fast.

You should be proficient in:

• Preventive Maintenance & Inspection
• Maintenance and Repair Skills
• Production Planning & Scheduling
• Inventory Management & Control
• Packaging Experience
• Workplace Safety & EHS Management
• Equipment Repair & Maintenance

Machines & technologies you'll use:

• Forklifts