Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders
Human Advantage 62%
Significant human skills needed
AI Automation Risk Moderate Risk
3.6 / 10
Some tasks in this role may be augmented by AI, but human oversight and interpersonal skills remain important.
Operate or tend food or tobacco roasting, baking, or drying equipment, including hearth ovens, kiln driers, roasters, char kilns, and vacuum drying equipment.
Also Known As: Automatic Oven Operator, Bakery Production Associate, Bakery Production Worker, Bakery Worker, Baking Assistant, Bean Roaster, Belt Conveyor Drier, Bone Char Kiln Operator +89 more
Core Tasks
- Observe, feel, taste, or otherwise examine products during and after processing to ensure conformance to standards.
- Set temperature and time controls, light ovens, burners, driers, or roasters, and start equipment, such as conveyors, cylinders, blowers, driers, or pumps.
- Observe temperature, humidity, pressure gauges, and product samples and adjust controls, such as thermostats and valves, to maintain prescribed operating conditions for specific stages.
- 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.
- Weigh or measure products, using scale hoppers or scale conveyors.
- Operate or tend equipment that roasts, bakes, dries, or cures food items such as cocoa and coffee beans, grains, nuts, and bakery products.
- Signal coworkers to synchronize flow of materials.
- Read work orders to determine quantities and types of products to be baked, dried, or roasted.
- Fill or remove product from trays, carts, hoppers, or equipment, using scoops, peels, or shovels, or by hand.
Supplemental Tasks (9)
- Take product samples during or after processing for laboratory analyses.
- Test products for moisture content, using moisture meters.
- Clear or dislodge blockages in bins, screens, or other equipment, using poles, brushes, or mallets.
- Start conveyors to move roasted grain to cooling pans and agitate grain with rakes as blowers force air through perforated bottoms of pans.
- Open valves, gates, or chutes or use shovels to load or remove products from ovens or other equipment.
- Clean equipment with steam, hot water, and hoses.
- Smooth out products in bins, pans, trays, or conveyors, using rakes or shovels.
- Install equipment, such as spray units, cutting blades, or screens, using hand tools.
- Push racks or carts to transfer products to storage, cooling stations, or the next stage of processing.
Education & Training
Job Zone 2 Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Education: These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Experience: Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
On-the-Job Training: Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation with each education level.
Technology & Tools
Hot Technologies
Software (2)
Tools & Equipment (47)
Where This Career Leads
Career progression organized by specialty track and experience level.
Production & Automation Advanced Manufacturing
Zone 2
Food and Tobacco Roasting, Baking, and Drying Machine Operators and Tenders You are here
Zone 4
Biomass Power Plant Managers 76% match
Zone 5
Microsystems Engineers 74% match
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