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Preferred Popcorn Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Hersheys

Sr Engineer, Salty R&D

Hershey, PA · On-site

$99K - $136K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Experience with two or more of the following strongly preferred: popcorn, extrusion, frying, pretzels, baked snacks. * Demonstrated success scaling new products or processes into manufacturing.

Weaver popcorn manufacturing

Machine Operator

Van Buren, IN · On-site

$50K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing produces quality snack products enjoyed across the country. As we ... Preferred: * High school diploma or equivalent (preferred). * Minimum 1-2 years' experience in a ...

Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing LLC

Machine Operator

Van Buren, IN · On-site

$50K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing produces quality snack products enjoyed across the country. As we ... Preferred: * High school diploma or equivalent (preferred). * Minimum 1-2 years' experience in a ...

Hersheys

Staff Scientist Popcorn & Kid Snacking

Hershey, PA · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

As the Staff Scientist Popcorn & Kid Snacking, you will be a key technical leader within Hershey ... Strong experience in fried snacks, preferably including tortilla chips, potato chips, extruded ...

Hersheys

Staff Scientist Popcorn & Kid Snacking

Hershey, PA · On-site

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

Reporting to the Sr. Manager, Popcorn and Kid Snacking, this role serves as a subject matter expert ... Strong experience in fried snacks, preferably including tortilla chips, potato chips, extruded ...

Weaver

Bin Technician

Van Buren, IN · On-site

$19 - $25.50/hr

Quality at Weaver Popcorn Manufacturing begins with the raw popcorn we receive. As a Bin Technician ... Drive farm related equipment Preferred: * Strong time management and prioritization skills

Weaver

Director of Manufacturing

Van Buren, IN · On-site

Experience in food or consumer packaged goods manufacturing, advanced manufacturing technology, automation, SQF or BRC, and FSMA or PCQI requirements is preferred. Come Grow With Us At Weaver Popcorn ...

Virtue Brands LLC

Store Manager

Hudson, OH · On-site

$40K/yr

Virtue Brands LLC DBA Metropolis Popcorn Position: Store Manager If you want to be part of a hard ... preferred Physical Requirements * Must be able to lift and move 50 pound objects * Must be able to ...

C. Cretors and Company

Mechanical Project Engineer

Wood Dale, IL · On-site

$90K - $100K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • Retirement

  • PTO

These systems integrate popcorn makers, sifters, seasoning and caramel coating equipment, and ... Preferred Qualifications * Experience with complex automated machinery and material handling ...

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Preferred Popcorn information

See salary details

$15

$21

$30

How much do preferred popcorn jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 20, 2026, the average hourly pay for preferred popcorn in the United States is $21.76, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $18.27 and $25.72 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is Preferred Popcorn?

Preferred Popcorn is a company that specializes in growing, processing, and distributing high-quality popcorn kernels for both commercial and retail customers around the world. They are known for offering various popcorn varieties, including non-GMO, organic, and specialty popcorn. Preferred Popcorn works directly with farmers to ensure traceability and quality control from seed to final product. Their products are commonly used by movie theaters, concession stands, and packaged snack brands.

What are the typical responsibilities of a production worker at Preferred Popcorn, and how does the team collaborate to meet production goals?

As a production worker at Preferred Popcorn, your daily tasks typically include operating processing equipment, monitoring product quality, packaging finished popcorn, and ensuring adherence to safety and sanitation standards. Teamwork is crucial, as production lines often require coordination with supervisors, quality control staff, and fellow line workers to maintain efficiency and product consistency. Regular communication helps identify and resolve bottlenecks quickly, making collaboration a key part of meeting daily production targets. This environment allows employees to develop strong problem-solving and teamwork skills, which are valuable for advancement within the company.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a popcorn production worker, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Popcorn Production Worker, you need knowledge of food safety standards, basic machine operation, and a high school diploma or equivalent. Familiarity with industrial popcorn poppers, packaging equipment, and inventory tracking systems is typically required. Attention to detail, teamwork, and reliability are essential soft skills for this role. These skills ensure safe, efficient production processes and high-quality products in a fast-paced food manufacturing environment.

What is the difference between Preferred Popcorn vs Movie Theater Concession Worker?

AspectPreferred PopcornMovie Theater Concession Worker
Required CredentialsBasic food handling certification, no advanced degreesFood safety certification, possibly some customer service training
Work EnvironmentPopcorn production areas, snack stationsConcession stands, customer service areas
Employer & IndustrySnack manufacturing companies, cinemasMovie theaters, entertainment venues
Common Search & ComparisonYesYes

Preferred Popcorn primarily focuses on the production and quality of popcorn for sale, often within manufacturing or distribution settings. Movie Theater Concession Workers handle customer service, sales, and snack preparation at theaters. While both roles involve popcorn, Preferred Popcorn is more production-oriented, whereas Concession Workers are customer-facing staff at cinemas.

More about Preferred Popcorn jobs

What cities are hiring for Preferred Popcorn jobs?

Cities with the most Preferred Popcorn job openings:

What states have the most Preferred Popcorn jobs?

States with the most job openings for Preferred Popcorn jobs include:

What job categories do people searching Preferred Popcorn jobs look for?

The top searched job categories for Preferred Popcorn jobs are:

Preferred Popcorn jobs near you
Infographic showing various Preferred Popcorn job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 80% Full Time, 16% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 94% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $45,255 per year, or $21.8 per hour.

Sr Engineer, Salty R&D

Hersheys

Hershey, PA • On-site

$99K - $136K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 28 days ago

Job description

Why Hershey:

At The Hershey Company, our culture is rooted in purpose and inspired by Milton Hershey's enduring vision that business should create opportunity for others. Through our commitment to corporate philanthropy, we create positive impact by supporting communities, helping children thrive, and operating as a business for good. This includes our deep and long standing partnership with Milton Hershey School, where we invest in education, workforce readiness, and hands on engagement to help students succeed beyond the classroom. Supported by strategic grantmaking, product donations, cross brand collaboration, and strong employee volunteerism, Hershey offers a place to work where making a difference-locally and globally-is part of how we do business every day.

About The Hershey Company
The Hershey Company is an industry-leading snacks company known for making more moments of goodness through its iconic brands. With a strong portfolio across chocolate, confectionery, and salty snacks, Hershey delights consumers every day. Our beloved brands include Hershey's, Reese's, KitKat, Dots Pretzels, Lesser Evil, Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Ice Breakers, and more. 
 
At Hershey, we are committed to making a meaningful difference in the communities where we live, work, and do business. This commitment originated with our founder, Milton Hershey, and continues to shape who we are today.
Guided by our employee value proposition, **Lead Today. Create Tomorrow, **we empower our people to drive impact now while shaping what comes next. Our One Hershey mindset brings teams together across functions, geographies, and businesses, enabling us to operate with speed, collaboration, and shared purpose.
 
The Hershey Company is proud to be recognized as a top employer in the United States, reflecting our commitment to our people, culture, and purpose.
How will you fit in the big picture?
The Senior Engineer, Salty R&D will support end-to-end process development, scale-up, and commercialization across Hershey's growing salty and baked snack platforms, including popcorn, extruded snacks, pretzels, fried snacks, and baked cracker/snack systems.
In this role, you will bring strong engineering expertise to help develop robust processes that deliver consistent product quality, improve efficiency, enable innovation, and expand capabilities across our manufacturing network. You will partner closely with Product Development, Engineering, Operations, Quality, and Manufacturing teams to scale new snack technologies from pilot to full production.
 
This role reports to the Manager, Process Development and is based at the Hershey Technical Center in Hershey, PA.
What will you do?
  • Provide process development expertise across salty and baked snack platforms, including thermal processing, extrusion, frying, baking, drying, seasoning application, oil systems, airflow control, and overall process performance.
  • Design and support process validation experiments to optimize throughput, yield, texture, color, moisture, energy use, and product consistency.
  • Lead pilot-scale and full-scale trials for new processes, equipment modifications, and technology introductions.
  • Partner with Operations and Engineering on equipment commissioning, FAT/SAT, and process validation.
  • Troubleshoot complex manufacturing challenges related to texture variability, oil quality, seasoning adhesion, expansion, airflow, heat distribution, and other process factors.
  • Develop process guides, operating windows, critical control parameters, technical documentation, scale-up recommendations, and engineering SOPs.
  • Serve as an engineering lead on cross-functional innovation teams, helping connect formulation, process design, equipment capability, and manufacturing execution.
  • Contribute to long-term platform capability roadmaps and continuous improvement opportunities in areas such as frying technology, extrusion, baking systems, airflow, seasoning application, productivity, and energy reduction.
Minimum Education & Requirements
  • BS degree in Chemical Engineering, Food Engineering, Chemistry, or related engineering field with 6-8 years' experience, MS or PhD in Food Engineering or related field with 2-4 years' experience.  Intern and prior research project work will be considered; Salty Snacks process development experience is preferred.
  • Experience with two or more of the following strongly preferred: popcorn, extrusion, frying, pretzels, baked snacks.
  • Demonstrated success scaling new products or processes into manufacturing.
  • Experience with DOE, statistical tools, and data-driven root cause analysis (e.g., Six Sigma).
  • Experience leading plant trials and troubleshooting manufacturing issues.
Additional Requirements
  • Ability to work in plant, pilot, and lab environments.
  • Ability to travel 20-50% depending on project and plant support needs.
  • Must be capable of lifting approximately 40 lbs. during pilot-scale and equipment work.
  • Must be comfortable working around heat, oil systems, noise, and industrial equipment.
Benefits and Perks
At Hershey, we offer competitive pay and a comprehensive total rewards package designed to support your wellbeing, financial security, and life outside of work.
  • Health & Wellbeing: Medical, dental, and vision coverage, plus wellness programs that support your physical and mental health
  • Financial Security: Competitive pay, annual incentive opportunities, and a 401(k) with company match
  • Time Off & Flexibility: Paid time off, company holidays, and flexible ways of working where applicable
  • Growth & Development: Career development programs, learning opportunities, and internal mobility
Benefits may vary based on role, location, and eligibility.

The Hershey Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The policy of The Hershey Company is to extend opportunities to qualified applicants and employees on an equal basis regardless of an individual's race, color, gender, age, national origin, religion, citizenship status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other categories protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.
The Hershey Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer - Minority/Female/Disabled/Protected Veterans.  

You may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our online application process as a result of a disability.
You can request an accommodation via phone or email.  

To request an accommodation via phone, please call +1 877-804-1794 and leave a voicemail with your contact information.  You may also email a request for accommodation to ApplicationHelp@hersheys.com. Please be sure to include "Accommodation Needed" in the subject line. This will ensure that your email is routed to the appropriate contact who will handle your request.

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