Bindery Operator

Job Title: Bindery OperatorIndustry: ManufacturingLocation: Raleigh, NCShift: 3rd shift, 11:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m., 8 hour days (training is on 1st shift). Hours could shift to 12 hour days depending on business needs.Interview ProcessClient OverviewYou'd be working at a packaging and print finishing facility that supports personalization, mailing, and fulfillment work, often for pharmaceutical and healthcare clients. You'd run bindery equipment that cuts, folds, and finishes printed materials before they ship out.Top 3 SkillsBindery equipment setup and operationCutting and folding machine operationProduction troubleshooting and quality controlWhat You'll DoRead work orders to determine setup specifications and instructionsFollow startup, cleaning, and shutdown procedures for the departmentOperate bindery department machinery to keep up with the workload scheduleLoad, set up, adjust, and operate cutter machinesCut and feed card stock through machines for single or double line runsLoad and operate the folder machineSet up and run the shrink wrap machineFeed the inserter machine with envelopes and inserts per ticket instructionsReport daily production and material consumptionCommunicate issues with orders or equipment clearly to the teamWhat We Need From YouHigh school diploma or GED3 to 5 years of related bindery experienceDemonstrated mechanical aptitude or ability to pass a mechanical aptitude testBasic computer skills for data entry, and intermediate math skillsAble to pass a color vision test and work overtime as needed, including significant overtime during busy periodsPreferred / BonusExperience operating Polar or Seybold cutters, or MBO folder machinesPrior experience in a pharmaceutical or SOP driven production environmentAbout ElevaitElevait Solutions was founded by veterans who believe that how you treat people is the only thing that actually matters in this industry. We're a team that stays in your corner before, during, and after placement. We show up for the communities we work in, we tell you the truth, and we work hard to make sure every placement is a good fit for both sides. If that sounds like the kind of team you want behind you, we'd like to talk.Elevait is a certified Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business, has over 100,000 LinkedIn followers, and was named a top company for hiring veterans by U.S. Veterans Magazine. We'd encourage you to check us out directly on our website and LinkedIn rather than just taking a recruiter's word for it.Buzzwordsbindery, cutting, folding, finishing, production, troubleshooting, equipment, setup, operation, qualityTop 3 LinkedIn Job TitlesBindery OperatorFolder OperatorPrint Finishing OperatorInternal Market Recap (Client: Smurfit WestRock, Multi-Packaging Solutions, Raleigh, NC)Pay Positioning$17.00/hr sits above the general North Carolina Bindery Assistant average of $14.20/hr, and below the North Carolina Folder Operator average of $18.79/hr. It's also below the Raleigh area rates advertised by larger commercial printers like RR Donnelley, which post Bindery Operator roles at $22 to $35/hr, though those tend to be more senior, higher skill positions at a different type of employer. Given the 3 to 5 years experience required here, this rate is reasonable but not top of market; there may be room to discuss a modest increase if candidates are being pulled toward RRD-style opportunities.Competitive LandscapeRR Donnelley (RRD), O'Neil Digital Solutions, Resource Label Group, Binders Inc, Quad/Graphics, International Paper.Contractor to FTE TrendsNo client specific pattern on file yet for this role type. Using the general heuristic, most Elevait contract placements carry a strong track record of extending and converting to full time with satisfactory performance.Selling Points and Watch OutsThis role has a clear, stated growth path: strong performers can advance into a Folder Operator position, a more skilled and typically higher paying roleTraining happens on 1st shift before transitioning to 3rd shift, easing the ramp up onto an overnight scheduleCan start with a cleared drug test while the background check is still running, meaning a faster start than roles requiring full clearance up frontThis is a genuine overnight shift, 11:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m., which will be a hard no for some candidates regardless of payHours could shift from 8 to 12 hour days depending on business needs, worth setting expectations that the schedule isn't fully fixedPay rate sits below what larger commercial printers like RR Donnelley advertise for a comparable Bindery Operator role in this market, worth being ready to address if candidates compare offersCandidate ProfileAn experienced bindery worker with 3 to 5 years of related experience, comfortable with precise, detail oriented finishing work in an SOP driven, pharma adjacent production environment. Likely coming from a printing, packaging, or bindery background in the Raleigh/Triangle area.Sourcing ChannelsTarget current bindery and finishing operators at the competitor printing and packaging companies listed above, general light industrial and print production staffing boards across the Raleigh and Triangle area, and candidates looking to grow from a Bindery Assistant into a Folder Operator role.LinkedIn Location CoverageRaleigh is the capital of North Carolina and the anchor city of the Research Triangle, connected via I-40 and I-440 to the surrounding Triangle metro suburbs.Location Type Est. drive time from Raleigh LinkedIn recognition confidence Raleigh Metro Area Anchor High Garner Suburb 10 to 15 min High Knightdale Suburb 15 min High Cary Suburb 15 to 20 min High Wake Forest Suburb 20 to 25 min High Apex Suburb 20 to 25 min High Morrisville Suburb 20 to 25 min Medium Durham City 25 to 30 min High Fuquay-Varina Suburb 25 to 30 min HighBest metro area optionRaleighBest city/suburb optionsCaryGarnerDurhamBroad LinkedIn location coverage listRaleighCaryGarnerKnightdaleWake ForestApexMorrisvilleDurhamFuquay-VarinaLean LinkedIn location coverage listRaleighCaryGarnerDurhamBoolean Search String(bindery OR "folder operator" OR "print finishing") AND (bindery OR cutting OR folding OR finishing OR troubleshooting OR "quality control") AND (Polar OR Seybold OR MBO OR "shrink wrap" OR inserter)