Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Meet Jiří Malich, a dedicated project engineer at Mondelēz's Opava plant. In this insightful interview, Jiří shares his experiences and perspectives on his role, the warm atmosphere at Mondelēz, and the technical marvels of their production lines.

How long have you been with Mondelēz, and what is your role?

I've been with Mondelēz since the summer of 2023, serving as a project engineer for the future Oreo line in Opava.

Why did you choose Mondelēz?

Among the available job opportunities, I chose Mondelēz because it offered me the chance to gain experience in the food industry. From my perspective, food manufacturing has a promising future ahead, especially in terms of growth.

What does your typical workday look like?

My workday begins with a commute, during which I enjoy the scenic views of Opava’s countryside, with its lush natural beauty. The plant is nestled amidst meadows and fields, with the main ridge of the Jesenicky mountains forming a picturesque backdrop visible from my office window. Throughout the day, I collaborate with colleagues from different parts of the Opava plant on technical tasks aimed at elevating our production equipment to new levels. Our goal is to achieve optimal throughput while providing the best possible working environment for our operators.

What has been the biggest surprise for you here?

Personally, I find the warm welcome in the morning quite uplifting. They consistently set a positive tone for the day, helping me start off on the right foot. From a technical perspective, the jumbo lines are truly impressive. Witnessing their ability to produce our products at such high volumes using equipment of this scale is a real pleasure for someone with a technical eye like mine.

What has been the biggest challenge for you so far?

The biggest challenge thus far has been grasping the overall complexity of large production lines like ours. For example, a minor misalignment at the start of the process could have a marginal impact on packaging quality, underscoring the importance of identifying root causes. The multitude of inputs and variables on these lines makes every aspect crucial, as they all contribute to the final product. Mastering this system has been a rewarding challenge for me.

What are you looking forward to currently?

I'm eagerly anticipating collaborating with equipment suppliers and refining the design of equipment to meet our specific needs and requests. This is where I can fully engage my technical skills and expertise, drawing from both engineering and production experiences to develop precise technical solutions.