Assistant Cheese Maker

Assistant Cheese Maker - Stepladder Creamery - Cambria, CA

We’ve made small-batch, award-winning cheese on our farm on California's Central Coast just South Hearst Castle since 2015. As a farmstead creamery, we raise our goats on the farm and make cheese from their milk, which allows us to manage every aspect of our cheese production.  Besides our farmstead goat cheeses, we also make artisan cow cheese with milk from a local dairy.

The Assistant Cheese Maker role is a full-time (40hr/wk) position with 2 weeks paid vacation per year and a 4% match on 401k. Vacation time starts after 6 months of employment and the 401k after a year. Salary is dependent upon experience. 

Job Duties:

Cheese Making:

• Work with our head cheesemaker to learn and master all cheese makes and get to the point where you can lead a cheese make in production.
• Vat batch pasteurize
• Assist with cheese-making duties
• Draining of soft cheeses
• Brushing and flipping of cheeses in the aging room
• Cleaning of equipment after completion
• Assisting with salting, brining, and drying of cheeses

Cleaning:

• Help with daily cleaning and sanitation
• Maintain rigorous cleaning standards and documentation
• Assist in general make-room cleaning and weekly deep cleaning to be completed by the creamery team

Packaging:

• Work with the packaging team to maintain inventory and fulfill orders:
• Learn how to package different styles of cheeses accurately and efficiently working within creamery SOPs
• Maintain inventory to ensure we have enough cheese available for forecasted sales.
• Implement strict FIFO to make sure the product is moving out in the correct order
• Maintain sanitary workflow to eliminate any cross-contamination of batches

Qualifications:

At least one year of professional experience in food production

Knowledge of dairy or fermentation sciences a plus

Ability to stand, bend, and twist for 8 hours

Ability to lift 25 pounds

Willingness to work alone and as part of a team

Good communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills

Attention to detail and safety

To apply for this position please email your resume to [email protected]