Creamery Production Manager

At Jasper Hill, we believe that cheese is a powerful force for good. We are a mission-based company working to preserve Vermont’s working landscape by making and aging world class cheese. The Jasper Hill Family of Businesses includes two farms, a state-of-the-art underground cheese aging facility, sales, marketing, and fulfillment teams, and two creameries. 

We’re looking for an experienced leader to manage one of those two creameries. The ideal candidate has at least three years of experience leading a small team in the food manufacturing space, ideally within a larger organization. Prior experience in artisan cheese is ideal. This candidate thrives in a fast-paced work environment, with a reverence for traditional cheesemaking balanced with a passion for innovation and a fixation not on what cheese was, but on what it could be. 

They are committed to the professional fulfillment of their team and to the success of the organization at large. They share our belief that our people are our most important asset. They seek simple, elegant solutions, even while embracing the complexity required to make the world’s best cheese. Obsession with minute details is important. Relentless curiosity is an absolute must. 

At its core, this is a critical role in daily operations management. It includes regular production work alongside the creamery team. It includes responsibility for hiring, training, scheduling, and providing regular, structured performance feedback for that team. It includes collaborating with other members of the management team to ensure cohesive, efficient, and quality-focused operations across the organization. It includes building and supporting a strong food safety culture, overseeing a comprehensive food safety plan, and interfacing with regulators, third party auditors, and our own QA team. It includes interfacing with the Jasper Hill facilities team to keep equipment running smoothly and the facility in good repair. It includes oversight of purchasing, responsibility for controlling costs, and ensuring the financial health of the creamery. 

Most important, however, is the ability to strengthen and develop a team of dedicated cheese professionals united in the pursuit of outrageously delicious cheese.

Core Duties & Responsibilities

Other duties may be assigned as needed.

•   Participate in physical, hands on cheesemaking while leading daily operations
•   Publish a weekly staffing schedule for the following week in a timely manner
•   Manage labor expense in accordance with production volume
•   Ensure team members possess the necessary training to maximize product safety, quality, and efficiency
•   Analyze current operational processes and performance, implementing solutions for continuous improvement to reduce costs/waste while improving product quality
•   Cultivate a culture of continuous improvement in which the whole team is engaged
•   Use a structured program of performance reviews to ensure an engaged and skilled workforce and a strong talent bench
•   Manage inventory of production supplies to prevent gaps in supply
•   Ensure compliance to the facility’s food safety program and engage with the team and food safety lead to refine practices
•   Manage the maintenance of the facility and processing equipment, interfacing with the facilities team and external contractors as needed

Skills

•   Strong working knowledge of cheesemaking concepts
•   Ability to work strategically and collaboratively across departments
•   Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills
•   Strong HACCP/food safety knowledge
•   Functional computer literacy and working knowledge of MS Office or similar business software suite

Hours

45-55 hours per week in general, recognizing that peak production times may require additional hours.

Compensation

Compensation for this role is $65,000 to $80,000 per year and includes a comprehensive benefits package. An amended compensation package may include nearby housing for the right candidate.