Company description

Shelburne Farms is an education nonprofit on a mission to inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future. We believe that transformative learning experiences sow the seeds for a thriving and more just world. Our work seeks to create the space, spark the conversations, and share the stories to inspire educators, students, and learners of all ages to build a better future for everyone.

We realize our mission by integrating three key areas of activity: our programs, place, and products.

Job description

Who We’re Looking for

Someone who is deeply committed to artisanal cheesemaking as part of a vision for a sustainable future, including supporting Shelburne Farm’s education and community programs and conserving its beautiful agricultural landscape.  You will play an important role in our local food system, providing management leadership for the cheese team and collaborating with other farm operations, to produce, age, package and ship our farmstead cheddar cheese (along with other farm products).  

What You’ll Do

Operations and Quality Manager

• Oversee, support, and coordinate all cheese-making and aging, cheese processing, and all mail order shipping operations.
• Learn and participate in all areas of cheesemaking, processing and shipping. Train new staff and fill-in when there are gaps in all aspects of the operation.
• Ensure establishment of effective systems to meet the demands of our peak holiday season.
• Serve as the point person for creamery-related interviews, tours and programming, and requests from other Shelburne Farms departments.
• Manage creamery schedules to support the seven day work week and the coordination of overlapping work teams.
• Participate in the Tasting & Grading Program and provide direction and guidance when needed.
• Work with the Chief Operations Officer to develop and manage the Creamery budgets.
• Keep current on cheesemaking and processing best practices and equipment and encourage continuous improvement of our operation as appropriate to our scale, resources, and mission.
• Perform other work as necessary to support the Farm in satisfying guest and customer needs. Instill a priority for engaged guest service within the team.

Team Leader and Mentor

• Recruit, hire, train, guide and support all Creamery staff to maintain a cohesive and effective team that is engaged with the Farm’s mission and produces food-safe and high-quality farmstead cheddar cheese per annual plans and delivers it to high customer satisfaction.
• Ensure an up to date training program is maintained for all key Creamery functions and personnel.
• Adapt to support and train team members in a teaching environment with varying skill and experience levels.

Food and Facility Safety

• Work closely with the team’s Food Safety Leader to promote a strong Food Safety culture at the Farm. Ensure compliance with key regulatory agencies including the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets and the FDA.
• Be the point of contact for our Buildings and Landscape Manager to coordinate equipment and facility repairs and maintenance that is beyond creamery staff capability. 
  Maintain and improve a safe and productive facility and work environment.

Community and Communications Coordinator

• Support  and participate in learning outreach, marketing activities and community events on and off the Farm, such as ‘Meet the Cheesemaker’, demos, and farmers markets. 
  Work with the Creamery staff to tell the Farm’s story of cheese.
• Support farm product sales and marketing.

Core Qualifications 

Required qualifications that all applicants must have in order to be considered for the job

• Passionate about local food systems as part of a sustainable future
• Leadership experience and excited to work with and mentor the Creamery Department team.
• Food/Beverage production experience, and desire to become an artisanal cheese producer.
• Valid driver's license to operate work vehicles.
• Competent computer skills including Google Suite and Excel.
• Committed to fostering a welcoming working and learning environment for all program participants, guests, and staff.
• Experience with cleaning and sanitation, for food safety.
• On-Call support is expected for this leadership role.

 

Additional Valued Qualifications  

• Food safety certifications are helpful such as PCQI, HACCP, SQF or other equivalent.

Work Environment & Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Work 10-hour shifts, in a highly physical role, in hot and cold (refrigerated) environments.
• The Cheese department operates 7 days a week and this role is required to help with on-call support as well as some weekend/holiday shifts.
• Repetitive lifting, reaching, bending, twisting and squatting and moving with items of up to 65 pounds.
• Moving up and down a ladder while carrying items weighing up to 45 pounds (block of cheese).
• Repetitive movements of the hands and wrists to perform fine-motor skills.
• Cleaning with chemicals and sanitizers.
• Operation of production machinery and equipment. 

Benefits 

For year-round, full-time staff:  Benefit summary here for 2025 benefits.

Compensation

this position is: salaried, varies DOE, $60,000.00 - $70,000.00

Application instructions

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Deadline

April 07, 2025