Entry Level Cheesemaker

Position Title: Entry Level Cheesemaker

Supervisor: Creamery Manager

Employee Status:  Year-round; Full-Time

Exemption:  Hourly; Non-Exempt

Start Date: Immediate opening

Location: In-person (Shelburne, VT)

Pay range:  $20.00/hour

Compensation after demonstrating competence in cheesemaking (approximately 3-6 months after hire): $21.50/hour

Work Schedule: 4 days/week, working 10-hour days, from 6:30am -4:30pm; one weekend day per week required

Who We Are

Shelburne Farms is an education nonprofit on a mission to inspire and cultivate learning for a sustainable future. We offer transformative learning experiences to help educators and students create a better world.  Our home campus is a 1,400-acre working farm located on the traditional, unceded and contemporary homelands of the Winooskik band of the Abenaki.  

What We Do

• Engage youth and people of all ages in learning experiences that inspire them to build just, diverse, resilient, caring communities. 
• Steward our working lands and heritage buildings as we embody values of place and community through caring for and sharing our natural, agricultural, cultural, and human resources.
• Collaborate with educators and other local, national, and international partners to advance education for sustainability worldwide

Who We’re Looking for

You’ll support one of our many tangible expressions of the Farm’s mission and goals by collaborating with other farm operations in producing, aging, packaging and shipping our excellent cheddar cheese (along with other farm products).  The cheese team is integral to supporting a healthy local food system and providing an inspiring farm-based campus for learning for the Farm’s various programs and activities.

What You’ll Do

• Lead a cheese production day throughout every step of the process from the arrival of milk to final press.  Make cheese in either a Lead or Assist capacity on average 3 days per week. Work closely with the Head Cheesemaker to adjust the daily make process based on changes in the milk.
  • It is reasonable for training to last approximately 1-2 months, and competency to be achieved after approximately 6 months.  
• Assist with cheese processing 1-4 days per week.  This includes preparing batches of cheese to be processed; printing labels; cutting, waxing, packaging, and accurately labeling cheese for retail sale; precise record keeping.
• Participation in food safety and sanitation programs. This includes daily cleaning and sanitation, record keeping, internal monitoring and quality assurance.
• Assist with equipment maintenance and calibrations. 
• Participate in our weekly sensory program. Work with our Tasting Team to grade batches of cheese and track cheese quality.
• Assisting in performing order fulfillment and shipping throughout the year. This will become the main job responsibility during the month of December. 
• Lead Farm visitors through the Meet the Cheesemaker education program that happens daily during the summer (expected after approximately 2-6 months)
• Become proficient in an additional project or responsibility in the cheese department (expected after 2-6 months). Examples include, but are not limited to: 
  • Hauling the milk from the dairy to the cheese facility 1-2 mornings per week.
  • Providing sales and marketing assistance at farmer’s markets, food shows, demos, etc. weekly during the summer and other times as needed.

Core Qualifications 

• Availability to work four days a week, 10-hour shifts (6:30 am - 4:30 pm), with some overtime depending on the work week. Ability to work one weekend day/week.
• Committed to translating the values of equality into action as we foster a welcoming working and learning environment for all program participants, guests, and staff.
• We foster a learning environment and welcome candidates with all levels of skills, knowledge and experience working in the food processing industry. However, no food processing or cheesemaking experience is necessary to apply.

Additional Valued Qualifications 

Not required to apply but will greatly assist in your training and onboarding process

• Passionate about artisanal cheese and excited to become a cheesemaker.
• Food manufacturing experience.
• Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), cleaning and sanitation, and food safety.

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.
• 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 chemicals and sanitizers are used. 
• Follow instructions to safely operate production machinery. 

Benefits 

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

Deadline to Apply

• Applications will be reviewed as received until the position is filled.

To Apply

If our vision and mission excite you, we hope you will share with us your experience and skill set that you feel would qualify you to make a contribution to the Farm.

Click here to submit an application and please include responses to the following questions. These are not meant to be a writing exercise but to introduce yourself in a meaningful way.

• Why are you interested in this position?
• Tell us about your unique characteristics and life experience that will help you thrive in this role.
• How did you hear about the position?
• Please submit contact information for three references.

Shelburne Farms is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and we strongly stand against discrimination and harassment of any kind. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. 

If you need accommodations throughout the application process or have general questions, please contact us at jobs@shelburnefarms.org or 802-985-8686.