Company description

Browns Cheese crafts wholesome and delicious cheeses in the highlands of Kenya East Africa. We have been making our cheeses for +40 yrs. We work with small holder dairy farmers ensuring we get great milk and produce a wide range of products to meet our customer needs in the region. We make our staple products but ensure we always produce seasonal cheeses to keep life interesting.
Come join our energetic creative team in our mission to craft the best foods we can from our locally available ingredients sourced directly from our farmer communities.

Job description

The Head Cheesemaker is responsible for the production and quality of all cheeses and leadership and training of supervisors, team leaders, and production staff. We produce all major cheese types, including hard, soft, pasta filata, bloomy rind, blue, and washed rind cheeses. The Head Cheesemaker will also be responsible for other dairy products, including yoghurt, fluid milk, ice cream, and other dairy products.

Key Responsibilities

1. Manage the daily dairy production operations
   1. Plan and supervise the daily dairy production, including management of record keeping, inventories, and management systems.
   2. Co-manage the food safety system with the Quality team.
   3. Verify all documents, including daily make sheets, cleaning records, and ensure the creamery is adhering to GFSI standards.
   4. Manage weekly production schedule and staffing.
   5. Maintain consistency amongst the cheesemaking staff and communicate changes in standard operating procedures.
   6. Coordinate closely with dairy staff to identify seasonal changes in the milk to change cheesemaking target.
   7. Oversee dairy production and troubleshoot when required.
   8. Manage daily testing of cheese to determine initial grade for each batch. This includes accurate and relevant laboratory testing and record keeping of pH, TA, moisture content, salt content, antibiotics and other testing.
   9. Manage inventory of dairy ingredients and relevant supplies. Approve POs, manage incoming supplies, and minimize costs through efficiency and purchasing decisions.
   10. Serve as key contact for dairy operations. Work with QA Manager to ensure consistent production of high quality and safe dairy products. Work with Technical Manager to coordinate Preventative Maintenance Program, breakdowns, schedule downtime, and source equipment. Work closely with the Tasting Program Coordinator to track progress and improvement. Liaise with data analysts to monitor yields and quality over time.
       1. Manage the dairy budget and COGS.
       1. Supervise and manage dairy production staff
          1. Mentor and train cheesemaking staff, topics including basic cheesemaking, GMPs, cleaning, and sanitation training when onboarding new team members.
          2. Collaborate with HR team in reviewing, executing, and improving the performance management system.
       2. Provide insightful reporting and guidance to executive leadership
          1. Produce periodic reports covering all aspects of dairy production
          2. Identify and implement process improvements to drive efficiency and quality.
       3. Perform other business work as needed to support the business in driving customer satisfaction, including occasional sales support, VIP factory tours, etc.
   11. QUALIFICATIONS:
   12. Significant expertise making multiple cheese types in a variety of environments.
   13. Experience working with modern food safety systems.
   14. Communication in English is required.
   15. Experience managing teams in a modern factory environment in which multiple cheese products are produced.
   16. Experience developing and improving cheese recipes.
   17. Diploma in cheesemaking or dairy production.

Compensation

this position is: salaried, $75,000 - $100,000

Work visa

This employer is willing to sponsor a work visa for international applicants

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline