Company description

Point Reyes Saltworks produces small-batch California sea salt on Tomales Bay, in Marshall, CA.

We collect seawater and circulate it through outdoor evaporation towers, where wind and sun gradually concentrate it into a dense brine. Each batch is then finished by hand over a wood-fired oven, producing a salt with lively mineral flavor and a delicate, airy texture.

Our process blends traditional European wind-evaporation methods with Japanese techniques for concentrating brine and finishing salt over fire, supported by modern innovations in filtration, water movement, monitoring and process control. We have adapted these approaches to the climate, landscape and waters of coastal Northern California. The result is a distinctly local salt that reflects both its source and the way it is made.

We are still a very small, founder-run business, but we are entering a period of rapid growth. As we expand, we want to preserve the attentiveness and practical problem-solving that built the Saltworks in the first place. We care about making an exceptional product, understanding the entire production system and building a company in which capable people can learn, take responsibility and grow with the operation.

Point Reyes Saltworks is an independent company operating on the Hog Island Oyster Company ranch in Marshall, California, along Tomales Bay.

Job description

Operations Manager / Assistant Saltmaker
Marshall, California
Part-time — approximately 24 hours/week, with potential to grow into a full-time role
$25–$30/hour, depending on experience

We’re looking for an Operations Manager / Assistant Saltmaker to become a central part of the Saltworks as we grow.

This is a hands-on production job, but we are not simply looking for an extra pair of hands. We’re looking for someone who notices how things work, sees problems before they become bigger problems, and enjoys figuring out how a physical process can work better.

The role also includes the organizational side of running a growing small business — tracking production and inventory, managing orders, working with spreadsheets, and helping keep wholesale and online sales organized.

A typical day might involve checking pumps and brine flow, cleaning filters, moving seawater between tanks, tending a wood fire, harvesting salt, troubleshooting equipment, packing orders, updating inventory, working in Shopify or Faire, or improving a system that has become inefficient.

The Saltworks is still evolving, so curiosity, judgment, and practical problem-solving matter as much as experience.

The work
The role will include a mix of saltmaking, equipment operation, maintenance, production management, fulfillment, and administrative work.

Responsibilities may include:

Operating and monitoring our seawater evaporation system
Managing pumps, hoses, filters, tanks, and brine transfers
Helping operate our wood-fired finishing process
Harvesting, drying, processing, and handling finished salt
Monitoring temperature, salinity, flow, and other production variables
Cleaning and maintaining production equipment
Troubleshooting mechanical and process problems
Keeping production areas organized and functional
Tracking production, inventory, materials, and finished goods
Maintaining spreadsheets and production records
Packing and fulfilling wholesale and online orders
Managing orders and inventory through Shopify and Faire
Preparing shipments and maintaining accurate fulfillment records
Helping track wholesale accounts, reorders, and customer information
Assisting with onboarding new wholesale accounts
Documenting processes and improving operating procedures
Identifying opportunities to make both the physical Saltworks and its operating systems simpler, more reliable, and more efficient
As the business grows, the role has the potential to develop into a full-time position with greater responsibility for day-to-day Saltworks operations.

Who we're looking for
You do not need previous saltmaking experience. We expect to teach that.

We are especially interested in people with experience in areas such as:

Farm or agricultural operations
Food or beverage production
Manufacturing or fabrication
Laboratory or process work
Mechanical systems
Product development
Facilities or equipment management
Brewing, fermentation, winemaking, or other process-based crafts
Small-business operations, inventory, fulfillment, or wholesale
More important than a particular background is how you approach problems and take responsibility for your work.

You may be a good fit if you:

Are mechanically curious and like understanding how things work
Are comfortable troubleshooting rather than waiting for instructions
Notice inefficiencies and naturally think about how to improve them
Can work independently and take ownership of a process
Are organized and comfortable keeping accurate records
Are comfortable with spreadsheets and basic business software
Can move easily between hands-on production work and computer-based administrative work
Care about consistency and product quality
Are comfortable with both repetitive production work and unexpected problems
Communicate clearly and reliably
Enjoy working with your hands
Are interested in craft, food, landscape, and making a tangible product
Experience with Shopify, Faire, inventory systems, spreadsheets, or wholesale account management is helpful but not required.

Basic plumbing, electrical, irrigation, mechanical, fabrication, or equipment-maintenance experience is also particularly useful.

The physical reality
This is not a clean indoor production environment.

The Saltworks is on the coast and the work can be wet, salty, smoky, muddy, hot, windy, and physically demanding. Salt is corrosive. Equipment gets dirty. Hoses need moving. Filters need cleaning. Wood needs handling. Some jobs are repetitive.

You should genuinely enjoy that kind of environment.

The right person will be equally comfortable thinking through a production problem, rolling up their sleeves to clean out a pump, and sitting down afterward to update inventory or process wholesale orders.

To apply
Please send a résumé and a short note telling us about your background and why this particular combination of physical work, problem-solving, equipment, and small-business operations interests you.

We are especially interested in hearing about something you have operated, built, repaired, improved, organized, or figured out.

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $20/hr +

Application instructions

If you are not registered, you'll be prompted to do so. Don't worry, it's free!

Deadline

no deadline