Cheesemaker

The Role & Company: A growing boutique dairy manufacturer based in Wellington is seeking an expereinced Cheesemaker to support their team as operations continue to grow.

As a Cheesemaker or Cheese Production Process Worker, you will be responsible for the safe, efficient, and high-quality production of cheese in a commercial dairy processing environment. You will work as part of a team to ensure all stages of cheese production—from milk preparation through to maturation and packaging—are carried out to company and regulatory standards. This role supports food safety, hygiene, and quality protocols, and will involve operating specialised machinery, performing manual tasks, monitoring production parameters, and maintaining accurate production records. To bring in the right experience, the team are open to full-time or part-time hours, with operations running from Monday-Saturday. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Operate and monitor equipment for cheese production including pasteurisers, vats, curd cutters, presses, and brining systems
• Follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) for production stages such as milk intake, coagulation, curd handling, moulding, pressing, salting, and maturation
• Maintain accurate records of production data (e.g., temperature, pH, yield) and report deviations to supervisors
• Conduct routine quality checks and assist with laboratory sampling (e.g., pH, moisture content, salt content)
• Clean, sanitise, and maintain equipment and work areas in accordance with hygiene and food safety requirements (CIP – Clean-In-Place processes)
• Work collaboratively with team members and other departments (e.g., maintenance, QA, logistics) to ensure efficient workflow
• Handle, transport, and store cheese safely and correctly, including packing and labelling finished products
• Participate in ongoing training and support continuous improvement, including LEAN and Health & Safety initiatives
• Follow and enforce health and safety protocols, including correct use of PPE, to maintain a safe workplace

You, the Candidate: This role will require an experienced operator, with strong technical knowledge of cheesemaking processes and/or milk pasteurisation. You must bring strong attention to detail, good communication skills and be capable of following SOPs and busy production schedules.

The ideal candidate will also posess the following skills and attributes: 

• Experience in food or dairy processing, particularly in cheese production
• Familiarity with HACCP, GMP, and food safety standards
• Forklift licence (an advantage)
• NZQA Level 2-4 in Dairy Processing or similar (desirable)

How to Apply: To apply for this position, please select the relevant ‘apply’ button. Alternatively, please reach out to maya@trs.co.nz with a copy of your CV.
Please note, you must have current working rights in NZ to be considered for this role. 

We look forward to hearing from you!