Inventory And Grader Manager

How would we describe a career with Agri-Mark/McCadam/Cabot Creamery? More than 100 years of: Farmers, Family, Mission, Purpose, Sustainability, Respect, Integrity, Work Ethic, Teamwork, Pride in Award Winning Products, and Agriculture.

Cabot Creamery achieved B Corp certification in 2012 and became the world's first dairy co-op to do so. This certification demonstrates our commitment to transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet.

The Inventory and Grader Manager position will oversee daily bulk cheese production scheduling, cheese grading, and inventory planning. This role is crucial in ensuring cheese production and supply chain processes run smoothly. You will will also play a key part in the strategic decision-making process concerning cheese flavor profiles, managing defective bulk cheese, and downgrading cheese when necessary. This position is responsible for coordinating a team of three cheese graders and two inventory analysts, while also developing a vision for the cheese grading program, managing millions of pounds of inventory, and ensuring timely customer deliveries.

What you'll be doing:

• Production Scheduling: Manage and oversee the daily bulk cheese production schedule at three manufacturing facilities. Partner with Operations to ensure all inventory bulk cheese inventory targets are met so cheese is available as expected for the packaging plant.
• Order Management: Support inventory analysts in tracking and managing incoming and outgoing bulk cheese orders to customers ordering 680lb and 40lb blocks, ensuring inventory is available for timely order fulfillment and delivery to internal packaging plant and external customers.
• Inventory Planning: Partner with Business Management to develop and execute bulk cheese inventory plans that balance supply and demand and meet aging and flavor profile targets.
• Cheese Grading Program: Manage the cheese grading program to maximize the value of each block of cheese for the cooperative. Establish a vision for how much cheese should be graded, when, and what information must be gathered to make production and sales decisions.
• Strategic Decision-Making: Collaborate with cheese manufacturing plants, internal packaging plant and quality teams to evaluate and make strategic decisions regarding flavor profile and suitability for packaging. Ensure consistency and quality of the flavor profile according to customer preferences and demands.
• Cheese Contests: Lead the process of entering cheese into international and national contests to promote the brand, increase visibility, and build recognition. Support the grading team in selecting cheese and coordinate with operations to prepare cheese for entry. Ensure all necessary documentation and logistics are in place for successful participation.
• Managing Defective Bulk Cheese: Identify, manage, and mitigate issues related to defective bulk cheese, ensuring that defective products are downgraded or handled appropriately by operations.
• Cheese Downgrading: Make decisions on downgrading cheese when necessary, ensuring that lower-quality products are repurposed effectively or discarded in accordance with food safety standards and company policies. This will require excellent judgement and the ability to weigh quality, production efficiency, and financial decision components.
• Customer Returns: Support decision making process for customer and co-packer returns. Provide guidance on how to best utilize bulk cheese, collaborate with quality department, and maximize the value of the cheese in question.
• Cheese Logistics: Oversee inventory analysts to ensure bulk cheese is transported efficiently from manufacturing to warehouses to internal or customer packaging plants - over 75 trucks per week.
• Team Management: Lead and mentor a team of three cheese graders and two inventory analysts, providing guidance and training to ensure high levels of performance and grading consistency.
• Process Improvement: Identify and implement continuous improvement initiatives within inventory control, order management, and production scheduling processes.
• Reporting & Analysis: Team is responsible for reporting on downgrade inventory, bulk warehouse storage capacity, order fulfillment, and production schedules to provide visibility to senior management.
• Systems: Provide support for team regarding all systems and applications. Partner with IT to recommend and implement changes to inventory system, supply chain management system, reporting tools, etc. Team is responsible for setting up new bulk cheese items with corresponding bill of materials and label requirements. Prior experience with inventory management systems (ERPs) is a major plus.

What we are seeking:

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, or related field preferred.
• 7+ years of experience in supply chain, manufacturing, quality, or inventory management roles.
• 5+ years of experience in the dairy industry with cheese as a focus required.
• Confident making major financial decisions for the company and establishing criteria for making such decisions.
• Thrives working in various environments - grading cheese at bulk warehouses, trouble-shooting issues at manufacturing plants, presenting to senior leadership, diving into analyses, etc.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to manage and motivate a team.
• Excellent communication, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, etc.).
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and handle multiple tasks simultaneously.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to occasionally lift and carry up to 50 lbs when grading cheese.
• Ability to work in a production environment, which may involve standing, walking, and operating machinery.

Salary range $84-95k