Summary

We’re looking for a Temporary R&D Pilot Plant Cheese Maker to help us create a more sustainable food system. You are excited to apply your technical skills to help us scale up our plant based cheesemaking technology and make products with taste and a cost structure that outcompetes dairy cheese. You will roll up your sleeves and make cheese in our pilot plant. You will test cheeses using a variety of sensory and analytical methods and improve our efficiency and operations by helping with organization and documentation. And most importantly, you share our values. This position is based in Oakland, CA and offers competitive pay.

About Tezza

Our food system represents a whopping 34% of global carbon emissions and is the primary driver of species extinction and deforestation. Within food, the biggest single problem is cows. Cows outweigh humans 🤯 and account for over 10% of carbon emissions. Dairy alone produces more carbon than all of aviation.

But the problem is that cows and their milk taste really good, and no amount of guilt will ever stop us from devouring them. The only solution is to create sustainable products that are better than cows on two factors: taste and cost.

Tezza is a public benefit corporation that discovers and designs microbial communities that transform inexpensive, sustainable plants into new categories of fermented foods. This approach allows us to create plant-based products that are absurdly delicious and cheaper than their animal-based counterparts. We are starting with the most resource-intensive and addictive dairy product: 🧀.

About the position

You will be working with us to accelerate the discovery of cultured foods. Some of your responsibilities will include:

  • Assisting with cheesemaking at pilot plant and bench scale to support product development 

  • Analytical work: evaluation of cheese products for sensory and other product attributes such as moisture and pH

  • Documentation: keeping detailed records of work 

  • Sanitation: daily duties to help with organization, cleanliness, and sanitation of pilot plant

Qualifications

  • Experience working in a pilot plant environment

  • Basic knowledge of food formulation and processing equipment

  • Willingness to get your hands dirty and work in a pilot plant making cheese every day

  • Organized and has good attention to detail and documentation

  • Comfortable doing mathematical calculations and using G-suite tools for data capture and SOPs. 

  • Must be able to lift and carry up to 50 pounds repeatedly throughout the day. Must be able to stand for extended periods of time, up to 8 hours per day. Must have good hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity, and be able to use hand tools and operate machinery.

This role is:

  • Temporary (90 days maximum)

  • Work hours are 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, Monday through Friday

  • Onsite in Oakland, CA

  • $19.30 - $27.50/hr depending on experience

What do you get out of it?

  • You’ll work on global sustainability problems via a hands-on, tasty product

  • You’ll have the opportunity to work with a variety of scientists and product developers

If interested, what should you do?

First, learn about our values, culture, hiring process, and benefits here.

To apply, please email join@tezzafoods.com with a resume and responses to the following prompts (a conversational, unpolished tone is fine):

  1. What motivates you right now? What about for the long term? And most importantly, why? 

  2. What are the most important things that you are striving to improve in yourself? What are you doing to work on them? 

Tezza is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability status. But we acknowledge that we are flawed humans within a flawed society. We do our best and apologize and learn when that’s not enough.