You'll help make and pack our handcrafted products in our Richmond production facility. That means following our written recipes and standard operating procedures (SOPs) exactly, keeping batch records accurate, and keeping the production floor clean, safe, and organized. We make three product lines here: cold-process soap; topical personal care (lotions, serums, exfoliants, lotion bars, salves, deodorant spray); and ingestible wellness (herbal tinctures, fire cider, elderberry syrup). We also pack our raw Virginia honey, creamed honeys, and infused honeys.

• Weighs, measures, and batches ingredients exactly to the written recipe and SOP for each product.
• Fills, caps, and labels jars, bottles, tins, and soap bars neatly and consistently, including packing raw, creamed, and infused honeys.
• Applies the correct lot code to every finished product and records it on the batch record.
• Keeps batch records complete and accurate, including ingredient weights, raw-material lot numbers, dates, and who made the batch.
• Packs wholesale and online orders accurately and carefully so they arrive in great shape.
• Cleans and sanitizes equipment, utensils, containers, and work areas before and after each batch, following our cleaning procedures.
• Follows all safety rules for working with lye and hot materials, including wearing the required protective equipment.
• Receives and puts away supplies and raw materials, helps with inventory counts, and lets the supervisor know when stock is running low.
• Performs other duties as requested by the supervisor when necessary.

Skills and abilities

• Passion for local farming, beekeeping, handcrafted products and/or the specialty food and personal care industry.
• Ability to follow written recipes and SOPs exactly, every time, with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to operate safely in the workplace, especially around lye, hot oils, hot honey, and production equipment.
• Comfort with basic math for weighing, measuring, and counting, and with using a digital scale.
• Neat, legible, accurate record keeping.
• Ability to work at a steady pace in a fast-paced environment without cutting corners on quality or cleanliness.
• Enthusiasm, good attitude, trustworthiness, personal integrity and honesty.
• Ability to work independently and know when to ask for input/help.
• Respect for a shared facility, our neighbors at RVA Food CoLab, and shared equipment and spaces.

Qualifications

• Experience in production, kitchen, food service, manufacturing, warehouse, or other hands-on work is a plus.
• Accurate basic math (weights, measurements, counts).
• Clear communication skills, spoken and written.
• Ability to successfully pass a background check and other pre-employment screening.
• Willingness to follow personal hygiene and dress rules for production, such as hair restraints, gloves, and closed-toe shoes.

• Pay Range: to be negotiated based upon experience. $15-18/hr
• Reports to: Assistant Production Manager / Production Manager
• Reliability is key: on-time arrival for every scheduled shift. Days off planned in advance.

• Able to bend, lift, carry, push and pull (for example 30-50lbs) safely and independently.
• Able to stand for most of the shift and do repetitive tasks such as filling, labeling, and packing.
• Able to work safely around hot materials, lye, and cleaning and sanitizing products while wearing protective equipment.
• Able to wash hands frequently and work in warm production room conditions.

• Batches made to recipe and SOP, with complete and accurate batch records.
• Correct labels and lot codes on every product.
• Orders packed accurately and on time, with low/no packing errors.
• Clean, sanitized, and organized work areas at the end of every shift.
• Safe and reliable work
  • No skipped safety steps
  • No same-day call-outs
  • On-time arrival for every shift

You'll lead our production floor day to day, working closely with Amanda. You'll keep production on schedule for our wholesale and online orders, train and support our production assistants, and make sure every batch of soap, personal care, wellness, and honey product is made right, recorded right, and ready to ship.

• Plans and manages the production schedule against wholesale and online orders so products are made and ready on time.
• Trains, schedules, and supervises production assistants, and gives clear, kind, and timely coaching.
• Reviews batch records for completeness and accuracy and makes sure every batch follows the written recipe and SOP.
• Manages lot tracking for raw materials and finished products so any product can be traced from ingredients to shipment.
• Tracks raw-material and packaging inventory and flags reorders to Amanda before we run short.
• Leads daily sanitation and safety checklists and makes sure lye and hot-material safety rules are followed.
• Keeps the facility clean, organized, and inspection-ready, with records in order, so we meet state food and cosmetic safety requirements.
• Completes quality checks before product ships, including labels, lot codes, fill levels, and appearance.
• Keeps Amanda updated on production status, staffing, supply needs, and ideas for improvement.
• Performs other duties as requested by the Owner when necessary.

Skills and abilities

• Passion for local farming, beekeeping, handcrafted products and/or the specialty food and personal care industry.
• Strong organization and planning skills, with the ability to juggle several product lines and order deadlines at once.
• Ability to lead, train, and motivate a small team with patience and a positive attitude.
• Strong attention to detail in recipes, batch records, lot codes, and labels.
• Solid understanding of safe work practices, sanitation, and good record keeping in a production setting.
• Comfort with basic math, spreadsheets, and inventory tracking.
• Enthusiasm, good attitude, trustworthiness, personal integrity and honesty.
• Ability to work autonomously, solve problems on the floor, and know when to bring an issue to Amanda.

Qualifications

• Experience in food, cosmetic, or small-batch manufacturing; lead or supervisory experience preferred.
• Accurate math and strong record keeping skills.
• Highly developed communication skills, spoken and written.
• Ability to successfully pass a background check and other pre-employment screening.
• Food handler or food safety manager certificate, or ability to obtain before first day on the job.

• Pay Range: $15-22.50/hr based upon experience
• Reports to: Production Manager
• Reliability is key: full-time availability on the set schedule and timeliness is a MUST.

• Able to bend, lift, carry, push and pull (35-60lbs) safely and independently.
• Able to stand and move around the production floor for most of the shift.
• Able to work safely around hot materials, lye, and cleaning and sanitizing products while wearing protective equipment.
• Able to wash hands frequently and work in warm production room conditions.

• Wholesale and online orders produced and ready on schedule.
• Complete, accurate batch records and lot tracking for every batch.
• No stock-outs of raw materials or packaging caused by missed reorder flags.
• Facility clean, organized, and inspection-ready at all times.
• A well-trained, safe production team
  • Low/no production and packing errors
  • Sanitation and safety checklists completed every day
  • Production assistants trained on each SOP they work on