Cheese Grader, Arla – Oswestry

Job Summary

Do you want to set the standard for cheese quality at a high‑volume site, partnering with production, planning and QESH to ensure customers get exactly the grade and age profile they need?

As one of our Cheese Graders, you’ll sit at the heart of our One Cheese team, translating production data into the right stock decisions, leading quality reviews with sites, and making sure every pallet meets food safety, quality, legality and customer requirements. Based at our Oswestry & Whitchurch site, you will coordinate across production teams, central cheese planning and central QESH to ensure all bulk cheese packed through Oswestry meets designated specifications and age profiles.

Responsibilities

• Interpret and analyse creamery production records; update SAP to reflect production deviations and generate pick lists ahead of grading.
• Execute physical grading (incl. chemical and micro sampling) and input grade comments for all pallets; produce grading KPIs.
• Lead weekly quality review meetings with sites; generate weekly stock reports, check stocks and chair weekly stock meetings.
• Reclassify recipes to OC codes per central planning needs; confirm sample pallet grading dates; attend monthly stock meetings with central stock planning, sites and the team.
• Drive investigations and customer focus traceback and complaint handling; customer/ad‑hoc grades; guided moves inspections; benchmarking, trials/NPD involvement, sensory training and show entry preparation.

Qualifications

• BSc (or equivalent) in Food or Dairy Science or related field, plus experience in a sensory or production role within the food industry (preferably dairy).
• Familiarity with food safety regulations and practices (training provided during induction if needed).
• Able to travel between sites and to customer visits as required.
• Comfortable with SAP, grading processes, and cross‑functional coordination with production, planning and QESH.
• Quality champion who cares deeply about food safety, legality and customer specifications.
• Proactive problem‑solver who shows ambition and drive, working on your own initiative to deliver outcomes.
• Collaborative teammate reliable, communicative and committed to continuous learning and improvement.

Benefits

• 26 days’ holiday
• Annual pay review
• Employer pension contribution matched up to 6%
• On‑site gym and canteen
• EV car parking and well‑being garden (outdoor space)
• Discounted on‑site staff shop with a wide range of Arla products (e.g., Lurpak, Cravendale, Arla Protein)

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