Reporting to our CFO, the Corporate Controller will be based out of our American Canyon office, located at the southern end of Napa Valley.

In close coordination with our CFO and with a high degree of autonomy, the Corporate Controller leads and owns all accounting functions across the company. This includes ensuring all financial transactions are recorded accurately and timely, and that financial statements provide clear, decision-useful insights into the financial performance of the company. The Corporate Controller is also responsible for ensuring that the accounting function scales effectively with the company’s growth.

The Corporate Controller ensures that adequate controls are designed, implemented, and enforced to protect the company against fraud and theft, leveraging existing systems and processes and continuously improving them as needed.

Responsibilities

Financial Reporting:

• Lead the month-end and year-end close process, including coordination with department managers and the executive team.
• Lead monthly reviews with department heads of financial performance and understand drivers of key variances.
• Advise CEO and CFO of significant budget variances with clear explanations and recommendations.
• Ensure consistency between financial reporting, operational metrics, and business narratives.
• Partner with CFO and functional leaders to improve forecasting accuracy.
• Drive continuous improvements in reporting processes.

Internal Controls:

• Own the design, implementation, and enforcement of accounting and payroll controls.
• Maintain and review account reconciliations monthly.
• Ensure controls protect against fraud and financial risk.
• Monitor adherence to company spending policies.

Systems and Process:

• Act as key owner of accounting systems, ensuring alignment with business needs.
• Partner with IT on ERP optimization and system improvements.
• Ensure data integrity across systems.
• Support system evolution as the company scales.

Policy Ownership:

• Own and maintain company-wide accounting policies and ensure consistent application.
• Evaluate new accounting guidance and determine company impact.
• Lead implementation of new policies across functions.
• Serve as primary authority on technical accounting matters.

Regulatory and Compliance:

• Own relationships with auditors and external advisors.
• Ensure compliance with financial and regulatory requirements.
• Manage bank covenant reporting and statutory filings.

Leadership:

• Lead and develop a high-performing accounting team.
• Set and enforce high standards of accuracy and accountability.
• Promote a culture of ownership and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting required.
• CPA highly preferred.
• Experience in a senior accounting leadership role (Controller or equivalent).
• 7+ years of accounting experience including close and financial reporting.
• 3+ years managing teams.
• Strong problem-solving mindset focused on root causes.
• Advanced Excel skills.
• Experience overseeing payroll and compliance.
• Strong communication skills.
• Manufacturing experience preferred.
• ERP experience (IFS or similar) preferred.

Program Objective

The Continuous Improvement / Industrial Engineering Intern will develop hands-on experience in manufacturing performance analysis and process optimization by learning and applying Industrial Engineering methods focused on time study, cycle time, takt time, and line balancing.  Throughout the duration of this 16 week program, the Intern will support Mezzetta’s effort to improve packaging line performance, reduce bottlenecks, and identify opportunities for efficiency and labor optimization.

By the end of the internship, the Intern will:

• Understand and apply time study and work measurement techniques.
• Calculate and interpret cycle time, takt time, and OEE-related metrics.
• Identify bottlenecks and develop data-based process improvement proposals.
• Demonstrate practical Lean problem-solving in a real production environment.
• Present technical findings and communicate improvement ideas effectively.

12 Week Program Outline

Week 1 Focus Area – Orientation & Training

• Onboarding: Safety, GMP, food manufacturing overview
• Overview of Mezzetta packaging lines
• Introduction to Lean concepts and time study methods

Week 2 Focus Area – Process Familiarization

• Observe selected packaging lines in operation
• Map process flow (from depalletizing to case pack)
• Identify key workstations and operator roles

Week 3 – Focus Area – Time Study Training & Data Collection Plan

• Learn time study methods (manual stopwatch or digital)
• Define cycle elements and observation approach
• Create a data collection sheet and sampling plan

Weeks 4 & 5 Focus Area – Execute Time Studies

• Collect detailed cycle time data for each station
• Record operator performance, idle time, micro-stops
• Validate repeatability and accuracy of measurements

Week 6 Focus Area – Data Analysis:  Cycle & Takt Time

• Calculate average cycle time per station
• Compute line takt time vs customer demand
• Identify imbalances and bottlenecks

Week 7 Focus Area – Line Balancing & Optimization Opportunities

• Use data to evaluate workload distribution
• Simulate potential line balance improvements
• Identify waste (waiting, motion, overprocessing)

Weeks 8 & 9 Focus Area – Test Improvement Hypotheses

• Work with operators and supervisors to trial small changes (layout, sequence, method, job rotation)
• Measure new cycle times and validate improvements

Week 10 Focus Area – Optimization Documentation

• Standardize improved methods
• Develop or update standard work charts and SOPs

Weeks 11 – 16 Focus Area – Sustainability & Handoff

• Train operators or leads on improved process
• Create visual management aids (takt board, KPI chart)

Week 16 Focus Area – Final Presentation

• Present “Process Optimization Findings” to CI and Operations leadership:
  – What was studied
  – Data-driven findings
  – Implemented improvements and quantified benefits
  – Future recommendations

Requirements

• Must be currently enrolled as a junior or senior in college and studying Electrical, Mechanical, Process Engineering or similarly manufacturing related discipline
• Must be able to be on site in American Canyon (flexible on hours/schedule)

Familiarity with the following is a plus:

• Stopwatch or digital time study tools (Zebra, MODAPTS, etc.)
• Excel for data analysis and charts
• Line balancing diagrams
• Standard Work Sheet and Takt Board templates

The Associate Food Technologist role will support the development of new products and processes, evaluate and improve the quality of existing products and review their current processes for optimization. The Associate Food Technologist will support R&D, quality, operations, procurement and technical services with projects related to product and process improvement. This entry level position is an amazing opportunity to work in a newly built test kitchen with lots of room for growth. 

The R&D department’s internal customers are Sales, Marketing, Procurement & Manufacturing. Marketing and R&D work together in the development of Mezzetta’s food products. Both departments often work hand in hand to develop a product that will be predictive of its success in the market. Manufacturing is the department’s most important customer. R&D, in this regard, seeks to refine and improve existing manufacturing processes, or to develop new and better ways of making the product. With input from manufacturing, R&D has the potential to reduce costs and increase production efficiency.

Responsibilities

• Develop new products and existing product reformulations, from initial concepts to commercialization.
• Complete supplemental product analytical and sensory testing.
• Provide technical support to R&D on product improvements and collaborate with operations on test runs in production to emulate approved kitchen samples.
• Maintain accuracy of formulations, processes, BOM’s and product specifications.
• Approve new ingredients and suppliers by collaborating with procurement, R&D and QA.
• Conduct research to evaluate the shelf life of new or existing products or test new materials.
• Conduct routine product cuttings and competitive cuttings per schedule with sensory panel.
• Create and ensure accuracy of nutrition facts panels and ingredient declarations for new and/or reformulated products.
• Assess production processes and make recommendations for improvements that are looking to reduce waste or cost or increase quality or profitability.
• Plan and conduct research activities that evaluate new or revised products, ingredients, or formulations for taste, texture, and shelf stability.
• Adjust formulations based on product specifications for production.
• Create and ensure accuracy of nutrition facts panels and ingredient declarations for new and/or reformulated products.
• File for certifications such as Non-GMO, Kosher, Gluten-free, Vegan, etc.
• SQF support.
• Bills of Material Management, maintaining accuracy of formulations, processes and product specifications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Food Science or related sciences
• Minimum 1-2 years experience in the food industry or related field
• Proficient in Excel, Word, and statistical analysis
• Excellent communicator both written and verbal
• Project leader
• Analyzing information
• Product Improvement
• Multitasking/Dealing with complexity
• Reporting research results
• Promoting Process improvement
• Problem solving
• Technical understanding