Hop Valley Brewing
Job Summary:The Head Brewer is responsible for the day-to-day process of beer production. The Head Brewer works directly with the brewing team, Operations Manager, Production Manager, Cellar Manager, Brewing Lead, & Supply Chain Manager to produce wort within required specifications. The Head Brewer leads our team of brewers, including personnel scheduling, training, coaching, motivating, & career development. The Head Brewer is actively involved in recipe development, modification, optimization, maintenance, & process troubleshooting. The Head Brewer understands proper sanitation & quality assurance principles, including food safety, food defense & good manufacturing practices (GMP). A Head Brewer is expected to have a substantial knowledge of brewing & fermentation science & to make sound process decisions utilizing this knowledge.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
- Lead Brewing department
- Cleanliness of brew house, mill room, hop storage area
- FIFO of all grains & hops
- Inspection of CIP & deep cleaning procedures
- Consistent production of wort within established specifications
- Process quality control
- Yeast handling
- Documentation, including SOP development & maintenance
- Personnel scheduling
- Meeting with brewing staff to outline expectations & understand staffing needs
- Drive recruiting & staff development for brewhouse including
- Scheduling & leading interviews
- Providing coaching, counseling, & disciplinary action as needed
- Effective goal oversight
- Strong annual review writing
- Participating in other department’s interviews as requested
- Communicate with Cellar Manager & Cellar Team regarding fermentation vessel needs
- Yeast management
- Work with Quality Team to validate process decisions or changes
- Asset care management of brewhouse equipment
- Communicate necessary preventative maintenance, repairs, & equipment concerns to maintenance team & area managers
- Maintain brew stand operations via assignment & auditing of operator-based maintenance procedures
- Collaborate with Supply Chain to plan, organize, & drive brewhouse production schedules including:
- Communication of raw material needs
- Ordering silo grain fills
- Manage FIFO system on dual silos
- Confirmation of raw material quantities via regular inventory counts
- Verify raw materials quality via COAs & organoleptic evaluation
- Brewer training & development
- Silo fills & switching operation
- Mill operation, adjustments, & quality control
- Brew stand operation including brewhouse compressed air, boiler, & steam utilities
- Documentation
- Brew stand layout
- Safety (LOTO, Confined Space, PPE, chemical safety)
- Transfers (Wort, yeast)
- Sanitation / CIP
- General equipment operation & simple maintenance
- Scheduling & driving cross-training within other areas of the business
- Complete Hop Valley Advanced Taster training & be an active member on the sensory team
- Work closely with management, quality, & sales in the new product development process
- Perform other duties as assigned by management
- Audit, update, & maintain production orders, material procurement, & inventory in ERP system (Orchestrated Beer)
Work Experience Requirements:
- Minimum 3 years of related experience in a manufacturing environment
- Minimum 2 years of leadership or management experience preferred
- Experience with data collection, documentation, & analysis
- Demonstrated expertise in Food Defense, Food Safety, GMP & HACCP
- Experience executing 5-Why, Root Cause Analysis, or other similar problem-solving techniques
Business Skills:
- Strong organizational, problem-solving, decision-making, & delegation skills.
- Strong work ethic & business integrity.
- Excellent written & verbal communication skills.
- Demonstrated leadership skills with the ability to motivate teams while maintaining positive morale in the workplace.
- Team oriented with an ability to work independently while achieving a common goal.
- Strong fundamental knowledge of brewing principles & practices including manufacturing equipment, process flow, & process control.
- Ability to read & understand COAs, production reports, production schedules, & data analysis reports.
- Superlative attention to detail & accuracy in data reporting.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to present data & propose data-driven solutions to problems.
- Proficient with computer functions, including Microsoft Office, PC, & Apple products.
- Understanding of HMI & PLC process control systems.
- Working knowledge of ERP systems such as Orchestrated Beer a plus.
- Able to maintain a flexible work schedule, including working weekends & on day, swing, or graveyard shifts.
Educational Requirements:
- Bachelor’s degree in food science, chemistry, biology, or similar field preferred.
- Formal brewing qualification from the IBD, MBAA, or Siebel Institute preferred.
- Formal management training preferred.
- Equivalent experience may be substituted for education.
Competencies:
To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies to perform the essential functions of this position.
- Safety – preform safety audits, safety training & other duties required by the Safety Manager.
- Problem Solving – the individual identifies & resolves problems in a timely manner, gathers & analyzes information skillfully.
- Employee Focus – the individual manages difficult employee/operational situations, responds promptly to employee needs, solicits employee feedback to improve service, responds to requests for service & assistance & meets commitments.
- Planning/Organizing – the individual prioritizes & plans work activities & uses time efficiently.
- Quality Control – the individual demonstrates accuracy & thoroughness, monitors own work to ensure quality & applies feedback to improve performance.
- Quantity – meets productivity standards & completes work in a timely manner.
- Adaptability – the individual adapts to changes in the work environment, manages competing demands & can deal with frequent change, delays or unexpected events.
- Dependability – the individual is consistently at work & on time, follows instructions, responds to management direction & solicits feedback to improve performance.
- Safety & Security – the individual observes safety & security procedures & uses equipment & materials properly.
Physical Requirements:
- Ability to lift 50+lbs
- Work a 10hr shift
- The individual in this role must have the ability to frequently reach, twist, stoop, bend, crouch, stand & walk for 8–12-hour shifts. Applicants may be required to work overtime as necessary.
- Must be able to wear personal protective gear & work in varying temperatures
