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JOB SUMMARY
KRBC is looking for an inspiring, encouraging and instructional leader to oversee our hardworking team of brew, cellar and packaging staff. The Head Brewer will be responsible for our 7 bbl pub system as well as the 20 bbl production system and will work collaboratively with the Board of Directors and Brewery Manager. Of utmost importance in this role is the ability to continue to brew our award-winning beers by focusing on attention to detail, effective leadership, and efficiently steering the brewery in a changing market.
This position reports to KRBC’s Board of Directors: Eric Giddens (Brewmaster) and Rebecca Giddens.
Location: Kernville, California is a small mountain town located on the Kern River and gateway to the Southern Sierras (one of the best backyards an outdoor enthusiast could ask for).
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Team Management
-Provide direction, development, evaluation, coaching, and leadership to the brewery team.
-Foster an environment of continuous improvement in the following areas: team member performance, beer consistency and quality, production processes, and
departmental strategy and goals.
-Organize and motivate the brewery staff with high quality, high productivity and high morale as the priorities.
-Communicate clear objectives and troubleshoot problems during weekly production meetings. Facilitate and direct brew team meetings.
-Establish and maintain a collaborative, partnering, team-oriented work environment both within brewing and with all other departments.
-Ensure team members have the tools, knowledge, and equipment required to do their jobs.
-Organize and perform Brewery Employee Evaluations a minimum of 2 times/year. Develop improvement plans to eliminate gaps in knowledge and maximize job
satisfaction.
-Determine skill sets and experience required for each brewery role to keep the department fully staffed and trained. Evaluate staffing requirements periodically to
align roles to personnel.
-Match staffing needs to variable production demand. Maximize cross-training and work assignments when possible to diversify the team.
-Hold production team accountable to company management standards.
-Understand, comply and implement all existing HR policies. Report all potential HR issues to the board.
Brewing Operations
-Possess exceptional ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects within deadlines.
-Develop, improve and follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) and efficient workflows. Ensure standard, consistent and sound brewing procedures and
practices are used for all tasks through formalized SOP training, certification and equipment logs.
-Ensure that core and new beers match flavor goals. Create and implement a corrective action plan in case of variation. Identify brewing process and beer quality
issues and develop systematic cause and effect approach to solutions. Quickly respond to system issues that impact product quality and/or quantity.
-Maintain brew sheets and monitor fermentation. Evaluate wort and beer quality on a daily basis. Implement changes to improve processes, recipes, flavor and
consistency.
-Manage yeast and other brewing ingredients in support of the brew plan.
-Ensure that all equipment and systems are functioning properly to ensure the quality of the beer.
-Work closely with the Maintenance Manager to ensure an adequate, documented inventory of parts to ensure optimized reliability/uptime and lowest cost.
Proactively engage to ensure preventative maintenance is scheduled and completed.
-Maintain organization and cleanliness of brewing facility, loading dock, storage and surrounding areas.
-Reduce operating costs whenever possible without compromising quality, safety or efficiency. Conduct return on investment analyses when required in support of
continuous improvement initiatives.
-Ensure responsible use of brewing resources by reducing process loss throughout the brewing, fermenting and finishing operations.
-Seek out opportunities for new products, ingredients, brewing techniques, technical developments and processes. Assist the Brewery Manager with inventory
management and production schedule, annual ingredient requirements and best terms, supply and quality assurance to support production demands. Evaluate
and monitor finished beer and raw materials involved in brewing (inventory management).
Technical Capabilities
-Produce beer to Kern River Brewing Company standards. This includes brewing existing KRBC recipes and developing and brewing new recipes to meet market
demands and trends.
-Knowledgeable in the entire brewing process from milling, brewing, fermenting and packaging to serving.
-Competently execute beer transfers and carbonation, yeast management (to include forecasting, cell counting and viability), dry-hopping and other cellar
fermentation procedures.
-Cleaning (CIP) all brewery vessels including brewhouse, fermenters, brite and serving tanks. Cleaning kegs, plate heat exchangers and brew hoses and fittings,
and all the equipment necessary to maintain a sanitary brewing environment.
-Ability to manage an effective Quality Assurance (QA) program.
-Package on a 6-head Meheen bottling line and 12-head Palmer canning line. Troubleshoot equipment problems within the brewhouse (must possess a
fundamental knowledge of plumbing and machinery mechanics/maintenance of brewery equipment).
-Knowledge of and experience with the proper handling of chemicals required for sanitization and cleaning of equipment.
-Manage brewery waste including spent grain, yeast, trub, and wastewater. Manage brewery wastewater MBBR system.
Safety Leadership
-Ensure all brewing, cellar, and packaging operations are completed in a safe and efficient manner and meet OSHA standards. Proactively drive and partner with
others to ensure a safe work environment and ‘safety first’ culture that embraces safe habits, understanding of workplace risks, regulatory compliance and
continuous improvement of safety performance.
-Understand and practice all internal company safety standards.
-Identify potential hazards in the brewery and recommend solutions to prevent reoccurrence.
-Conduct accident and incident investigations, determine probable causes and make recommendations for corrective action as needed.
-Perform regular safety inspections and maintain accurate records of such audits.
Requirements
-At least 5 years brewing experience in a production brewery, or equivalent combination of brewing and brewery specific education.
-At least 2 years proven track record in management at a brewery or food production facility.
-Detailed knowledge of the brewing process and industrial utility systems including glycol chiller and boiler operation, CO2 and compressed air, liquid pumps, grain
handling and industrial control units.
-Proven experience with process control and troubleshooting techniques.
-Ability to recognize off-flavors in beer, determine causes and develop/implement corrective actions.
-Safely operate forklift, pallet jacks, and other machinery - current forklift certification will be required.
-Online Brewers Association Safety Course - certificates required within 30 days of hire.
-Strong written and verbal communication skills.
-Willingness and ability to uphold a strict level of confidentiality.
-Ability to efficiently and effectively use Google Docs, Sheets, Drive, Calendar, Mail and Slides as well as Ekos within 30 days of hire.
-Ability to learn new software, programs or systems that KRBC may implement.
-Proficiency in collaboration and delegation of duties.
-Friendly and professional demeanor.
-Self-motivated, professional and capable of:managing workload, prioritizing tasks/needs, handling matters expeditiously and proactively, follow-through on
projects to successful completion.
-Demonstrate leadership to maintain credibility, trust and support of coworkers.
-Shared company ethics and values.
-Monitor current technological advances and trends.
-This position may require occasional travel to other breweries, events and taproom locations. Occasional travel is outside the local area and overnight stays may
be required.
-Pre-employment background check and drug screening
KRBC Ambassador
-Support beer dinners, beer events, festivals, promotional/charitable events and sales visits as required and requested.
-Conduct brewery tours when necessary.
-Represent the company in a positive manner both on and off premise, on and off duty. Be an everyday ambassador for KRBC.
HOW TO APPLY
If you are interested in the position Head Brewer of KRBC, please go to:
KRBC is looking for an inspiring, encouraging and instructional leader to oversee our hardworking team of brew, cellar and packaging staff. The Head Brewer will be responsible for our 7 bbl pub system as well as the 20 bbl production system and will work collaboratively with the Board of Directors and Brewery Manager. Of utmost importance in this role is the ability to continue to brew our award-winning beers by focusing on attention to detail, effective leadership, and efficiently steering the brewery in a changing market.
This position reports to KRBC’s Board of Directors: Eric Giddens (Brewmaster) and Rebecca Giddens.
Location: Kernville, California is a small mountain town located on the Kern River and gateway to the Southern Sierras (one of the best backyards an outdoor enthusiast could ask for).
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Team Management
-Provide direction, development, evaluation, coaching, and leadership to the brewery team.
-Foster an environment of continuous improvement in the following areas: team member performance, beer consistency and quality, production processes, and
departmental strategy and goals.
-Organize and motivate the brewery staff with high quality, high productivity and high morale as the priorities.
-Communicate clear objectives and troubleshoot problems during weekly production meetings. Facilitate and direct brew team meetings.
-Establish and maintain a collaborative, partnering, team-oriented work environment both within brewing and with all other departments.
-Ensure team members have the tools, knowledge, and equipment required to do their jobs.
-Organize and perform Brewery Employee Evaluations a minimum of 2 times/year. Develop improvement plans to eliminate gaps in knowledge and maximize job
satisfaction.
-Determine skill sets and experience required for each brewery role to keep the department fully staffed and trained. Evaluate staffing requirements periodically to
align roles to personnel.
-Match staffing needs to variable production demand. Maximize cross-training and work assignments when possible to diversify the team.
-Hold production team accountable to company management standards.
-Understand, comply and implement all existing HR policies. Report all potential HR issues to the board.
Brewing Operations
-Possess exceptional ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects within deadlines.
-Develop, improve and follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) and efficient workflows. Ensure standard, consistent and sound brewing procedures and
practices are used for all tasks through formalized SOP training, certification and equipment logs.
-Ensure that core and new beers match flavor goals. Create and implement a corrective action plan in case of variation. Identify brewing process and beer quality
issues and develop systematic cause and effect approach to solutions. Quickly respond to system issues that impact product quality and/or quantity.
-Maintain brew sheets and monitor fermentation. Evaluate wort and beer quality on a daily basis. Implement changes to improve processes, recipes, flavor and
consistency.
-Manage yeast and other brewing ingredients in support of the brew plan.
-Ensure that all equipment and systems are functioning properly to ensure the quality of the beer.
-Work closely with the Maintenance Manager to ensure an adequate, documented inventory of parts to ensure optimized reliability/uptime and lowest cost.
Proactively engage to ensure preventative maintenance is scheduled and completed.
-Maintain organization and cleanliness of brewing facility, loading dock, storage and surrounding areas.
-Reduce operating costs whenever possible without compromising quality, safety or efficiency. Conduct return on investment analyses when required in support of
continuous improvement initiatives.
-Ensure responsible use of brewing resources by reducing process loss throughout the brewing, fermenting and finishing operations.
-Seek out opportunities for new products, ingredients, brewing techniques, technical developments and processes. Assist the Brewery Manager with inventory
management and production schedule, annual ingredient requirements and best terms, supply and quality assurance to support production demands. Evaluate
and monitor finished beer and raw materials involved in brewing (inventory management).
Technical Capabilities
-Produce beer to Kern River Brewing Company standards. This includes brewing existing KRBC recipes and developing and brewing new recipes to meet market
demands and trends.
-Knowledgeable in the entire brewing process from milling, brewing, fermenting and packaging to serving.
-Competently execute beer transfers and carbonation, yeast management (to include forecasting, cell counting and viability), dry-hopping and other cellar
fermentation procedures.
-Cleaning (CIP) all brewery vessels including brewhouse, fermenters, brite and serving tanks. Cleaning kegs, plate heat exchangers and brew hoses and fittings,
and all the equipment necessary to maintain a sanitary brewing environment.
-Ability to manage an effective Quality Assurance (QA) program.
-Package on a 6-head Meheen bottling line and 12-head Palmer canning line. Troubleshoot equipment problems within the brewhouse (must possess a
fundamental knowledge of plumbing and machinery mechanics/maintenance of brewery equipment).
-Knowledge of and experience with the proper handling of chemicals required for sanitization and cleaning of equipment.
-Manage brewery waste including spent grain, yeast, trub, and wastewater. Manage brewery wastewater MBBR system.
Safety Leadership
-Ensure all brewing, cellar, and packaging operations are completed in a safe and efficient manner and meet OSHA standards. Proactively drive and partner with
others to ensure a safe work environment and ‘safety first’ culture that embraces safe habits, understanding of workplace risks, regulatory compliance and
continuous improvement of safety performance.
-Understand and practice all internal company safety standards.
-Identify potential hazards in the brewery and recommend solutions to prevent reoccurrence.
-Conduct accident and incident investigations, determine probable causes and make recommendations for corrective action as needed.
-Perform regular safety inspections and maintain accurate records of such audits.
Requirements
-At least 5 years brewing experience in a production brewery, or equivalent combination of brewing and brewery specific education.
-At least 2 years proven track record in management at a brewery or food production facility.
-Detailed knowledge of the brewing process and industrial utility systems including glycol chiller and boiler operation, CO2 and compressed air, liquid pumps, grain
handling and industrial control units.
-Proven experience with process control and troubleshooting techniques.
-Ability to recognize off-flavors in beer, determine causes and develop/implement corrective actions.
-Safely operate forklift, pallet jacks, and other machinery - current forklift certification will be required.
-Online Brewers Association Safety Course - certificates required within 30 days of hire.
-Strong written and verbal communication skills.
-Willingness and ability to uphold a strict level of confidentiality.
-Ability to efficiently and effectively use Google Docs, Sheets, Drive, Calendar, Mail and Slides as well as Ekos within 30 days of hire.
-Ability to learn new software, programs or systems that KRBC may implement.
-Proficiency in collaboration and delegation of duties.
-Friendly and professional demeanor.
-Self-motivated, professional and capable of:managing workload, prioritizing tasks/needs, handling matters expeditiously and proactively, follow-through on
projects to successful completion.
-Demonstrate leadership to maintain credibility, trust and support of coworkers.
-Shared company ethics and values.
-Monitor current technological advances and trends.
-This position may require occasional travel to other breweries, events and taproom locations. Occasional travel is outside the local area and overnight stays may
be required.
-Pre-employment background check and drug screening
KRBC Ambassador
-Support beer dinners, beer events, festivals, promotional/charitable events and sales visits as required and requested.
-Conduct brewery tours when necessary.
-Represent the company in a positive manner both on and off premise, on and off duty. Be an everyday ambassador for KRBC.
HOW TO APPLY
If you are interested in the position Head Brewer of KRBC, please go to:
