Head Brewer

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The Head Brewer will oversee all aspects of brewing and filtration at all Kings and Convicts Ballast Point LLC locations: leading the staff, processes, efficiencies, and quality of all KCBP products.
Key responsibilities:

• Overall management of key factors such as reduction in costs, revenue generation, personnel management, employee turnover, load planning, tracking and tracing and communication
• Work with the brewing and operations teams at all sites to formulate recipes and ensure quality is maintained
• Aid to create a realistic budget for beer production and monitor that budget per site
• Help management create an appropriate budget for beer production runs, then take the steps necessary to ensure the budget is met during production runs
• Help coordinate beer movements throughout the brewery
• Increase efficiencies and continual process improvement of all brew and filter processes and quality of the finished product and troubleshoot any problems that occur in the brewing / filtration process
• Work with the management team to forecast brewery costs, future production costs, including labor allocation
• Train, equip, and manage brewery staff to ensure excellence, quality and in-depth understanding of roles and responsibilities and develop training and mentorship programs to improve the skills of workers
• Maintain parts inventory, optimizing for risks to down time and budget adherence.
• Ability to manage time and complex deadline-driven workload; includes planning, organizing, setting reasonable priorities and good follow-through.
• Ensure completion of cellar and brewhouse preventative maintenance on all equipment and troubleshoot maintenance issues that arise, working collaboratively with Maintenance
• Conduct quality checks, process audits, and monitor production reports to ensure adherence to our quality standards and performance
• Develop, improve and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for all company sites
• Investigate and analyze current operations for improvement and recommend changes for increased efficiency and yields
• Maintain all brewing and cellar documentation accurately and timely, with detailed records of brew process and filtration yields
• Conduct critical assessment of our beers through active participation in beer sensory panels, quality checks, and new product innovation
• Participate as an active member of the beer community through frequent and positive interaction with industry, media and general public, representing our brands with special events for industry, tasting room and outside events and festivals, as needed
• Manage all brewing aspects of Crafted software alongside brewing and cellar managers
• Coordinate and input brewing data for Wilbur-Ellis to ensure spent grain is picked up in a timely manner
• Assist in monitoring all brewery utilities, including chillers, air compressors, bulk CO2, electrical, wastewater, water filtration, spent yeast and hops
• Participate in annual hop harvest and hop selection alongside craft partners to ensure quality hop procurement from year to year
• Provide beer, sensory, and brewing educational training, presentations, and content development

Other responsibilities:

• Promote a culture of safety, performance results, teamwork, respect, equality, and learning
• Work hard to build/support your team and maintain high standards.
• Lead and manage team to execute flawlessly, ensuring scheduling and labor needs are met, and oversee all training and hiring of brewing/cellar staff
• Participate in recipe formulation and innovation.
• Ensure controls for maximizing wort production, as well as minimizing loss throughout the entire filtration process.
• Define and execute all goals and objectives
• Maintain meticulous records of beer production and CIP/SIP
• Innovate and work cooperatively with the brewery teams to continually improve all Brewery products
• Manages difficult employee/operational situations, responds promptly to employee needs, solicits employee feedback to improve service, responds to requests for service and assistance and meets commitments
• Design strategy and set goals for growth
• Maintain budgets and optimize expenses
• Evaluate and improve operations and financial performance
• Prepare regular reports for upper management
• Work closely with management, quality, and sales in the new product development process
• Other responsibilities as assigned by the VP of Operations

Education and Experience

• BA in production management, food science, chemistry, biology, or similar field preferred
• Formal brewing qualification from the IBD, MBAA, or Siebel Institute preferred
• Cicerone certification preferred
• 10 years of brewing/cellaring experience; 5 years of management/leadership experience

Skills

• Strong accounting/financial understanding of cost controls and budget management
• Experience in planning and budgeting
• Knowledge of business process and functions (finance, HR, etc.)
• Excellent communication skills
• Outstanding organizational and leadership skills
• Problem-solving aptitude
• Formal management training preferred
• Strong fundamental knowledge of brewing principles and practices including manufacturing equipment, process flow, and process control
• Ability to read and understand production reports, production schedules, and data analysis reports
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to present data and propose data-driven solutions to problems
• Proficient with computer functions, including Microsoft Office, PC, and Apple products
• Understanding of HMI and PLC process control systems
• Working knowledge of ERP systems
• Able to maintain a flexible work schedule, including working weekends and on day, swing, or graveyard shifts

Physical Requirements:

• Industrial facility subject to loud noises, heavy moving equipment
• Travel as needed
• Exposed to various weather, climate conditions, and floor textures both indoors and outdoors
• Ability to work at least 8 hours daily
• Ability to lift at least 50lbs
• Flexible schedule to work day, night, grave, holiday, weekend shifts, and alternative work weeks.
• Requires frequent standing, walking, bending, stooping and lifting.