Quality Assurance

Job Description

Description:

Hinterland Brewery holds itself to the highest quality standards. We are looking for a bright, self-motivated individual with a great work ethic and attention to detail to support and maintain our stellar quality standards. This employee must be a hard-working, responsible, and self motivated individual with a passion for craft beer and a desire to continue learning and growing within the industry. The candidate must be someone who leads by example in following procedure and policy, is proactive and helps to maintain the highest standards of employee performance in the brewhouse. The candidate needs to be ready to be flexible in their schedule and be available to work long hours if needed to get projects done and meet production schedules. The candidate should also be a sociable person who is comfortable occasionally representing the brewery in public. Natural leadership, integrity, loyalty and a good sense of humor are all factors in who we hire. Full-time benefits include health insurance, paid time off, Simple IRA, employee discounts and more as outlined in the employee handbook.

This position includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Daily fermentation monitoring, including gravities, yeast cell counts/viability/vitality, temperature monitoring and adjustment, sensory testing for VDK, acetaldehyde, etc.

Analysis of packaging including monitoring of dissolved gases, TPO, and fill level analysis

Sensory analysis on all brands at different production stages

Microbiology testing including sample collection, cell culture, filter plating, PCR

Coordination of sample collection and analysis for all testing methods, both for routine analysis as well as for troubleshooting/projects. Take appropriate action based on the data collected.

Analytical chemistry routine testing and method development, including ABV/SRM/IBU analysis

Yeast collection and management

Examination and maintenance of bottler and canner valves and diaphragm pump

Regular, standardized reporting of data to relevant departments to drive improvements

Maintain calibration and proper operation of lab equipment, ensure accuracy of and help develop SOPs

Independently initiate and manage projects to improve quality/consistency and brewery processes

Effectively work with other departments to identify and implement quality improvement efforts

Help identify, troubleshoot, and document real-time quality issues in a fast-paced environment

Follow SOP and practice all Brewery Safety Procedures – safely, efficiently, and effectively work to attain department and brewery goals and objectives

Must be flexible and willing to work weekends

Train existing personnel in new lab practices and procedures

Train employees from different departments in various QA related tasks

Assist with scheduling for yeast planning

Plan, schedule, and coordinate all lab activities

Drive quality and efficiency in the lab and work to improve lab processesRequirements:

The ideal candidate for this position would possess:

College degree in Science (Microbiology, Biology, Chemistry, Food Science).

Working brewing knowledge and/or certification from an accredited institution (IBD, UC Davis, etc.)

QA/QC laboratory experience in an applicable field

The ability to work effectively, both independently and as a team

Is self-motivated and thrives in a fast-paced environment

Extremely strong project management skills with a propensity for enacting positive change

Excellent written and oral communication skills

Strong problem solving and analytical skills

Loves to work hard and have fun!

Physical requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Ability to frequently sit, stand, walk, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl

Heavy physical work including climbing stairs, climbing into tanks, pulling hoses, etc.

Willing to work in wet, hot and cold conditions

Willing to work in consistently loud environments

Ability to work safely with potentially hazardous chemicals

Ability to frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 75 lbs

Full-time