KettleHouse Brewing Company is an award winning brewery located in beautiful Missoula, Montana. KettleHouse opened in 1995 and has become a
Missoula icon with two locations and a third location in the planning stages. We are a forward-thinking, progressive brewery that thrives on new ideas and the
entrepreneurial spirit.
KettleHouse is currently recruiting for a Head Brewer.
How to Apply:
Email your cover letter and resume to [email protected].
This position is open until filled. To guarantee consideration materials must be submitted by November 18th, 2013.
Overall position description:
The Head Brewer will ensure that the brew house, cellar operations, and packaging operations of the company are efficient and produce beer to the standards of the company. This position will establish and maintain an effective relationship with the Operations Manager of KettleHouse Brewing Company.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Brewing Operations (60%)
- Coordinate and plan brewing schedule with the team
- Order supplies as needed to keep brewing schedule on plan and control inventory
- Work with Operations Manager to ensure KettleHouse facilities maintenance schedule is followed
- Ensure the brewing/cellar environments are clean and sanitary in accordance with KettleHouse standards
- Ensure all standard procedures are followed by all employees in the brewing processes, cellaring processes, cleaning processes and packaging processes
- Research new equipment to increase brewery efficiency and submit findings in writing to Operations Manager
- Assist with new equipment installations, remodels, growth plans when requested
- Perform ongoing safety/best practices/brewing training with all production staff
- Ability to recognize safety hazards and notify Management Team
- 10% of overall monthly work time spent brewing beer
- Anticipate demand and coordinate production allocation with management team.
- Assist management team in meeting demands if production delays occur
- Communicate with sales team to fulfill ongoing demand
- Relay production related information including planning, scheduling, facilities, equipment and production management to management team
- Communicate with KettleHouse distributors
- Work with Sales team to ensure supply is adequate for events, brew fests and other seasonal demands
- Knowledge of bills of lading; transportation companies/options
- Knowledge of KettleHouse HR practices & disciplinary methods
- Participate in interviewing/hiring employees with adequate skills
- Ensure new employees are properly trained by other staff
- Assist in resolving employee conflicts
- Knowledge of current industry trends
- Knowledge of brewing ingredient characteristics
Supervision Exercised:
The Head Brewer oversees all Production and Packaging Managers and is responsible for notifying management if policies and procedures are not followed.
Decisions and Commitments:
The Head Brewer makes decisions related to brewing practices and distribution practices to carry out objectives set forth by the owner. Position is free to make brewing department purchasing decisions under $500 and within the frameworks of the company’s goals and constraints.
Supervision Received:
The Head Brewer will receive general direction and guidance from the Operations Manager and/or the owner. Authority is granted to this position to determine proper priorities, procedures, and work methods to be utilized in accomplishing the various goals as set out by the company, consistent with the responsibilities of this position.
Required Qualifications:
Thorough knowledge of the entire process of brewing and packaging beer in a small, commercial brewery. Ability to communicate complex and/or abstract concepts effectively both orally and in writing. Ability to establish and maintain favorable relationships in the best interests of the company. Ability to make decisions in a timely manner and to plan and effectively use time and budgetary resources. Ability to make arithmetic computations. Knowledge of basic biological sciences and basic math. Ability to use Microsoft Office programs. Ability to read, speak, understand English. Possession of a valid Montana driver’s license. Ability to brew beer, cellar and package beer to achieve the level of quality as specified by the company. Must be 21 years of age or older for product quality control tasting.
- Knowledge of KettleHouse products and recipes
- Knowledge of seasonal sales patterns
- Knowledge and management of all safety procedures, including OSHA requirements
- Ability to recognize inefficiencies or errors in brewing processes and recommend solutions to Management Team
Desirable Qualifications:
An in depth knowledge of the craft brewing industry, three tier system, beer distribution industry, and the craft beer audience.
Education and Experience:
The above knowledge, skills and abilities are typically acquired through a combination of education and experience equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree in a field applicable to brewing and a minimum of ten (10) years’ experience that includes brewing beer, cellaring, packaging, and managing employees.
Mental and Physical Demands:
This position requires heavy lifting up to 150 lbs to a height of 3 feet. This position requires standing approximately 75% of the time. This position requires the use of a computer approximately 25% of the time. This position must be able to operate employer provided vehicle and forklift. This position must be able to utilize a telephone to communicate with customers and co-workers.
About Missoula, MT:
"...the world outside, which my brother and I soon discovered was full of bastards, the number increasing rapidly the farther one gets from Missoula, Montana." So wrote Norman Maclean in his classic A River Runs Through It, which takes place during the early 20th century. The novel is full of references to Missoula's natural surroundings, which along with its logging-town beginnings and location as the state's first university has continued to give Missoula an eclectic mix of cowboys and loggers co-existing with holdover hippies and college students, not to mention sports fans and retirees. Community events overwhelmingly take place downtown either outdoors or in one of the several downtown buildings listed on the National Historic Registry.
Missoula is a vibrant community with deep character, rich history and diverse terrain. The city provides many opportunities for new businesses, families, and individuals seeking an incredible quality of life. Located in Western Montana, “The Garden City” is known for its friendly atmosphere and beautiful scenery. Missoula is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluence with the Bitterroot River in western Montana and at the convergence of five mountain ranges, thus is often described as the "Hub of Five Valleys". The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788 and the Missoula Metropolitan Area at 109,299. As of July 1, 2012 estimated population had grown to 68,394. As of July 1, 2012 the Missoula metropolitan area's population was estimated to be 110,977. Since 2000, Missoula has been the second most populous city in Montana.
Missoula's location in a river valley surrounded by mountains on all sides as well as its history has had a great influence on the development of the city's parks and recreation activities. Today the city boasts over 400 acres of parkland, 22 miles of trails, and nearly 5000 acres of open-space conservation land. Located at the confluence of three rivers (the Clark Fork, Bitterroot, and Blackfoot), the area is also popular for white water rafting and, thanks largely to the novel and subsequent film A River Runs Through It by Missoula native Norman Maclean, is well known for its fly fishing. Additionally, Missoula has two aquatic parks, multiple golf courses, is home to theAdventure Cycling Association, and hosts what Runner's World called the "best overall" marathon in the nation. There are also three ski areas within 100 miles: Montana Snowbowl,Discovery Ski Area, and Lost Trail Powder Mountain. Slightly farther away are Lookout Pass, Blacktail Mountain, and Big Mountain.