Malt & Barley Quality Tech Specialist

Diageo; Elgin; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Diageo in Moray House is seeking a Malt & Barley Technical Specialist for a 15‑month secondment to lead barley and malt quality across Malt Distilling. You’ll work with suppliers, operations, and laboratories to ensure quality, performance and supply resilience while using data-driven insight and strong collaboration to drive continuous improvement.

You’ll apply malting expertise, manage projects, coach teams, and engage with external industry partners to shape the future of our barley and malt

Qualifications

• Degree in a Science-related field, or equivalent experience.
• MAGB Malting Diploma or equivalent experience.
• Proven malting process operational experience.
• Experience building strong internal and external collaborator relationships.
• Track record of leading technical projects and delivering expert support and advice.
• Experience partnering with operational teams to drive quality and efficiency improvements.
• Strong communication, engagement and coaching skills.
• Passion for developing capability and embedding continuous improvement.
• Full clean driving licence held for more than one year.
• Advantageous Lean / Six Sigma qualification or experience.
• Knowledge of Supplier Performance Management (SPM) processes.
• Experience using statistical analysis tools and information management systems.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical expertise on barley and malt quality, performance, and supply across Malt Distilling.
• Analyse quality and performance data, identifying trends, opportunities, and risks to drive informed decisions.
• Partner with suppliers, merchants, maltsters, and operational teams to deliver exceptional quality and value.
• Champion quality governance and compliance, ensuring adherence to ISO, HACCP, TACCP, and quality assurance standards.
• Lead and support root cause investigations, continuous improvement activities, and data-driven problem solving.
• Coach and develop stakeholders, building technical capability and promoting a growth mindset.
• Support barley allocation, crop quality assessments, and central initiatives across the business.
• Represent Diageo within industry forums and trade bodies, bringing external insights and guidelines into the organisation.
• Build strong supplier partnerships through reviews, audits, benchmarking, and performance management.
• Identify future opportunities, industry trends, and innovations that enhance quality, efficiency, and supply resilience.

Skills

Science degree

MAGB Malting Diploma

Malting process

Data analysis

Communication

Lean / Six Sigma

SPM knowledge

Statistics tools

Education

Degree in a Science-related field

Tools

Statistical analysis tools

Information management systems

Job description

Diageo in Moray House is seeking a Malt & Barley Technical Specialist for a 15‑month secondment to lead barley and malt quality across Malt Distilling. You’ll work with suppliers, operations, and laboratories to ensure quality, performance and supply resilience while using data-driven insight and strong collaboration to drive continuous improvement.

You’ll apply malting expertise, manage projects, coach teams, and engage with external industry partners to shape the future of our barley and malt