Malt & Barley Technical Specialist: Quality & Improvement

Diageo; Elgin; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Diageo Moray House is seeking a Malt & Barley Technical Specialist on a 15-month secondment. You will act as the technical expert for barley and malt across Malt Distilling, ensuring quality, consistency, and performance for iconic brands.

Working across suppliers, operations, laboratories, procurement, and industry partners, you will use data-driven insight and collaborative leadership to drive continuous improvement, root-cause investigations, and capability development across the supply chain.

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

Strong communication

Coaching

Project leadership

Analytical thinking

Collaborator management

Education

Degree in a Science-related field

MAGB Malting Diploma

Lean / Six Sigma qualification

Tools

Statistical analysis tools

Information management systems

Job description

Diageo Moray House is seeking a Malt & Barley Technical Specialist on a 15-month secondment. You will act as the technical expert for barley and malt across Malt Distilling, ensuring quality, consistency, and performance for iconic brands.

Working across suppliers, operations, laboratories, procurement, and industry partners, you will use data-driven insight and collaborative leadership to drive continuous improvement, root-cause investigations, and capability development across the supply chain.