Quality Control Manager

BrewDog PLC; Dunecht; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension enhancement up to 10%

4-week sabbatical every 5 years

Staff discount

Additional holiday days

Job summary

BrewDog PLC is seeking a Quality Control Manager to oversee all QC programmes, ensuring beer is microbiologically and analytically compliant and driving new product development. You will lead the Laboratory and Operational Quality teams, push conformance to BrewDog’s QC standards and use quality insight to improve production productivity and resolve non-conformities.

Ideal candidates hold a degree in a quality-related field, deep knowledge of beer production, sensory evaluation, and HACCP/food

Qualifications

• Degree level in Quality related field.
• Detailed knowledge of beer production processes.
• Detailed knowledge of beer styles, flavour chemistry and sensory evaluation.
• Knowledge of Food Safety and HACCP.

Responsibilities

• Strategic management of the Quality Control function.
• Structure and execution of microbiological, analytical and sensory programmes.
• Develop and implement new beer testing regimes to maximise specification conformance.
• Quality driven root cause analysis and intervention actions for beer quality deviations.
• Quality incident management and positive release strategies for compliant beer.
• Reporting on quality KPIs and improvement plans.
• Driving beer quality score improvement through data analysis and training.
• Provide training and data to the wider team for real-time quality control.

Skills

People management

Beer sensory training

Strategic thinking

Root cause analysis

Data management

Excel/Word/PowerPoint

Internal audits

Stakeholder management

Emergency response management

Education

Degree in quality-related field

HACCP training

Tools

Excel

Word

PowerPoint

Job description

About Us

PENSION ENHANCEMENTS UP TO 10% | 4-WEEK SABBATICAL EVERY 5 YEARS | STAFF DISCOUNT | EXTRA HOLIDAY DAY EACH YEAR

We love great craft beer. We want everyone to be as passionate about it as we are – and our central team are vital in this mission. Every single person in our team can shape our future for the better, whether that’s for our people, planet or our incredible beer. Because we expect great things from you, we give great things back.

PENSION ENHANCEMENT | We increase our contributions to your pension up to 10% of your salary so together we can properly invest in your future. And, since the statutory amount all businesses pay is 3%, our decision to pay above that shows we’re taking your future seriously.

4-WEEK SABBATICAL| After every 5 years here you will receive an additional 4 weeks off to spend doing whatever you want.

STAFF DISCOUNT | 25% off in bars, 30% off online and 50% off BrewDog Merch to fill up your fridge and your wardrobe* (*don’t put your hoody in the fridge though)

ADDITIONAL HOLIDAY DAYS | For every full year completed up to your 5th year with us we add on one additional day’s leave above and beyond your initial entitlement. You therefore get an extra full week off at 5 years every single year onward to rest up.

AND A LOT MORE | Okay, deep breath… enhanced sick pay, healthcare, life assurance, high street retail discounts, employee assistance programmes, enhanced family friendly policies around maternity and paternity leave, DE+I and crew forum groups.

About The Role

Job Purpose

To oversee all of BrewDog’s Quality Control programmes. The Quality Control Manager ensures the release of beer microbiologically and analytically compliant to specification, the continual improvement of beer flavour, supporting process optimisation to improve beer quality and driving new product development.

Through managing the Laboratory and Operational Quality support teams, the Quality Control Manager strategically and tactically drives conformance to BrewDog’s beer QC standards, while using Quality research to improve production productivity and root cause analyse production related non-conformities.

Key Result Area / Principal Duties & Responsibilities

• Strategic management of the Quality Control function.
• Structure and execution of microbiological, analytical and sensory programmes.
• Develop and implement new beer testing regimes to maximise specification conformance and customer safety and satisfaction.
• Quality driven root cause analysis and intervention actions for beer quality deviations.
• Quality incident management and positive release strategies to enable the release of specification conformant beer.
• Reporting on Quality key performance metrics to the wider business and outlining performance improvement plans.
• Driving beer quality score improvement through data analysis, sensory evaluation and training.
• Provision of training and data to wider operational team to ensure real time quality control at the source.
• Qualification of production raw materials to ensure sensory and analytical conformance to requirements.
• New product development.
• Investigation of customer complaints.
• Key representation on food safety management team and ensuring that FSSC22000 certification requirements are maintained.
• Develop and facilitate global quality control best practice.

Key Relationships - Internal & External

Internal

• Quality team.
• Production teams – packaging, brewing, maintenance, warehouse, distilling.
• Health & Safety team.
• Facilities team.
• Supply Chain.
• Customer service.
• Marketing team.
• International business units (Columbus, Berlin, Brisbane, Outposts).
• Senior Leadership Team.

External

• Suppliers & contractors.
• Customers.
• Campden BRI and external laboratories.
• Research academic institutions.
• Other breweries and production businesses.

Health & Safety

• Ensure that Health and Safety guidelines and fire regulations are strictly adhered to at all times.
• Comply with safe working practices as defined by BrewDog.
• Complete online or face to face training as and when required.
• Take reasonable care for your own health and safety and that of others who may be affected by acts or omissions at work.
• Report any accidents, incidents or near misses as soon as reasonably practicable.

General

• Be aware of and adhere to BrewDog policies and the Workplace Code at all times.
• Take part in crew reviews throughout the year.
• Cooperate with other BrewDog departments to achieve a great experience for our customers, applicants, colleagues, and contractors.
• Attend training courses and complete online
  training modules as required to meet the
  requirements of the role.
• Take responsibility for own personal development, seeking out opportunities to learn new skills.
• Undertake any other duties as requested which are reasonably deemed to be within the scope of the role or necessary for the smooth running of the business.
• Apply the BrewDog charter and behaviours to every aspect of the role at all times.
• Protect and enhance the interests and reputation of BrewDoginternally and externally.

About You

Qualifications & Specific Training

• Degree level (or higher) in Quality related field.
• Detailed knowledge of beer production processes.
• Detailed knowledge of beer styles, flavour chemistry and sensory evaluation.
• Detailed knowledge of Food Safety.
• Knowledge of FSSC 22000 requirements relevant to responsibilities.
• Knowledge of Good Manufacturing Processes.
• Knowledge of Good Laboratory Practices; and analytical and microbiological analysis.
• HACCP training (Intermediate or equivalent or higher).

Experience

• Significant experience in working in brewing Quality Control.
• Significant and proven track record in managing Quality Control programmes.
• Significant experience working on beer sensory qualification.
• Substantial experience of working in a manufacturing environment.
• Significant experience of working within a quality team.
• Significant experience in developing teams and operational excellence programmes.

Knowledge

• Quality Control and Quality Assurance
• Beer testing methodologies.
• Beer flavour and sensory evaluation.
• Understanding of HACCP and FSSC 22000.

Skills

• People management and coaching.
• Beer sensory training.
• Strategic and tactical thinking.
• Root cause analysis and structured troubleshooting.
• Data management and reporting of complex information.
• Developed computer skills, particularly using Excel, Word & PowerPoint.
• Developed ability to conduct internal audits and host external audits.
• Stakeholder management and emergency response management.

Personal Attributes

• Passion for beer and beer quality.
• Strategic thinking.
• Excellent people skills.
• Attention to detail.
• Organisational skills.
• Motivational management.
• Self-starter and motivated.
• Team player / ability to work effectively in a group.
• Ability to interrogate and present complex data.
• Willing to undertake necessary training.