Quality Assurance Technician

LION; Upper Hutt; On-site; NZD 52,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Panhead Brewery is seeking a Quality Assurance Technician – Permanent Full Time to join our close-knit team. You’ll work hands-on in a small, collaborative environment, conducting lab testing, microbiology work and food safety tasks while learning across quality assurance.

This role offers exposure to quality management, HACCP, SAP, and brewing operations, with opportunities to contribute to continuous improvement and ensure our beer meets the highest quality standards.

Qualifications

• Qualification in Food Science, Chemistry or Microbiology OR relevant practical experience.
• Experience in laboratory testing and interest in quality assurance and food safety.
• Strong attention to detail, good communication and collaborative mindset.
• Willingness to learn and get involved in brewery operations.
• Experience in microbiology is highly regarded.

Responsibilities

• Conduct laboratory testing, sampling and analysis to ensure our beer meets quality standards.
• Support microbiological testing, including yeast viability testing.
• Maintain laboratory equipment, calibration schedules and quality records.
• Support food safety systems, quality management processes and HACCP requirements.
• Investigate quality issues and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives.
• Execute Customer Feedback reporting processes.
• Assist with quality reporting, documentation and systems, including SAP.
• Work closely with the brewing team and gain hands-on exposure to brewery operations.

Skills

Laboratory testing

Quality assurance

Microbiology

Attention to detail

Communication

Teamwork

Education

Food Science / Chemistry / Microbiology

Tools

SAP

Laboratory equipment

Job description

About The Role

At Panhead Brewery, we're passionate about brewing great beer, and quality is at the heart of everything we do!

We're looking for a Quality Assurance Technician – Permanent Full Time to join our close-knit brewery team. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys getting hands‑on, has a curious mindset and wants to develop their skills across all aspects of quality assurance.

Working in a small, collaborative team, you'll gain exposure to everything from laboratory testing and microbiology to food safety, quality management and brewing operations.

Whether you're starting your career or already have experience in quality, we'd love to hear from you! We're open to different experience levels and happy to support someone with the right attitude and willingness to learn.

What You'll Be Doing

• Conduct laboratory testing, sampling and analysis to ensure our beer meets quality standards.
• Support microbiological testing, including yeast viability testing.
• Maintain laboratory equipment, calibration schedules and quality records.
• Support food safety systems, quality management processes and HACCP requirements.
• Investigate quality issues and contribute to continuous improvement initiatives.
• Execute Customer Feedback reporting processes
• Assist with quality reporting, documentation and systems, including SAP.
• Work closely with the brewing team and gain hands‑on exposure to brewery operations.

About You

We're looking for someone who's curious, proactive and passionate about learning. You don't need to tick every box!

Ideally, You'll Bring

• A qualification in Food Science, Chemistry, Microbiology or a related discipline, or relevant practical experience.
• Experience in laboratory testing, and an interest in quality assurance and food safety.
• Strong attention to detail, good communication skills and a collaborative mindset.
• A willingness to learn, take initiative and get involved in different aspects of brewery operations.
• Experience in microbiology is highly regarded

Ready to Join the Crew?

If you're passionate about quality, curious about brewing and keen to develop your skills in a hands‑on environment, we'd love to hear from you.

We’re a certified B Corp, which means we care about people, planet and purpose—not just profit. We’re committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, and we celebrate the unique perspectives that help us grow and innovate.

We intentionally embrace difference and cultivate belonging every day, whether through our investment in our Reconciliation journey through our Innovate RAP, our commitment to gender pay equity or providing progressive people policies.