Distillery Manager

NT Engineering & Manufacturing; Michigan; On-site; USD 81,000 - 128,000; Full time

Job summary

NT Engineering & Manufacturing are supporting a distiller client in West Lothian with appointment of a Distillery Manager. You will lead a site-wide production operation, overseeing safety, quality and cost while delivering continuous improvement and regulatory compliance.

You will report to the Head of Distilling and be hands-on, setting direction and managing relationships with senior management, suppliers and regulators, including HSE and SEPA.

Qualifications

• Experience leading production/processing operations.
• Degree-level qualification in Engineering, Chemistry, Science, Brewing or Distilling.
• Strong understanding of distillery equipment and processes.
• Experience in a regulated environment, ideally COMAH.
• Project management and continuous improvement experience.
• LEAN/Six Sigma Green Belt advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the distillery team to drive engagement, performance and wellbeing.
• Own site performance across safety, environmental compliance, quality and cost.
• Maintain strong relationships with senior stakeholders, regulators, suppliers and contractors.
• Provide visible, hands-on leadership across the site and drive high operational standards.
• Ensure effective management of COMAH risk across Operations and Engineering.
• Identify and deliver opportunities for continuous improvement and operational excellence.
• Use KPIs and data to identify issues and drive improvements.
• Support the development and delivery of the site's 5-year capital plan.
• Ensure production activities comply with legislation, standards and company requirements.

Skills

Production leadership

Operations management

Financial management

Continuous improvement

Regulatory awareness

Communication skills

Education

Engineering/Chemistry/Science/Brewing or Distilling degree

Job description

Distillery Manager

West Lothian

Permanent

NT Engineering & Manufacturing are supporting our well established distilling client in West Lothian with the appointment of a Distillery Manager.

This is a site leadership position with responsibility for the day-to-day operation and performance of the distillery, covering production, people, health & safety, environmental performance, quality, cost and continuous improvement.

Reporting to the Head of Distilling, you'll lead the distillery team with a visible, hands-on approach, while working closely with senior management, Engineering, Operations, suppliers and regulatory bodies including HSE and SEPA.

A key part of the role will be COMAH accountability, alongside supporting the development and delivery of the site's 5-year capital investment plan.

What you'll be responsible for

• Lead, develop and support the Starlaw distillery team, driving engagement, performance and wellbeing
• Take ownership of site performance across safety, environmental compliance, quality and cost
• Maintain strong relationships with senior stakeholders, regulators, suppliers and contractors
• Provide visible, hands-on leadership across the site and drive high operational standards
• Ensure effective management of COMAH risk across Operations and Engineering
• Identify and deliver opportunities for continuous improvement and operational excellence
• Use appropriate KPIs and performance data to identify issues and drive improvement
• Support the development and delivery of the site's 5-year capital plan
• Ensure production activities comply with relevant legislation, standards and company requirements

What we're looking for

You’ll be an experienced operational leader with the technical knowledge and leadership capability to take ownership of a complex production environment.

You’ll ideally bring:

• Proven experience leading a production, manufacturing or process operation
• Degree-level qualification in Engineering, Chemistry, Science, Brewing or Distilling, or equivalent technical experience
• Strong understanding of distillery equipment, production processes and troubleshooting
• Experience leading and developing teams in an operational environment
• Strong financial understanding across budgets, forecasting and cost control
• Knowledge of HACCP, SALSA/BRC, HMRC and HSE requirements
• Experience working within a regulated environment, ideally with COMAH
• Strong project management and continuous improvement experience

LEAN/Six Sigma Green Belt would be advantageous, as would previous experience within the spirits industry, but we're also interested in candidates who can demonstrate a strong track record of applying continuous improvement principles in practice.

The person

We're looking for someone who is visible, pragmatic and hands-on- someone who can set direction but isn't afraid to get involved when required.

You’ll need to be comfortable making decisions, managing competing priorities and bringing people with you through change.

Strong communication skills are essential, alongside the resilience and commercial awareness to operate at a senior level while remaining close to the day-to-day operation.