Packaging Line Technician

Ohiocraftbeer; Plainville (OH); On-site; USD 19,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

Fifty West Brewing Company in Cincinnati, Ohio is seeking a Packaging Line Technician to operate our canning and kegging lines and ensure every batch is package-ready.

You will log production, maintain line cleanliness, and coordinate with the Head of Packaging and Distribution. The role is hands-on, physical, and requires attention to detail; prior brewery experience is not required, and we provide training.

Qualifications

• Required: reliable and on time; packaging is a schedule and line must start on time.
• Detail-oriented enough to catch a bad seam, wrong date code, or short fill before a thousand cans go by.
• Comfortable around moving machinery and following safety and sanitation procedures every time.
• Basic mechanical aptitude; you’re curious about how a machine works and willing to get your hands dirty fixing it.
• Comfortable with basic math, written records, and simple computer entry.
• Able to perform the physical functions of the role with or without accommodation.
• At least 18 years old.

Responsibilities

• Set up and prep the canning line for each run, including change parts and can stock.
• Operate the depalletizer, rinser, filler, and seamer; monitor fills and jams; keep line moving.
• Run package changeovers between can sizes and formats using hand tools.
• Wash, inspect, and fill kegs; stage and label finished kegs for storage.
• Log production: cases and kegs by brand and lot, downtime by cause; report to supervisor.
• Run CIP on equipment; sanitize and clean CIP-reach areas; handle cleaning chemicals safely.
• Move and stage finished goods; track inventories and prepare orders for distributors/taprooms; operate forklift.

Tools

Forklift operation

Job description

Packaging Line Technician
Fifty West Brewing Company Cincinnati, Ohio

Reports to:
Director of Brewing Operations

Works with:
Head of Packaging and Distribution, Production Team Members

Position type:
Full-time

Pay:
$17.00/Hour

Location:
7605 Wooster Pike Cincinnati, OH 45227

The Short Version

Beer isn’t finished until it’s in the package. This is the job that helps get it there.

As a Packaging Line Technician, you help operate our canning and kegging lines, confirm every batch is package-ready before it goes in, keep the line clean and running, and make sure the right product gets onto the right truck whether that’s a distributor pickup, our own self-distribution van, or a delivery to one of our taprooms. It’s hands‑on, physical, and it’s the last set of hands on the beer before a guest picks it up.

You do not need brewery experience. You need to show up, pay attention to detail, and be willing to learn how the machines work. We’ll teach you the rest.

What You’ll Do

• Run the Line
  • Set up and prep the canning line for each run including change parts, can stock, lids, date coder, case trays or cartons for the format you’re packaging that day
  • Help operate the depalletizer, rinser, filler, and seamer through a full run; monitor fills, feed materials, clear jams, and keep the line moving at rate
  • Run package changeovers between can sizes and formats using hand tools
  • Wash, inspect, and fill kegs; stage and label finished kegs for cold storage
  • Pack, palletize, wrap, and label finished goods
  • Log production: cases and kegs by brand and lot, barrels packaged, loss, and downtime by cause, reported to the Head of Packaging and Distribution at end of shift
• Protect the Quality
  • Help ensure carbonation and condition beverages to spec ahead of a run and confirm it is package‑ready before it goes in the can or keg. I.E. carbonation at spec for the brand, beer at temperature, and released for packaging
  • Run in‑process checks through the run: fill heights and net weights, seam checks, dissolved oxygen, and date and lot code accuracy
  • Pull first run and periodic samples for tasting; participate in sensory panels and know what each of our brands is supposed to taste like
  • Pull retain samples, keep accurate QC records for every run, and assist in quality with testing as needed
  • Stop the line and elevate when a check is out of spec and hold the product back to the last good check rather than letting it go out the door
• Keep it Clean and Keep it Running
  • Run CIP on equipment; hand‑clean and sanitize the seamer, lid track, fill heads, and everything CIP doesn’t reach
  • Mix and handle cleaning chemicals safely, following SOPs and using the right PPE every time
  • Work with pumps, hoses, gaskets, clamps, and fittings
  • Perform scheduled preventative maintenance like steam roller care, wear part inspection and replacement and document it
  • Troubleshoot mechanical issues during a run, make the adjustments you’re trained to make, and escal​ate the rest to the Head of Packaging and Distribution
  • Keep the packaging area, tools, and change parts clean, organized, and where the next person can find them
• Move the Product
  • Manage empty keg inventory: receive, sort, and inspect incoming keg shells, and report damaged kegs out of service
  • Track can, lid, and master case inventory and flag when we’re getting short before it stops a run
  • Organize the cooler on a first in, first out basis so the oldest saleable product ships first, and keep the count accurate
  • Build and stage orders for distributor trucks, our self‑distribution routes, and transfers to our taprooms; load and unload with accurate tracking
  • Operate a forklift, electric pallet jack, and hand truck to move pallets and stage loads
  • Pitch in across the production team on daily service jobs when the line is down

What We’re Looking For

• Required
  • Reliable and on time, packaging is a schedule, and the whole team’s day depends on the line starting when it’s supposed to
  • Detail‑oriented enough to catch a bad seam, a wrong date code, or a short fill before a thousand cans go by
  • Comfortable working around moving machinery, and willing to follow safety and sanitation procedures every single time, including on the days it’s inconvenient
  • Basic mechanical aptitude. You’re curious about how a machine works and willing to get your hands dirty fixing it
  • Comfortable with basic math, written records, and simple computer entry
  • Able to perform the physical functions of the role described below, with or without reasonable accommodation
  • At least 18 years old
• Helpful, but we’ll Train You
  • Experience on a canning, bottling, or other production packaging line
  • Forklift or electric pallet jack experience.
  • Prior manufacturing, warehouse, food, or beverage production experience
  • Knowledge of beer, and of what our brands are supposed to taste like
  • Valid driver’s license and an insurable driving record with no more than two moving violations or at‑fault accidents in the past 36 months, and no OVI/DUI in the past five years. A CDL is not required.

Every beer is a journey. Join us for the ride.