Production Analyst

Lift Bridge Brewing Company; Stillwater (MN); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO 2 weeks

6 paid holidays

401K with company match

Employer sponsored healthcare

Free beer and gear

Job summary

Lift Bridge Brewery is seeking a Production Analyst to oversee the flow of operational data from distributor demand to production, packaging and invoicing. You will maintain ERP data accuracy, file excise returns and produce leadership dashboards to guide decisions.

The role requires strong Excel skills, ERP experience, and the ability to manage multiple concurrent workstreams while communicating clearly with brewers, warehouse staff and leadership.

Qualifications

• Two or more years in production planning, supply chain, operations analysis or inventory control.
• Advanced Excel with pivot tables, lookups, and multi-tab workbooks.
• Demonstrated ERP experience and ability to learn mid-market ERP quickly.

Responsibilities

• Order management: process distributor orders, enter in ERP, monitor open orders and resolve exceptions.
• Production planning: translate demand into brewing schedules and plan packaging/CO-pack production.
• Inventory control: maintain materials sheets, track replenishments and perform counts.
• Data management: create and maintain item codes across ERP, VIP and Encompass portals.
• Regulatory/excise: file federal/state returns and support audits with accurate records.
• Reporting/forecasting: generate daily/weekly/monthly reports and analyze variances.
• Taproom/internal consumption: record depletions from POS and ensure accuracy.

Skills

ERP experience

Advanced Excel

Numerical accuracy

Multi-project management

Effective communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance/Accounting/Statistics/Economics/Supply Chain

Tools

Orchestrated / OBeer

VIP

Encompass

DSD Link

SQL

Power BI

Power Query

Job description

History

Lift Bridge Brewery is a leading production brewery located in Stillwater, the birthplace of Minnesota. We are expanding and looking for the right team members to grow with us!

Production Analyst Job Description

Description

The Production Analyst owns the flow of operational data through Lift Bridge Brewery. The role converts distributor demand into production and packaging schedules, moves orders through fulfillment to invoice and payment, maintains inventory and item accuracy in our ERP system, prepares and files all federal and state alcohol excise returns, and produces the daily, weekly and monthly reporting leadership uses to run the business.

Key Responsibilities

Order Management and Fulfillment

• Receive and process distributor sales orders arriving through the distributor orders inbox, DSD Link, and the Encompass portals for Capitol Beverage and College City Beverage; enter and maintain them in the ERP.
• Monitor the open sales order book daily including aged orders, short ships, allocation conflicts and unshipped lines, and resolve exceptions with sales and the warehouse.
• Invoice shipped orders accurately, applying correct pricing, deals and distributor terms.
• Publish sales orders and inter-facility transfers to the shared warehouse calendar so the team has forward visibility of the shipping schedule.
• Build and schedule outbound loads for distributor pickups.
• Set up and manage outsourced production and contract-brewing orders.
• Process distributor EFT draws and reconcile them against accounts receivable.

Production and Packaging Planning

• Own and maintain the make-to-order production sheet: translate demand, on-hand inventory and in process volume into an executable brewing schedule.
• Build and publish the bi-weekly packaging schedule, coordinating with materials availability and packaging crew capacity.
• Plan co-packed production with contract partners, submit orders through their systems, and manage the run calendar.
• Receive completed co-packed production into inventory and reconcile actual yield against plan.

Inventory and Materials Control

• Maintain the materials sheet covering raw goods, packaging materials, cans, labels and brite goods; track reorder points and supplier lead times.
• Enter goods receipts against purchase orders and resolve receiving discrepancies.
• Run periodic physical inventory counts, investigate variances, and post adjustments - including the finished-goods records that support excise reporting.
• Place and track purchase orders through supplier portals.

Product and Item Data Management

• Create and maintain item codes across the ERP, VIP and the Encompass distributor portals, keeping all three in sync.
• Manage new product and package setup end to end, so a new SKU is orderable, produceable, reportable and taxable from day one.
• Audit item data regularly to catch drift between systems before it reaches depletion reporting or chargebacks.

Regulatory and Excise Compliance

• Prepare and file federal TTB excise returns for beer and for spirits, including removals, transfers in bond, exports and losses.
• Prepare and file state excise returns for multiple states on their respective schedules.
• Maintain the production, removal and inventory records that substantiate every filing and would be produced in an audit.
• Track the filing calendar across all jurisdictions and ensure no return is late.

Reporting and Forecasting

• Produce the daily production and open-order report for leadership.
• Maintain the weekly trend report covering production, shipments and depletions.
• Update forecast actuals and support the demand planning cycle with variance analysis.
• Answer ad hoc operational questions with data; this role is the brewery's first stop for "what actually happened?"

Taproom and Internal Consumption

• Process taproom sales and employee sample records from the point-of-sale system and record them as depletions in the ERP.
• Ensure internal consumption is captured accurately, since it flows directly into excise reporting.

Qualifications

Required

• Two or more years in production planning, supply chain, operations analysis, inventory control or a closely related role.
• Advanced Excel with pivot tables, lookups, and the ability to build and maintain multi-tab operational workbooks.
• Demonstrated ERP experience, and the ability to learn a mid-market ERP quickly, including when to question what it reports.
• Strong numerical accuracy and the discipline to self-check work nobody else will catch.
• Ability to carry a dozen concurrent workstreams and deadlines without dropping one.
• Clear written and verbal communication with brewers, warehouse staff, distributors and leadership alike.

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in Finance, Accounting, Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, Supply Chain or a related field.
• Experience in beverage alcohol, food and beverage manufacturing, or another regulated CPG environment.
• Working knowledge of TTB and state alcohol excise reporting.
• Experience with Orchestrated / OBeer, VIP, Encompass, DSD Link, or comparable beverage-industry systems.
• SQL, Power BI, Power Query or comparable data tooling.
• A track record of improving or automating a manual process, not just executing one.

Core Values

• Quality
• Brand
• Team
• Own it
• Growth
• Innovation
• Passion

About

• To be compensated well based on experience and ability
• Learning opportunities related to your position and growth desires
• Empowered to make decisions in line with strategic company goals
• To be valued for your work and contribution to the team.
• 2 weeks PTO, 6 paid holidays, and a positive work environment
• 401K with a 10% Company Match
• Employer Sponsored Healthcare including 50% of individual premiums paid by Lift Bridge
• Free Beer and Gear, including $400 in merchandise annually

This positions requires a background check.