Distillery Production Engineer

Liberty & Plenty Distillery - Production Distillery Engineering Position

Job Description

Distiller based in Wilson, North Carolina

Compensation based on qualifications and experience.

Summary:

Liberty & Plenty Distillery is a craft distillery based in downtown Durham, North Carolina and Wilson, North Carolina producing Bourbon, Whiskey, Rum, Vodka and Gin. Our production platform is based on Copper Pot Batch Distillation in Durham, NC and on larger Column Distillation AND Pot Distillation in Wilson, NC.

Location

Wilson, NC is a charming Eastern North Carolina town, population of 50,000, 2 hours to the coast and 3 hours to the mountains. Average cost for home is ~ $250,000 in a growing city that is the home of the Whirligig Park and future home to a MLB team.

Background

Liberty & Plenty Distillery is hiring for an experienced, organized, detail-oriented, innovator distiller and degreed engineer with a positive attitude and strong work ethic to join our team as a Distiller. Must be a team player, manager and bring experienced manufacturing/production leadership to the table.

You must be be to work within the USA without sponsorship.

Responsibilities include, but not limited to, all aspects of new make whiskey/bourbon/rum production including grain handling, mashing, fermentation, distillation, blending, bottling as well as some on site analysis and off-site coordination for Column Distillation and Batch Distillation. The distillery also produces gin and other botanical distillates from GNS and Blends/Finishes/bottles matured spirits.

This position will be full time schedule with 45 hours and will require some evening, weekend and holiday shifts as needed and is salary + bonus based on efficiency, production, resource utilization and quality goals.

Responsibilities

• Grain Handling, Milling, Mashing and Distillation of a Double Batch System and Rotary Evaporators and Column Distillation
• Ordering, evaluating, receiving and tracking all raw material components for the production process with suppliers and through Distill x 5 Software systems.
• Managing and Insuring all MAQ and Flashpoint Compliance for building code and fire code. Filing of TTB and NCABC report filings.
• Operation and maintenance of pumps, motors, agitators, valves, filter press, CIP and interface with water systems (City & RO) and boiler and chiller, to execute daily mashing operations and tank transfers, barreling and bottling.
• Managing Fire Suppression systems with experience in Riser Rooms/Sprinkler Systems.
• Executing and Managing Large Scale Column Distillation whiskey production with grain silos, grain milling, mashing/cooking of Grain, fermentation of grain mash and molasses, stripping distillation on columns, doubler operation of distillations, managing spirit off-put from stills (Heads/Hearts/Tails), proofing of spirits to ready for barreling, barrel preparation, barrel filling, warehousing, finite tracking and detailed record-keeping of barrel productions for reporting.
• Blending of barrels.
• Bottling of Spirits.
• Consumer/pubic interface along with strong team management.
• Writing SOP's for all parts of Distillation activities.
• Weekly meetings and strong communications with staff, vendors and internal and external parties.
• Management of other full-time/part-time staff and contract labor.

Fermentation Management & Lab Analysis

• Record and Track data for multiple in-process fermentations throughout the shift.
• Understand and use aseptic techniques for yeast hydration.
• Experience working and innovating with various yeast and impact on grain and molasses
• Experience nuancing yeast and temperature on fermentations.
• Run laboratory procedures using density meters/refractometers and record data on progression of batches.
• Sensory evaluation of new make and maturing/matured whiskey components as part of final blends.
• Tracking of Barrel and Operational Losses.

Distillation and Spirit Analysis

• Operate a two, manual high-pressure steam-fed stills, 2000 Liter Kothe (stripping using kettle & condenser without columns) and a 1000 Liter Vendome (kettle, columns, vodka column, vapor basket with 2 condensers); Industrial rotary evaporator. Must understand Flashpoints and batch distillation reflux.
• Operate large scale Column + doubler stills.
• Manage and Trouble shoot issues in process & equipment.
• Adhere to fire and safety requirements, building, zoning, permitting codes along with TTB, NCABC and ALE regulations.
• Sensory evaluation of new make and maturing/matured whiskey components as part of final blends.
• Create entries for online distillery software, Distill x 5 for record and keeping and TTB regulations/filings.
• Execute alcohol processing flow for blending, storage, dilution, bottling or barreling prep for bottle or barrel within an F-1 and Hazardous designated spaces.
• Complete analysis using Rudolph Density Meter/Refractometer.

Cleaning, Sanitation & Safety

• Run CIP (clean in place) procedures with acid, base chemicals and hot water.
• Use best practice aseptic techniques for cleaning and sanitizing of vessels, stills, hoses, pipework, instruments, etc.
• Manage the removal of spent grain and mash on-site and off-site.
• Develop and execute a SOP to adhere to the highest standards of cleanliness of the production space and customer facing areas. for all customer facing spaces within the production area and tasting bar area.
• Perform all duties within compliance of safety policy and maintain that safety policy within the scope of OSHA and fire protection standards.

Minimum Qualifications

• B.S. Degree in Chemical Engineering or Process Engineering.
• Experience working in a distillery as a distiller or head distiller for 2 - 5 years which reflects working knowledge of Column Distillation, Batch Distillation, mashing/cooking, fermentation, maturation, blending, bottling, proofing/dilution.
• Ability to work early or late hours, including some night and weekend shifts as needed.
• Must be highly organized, project manager with ability to multitask while maintaining high attention to safety, process and production detail.
• A self-starter, problem-starter and innovator with the ability to work independently but also within a team as a positive, innovative team player.
• Ability to production plan and anticipate needs ahead of time.
• This is a highly physical job and candidate should have the ability to safely lift, pull, roll and hoist 55 -70 lbs. of grain bags, hoses, barrels of liquids on a hand truck, Lifting will possibility be above shoulder level to load grain into mash/lauter tun from a locking staircase accessed by climbing.
• Licensed to drive a forklift.
• Valid USA Driver’s License
• Strong work ethic, positive attitude and willingness to work within a startup organization that is involved in distilling, marketing and on/off premise sales.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrable and on-going advanced computer skill set including use of all Microsoft products, TTB interface and on-line software for distillery tracking.
• Must be 21 years of age and able to work in hot/cold climate changes, high places, wet/slippery floors, loud noise, fumes, gases, irritating substances, dust, exposure to solvents and chemicals and around mechanical and pressured vessels.
• Live within driving distance of the distillery. This is not a remote job and working hour range can vary from daily times of production, weekdays, evening shifts and weekends depending on process progression.
• Experience operating pressurized manual systems, reading gauges, tracking/recording readings and understanding/adherence to Flash Point targets in the distillery process for Fire Codes and Building Codes.
• Strong project management skills, strong organizational skills.
• Management of other staff.
• Six Sigma and/or other aligned certifications.

Location

Downtown Durham, North Carolina and Wilson, North Carolina. Training begins in Durham, NC with our operations in that location then progresses to Wilson, NC distilling operations. Will oversee operations on both locations.

Job Type

Full time

Equal Opportunity

** Liberty & Plenty is committed to equal employment opportunity and individuals regardless of their sex, race, color, age, religion, creed, sexual orientation, national origin or citizenship, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer or genetic characteristics), marital status, gender (including gender identity or gender expression), familial status, military or veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related conditions.

Seniority Level

Entry level key person position with a Start-up Distillery reporting to Owner/Distiller as part of the Lead management team.

Industry

• Food & Beverages
• Manufacturing of Spirits in Alcohol Distilleries.

Salary

Salary aligned with skill set - $93,000 + Annual Bonus

Accrued PTO and Holidays

Reimbursement for completed IBD online classes.

This position will be full time schedule and will require evening, weekend and holiday shifts as needed.

120 day Performance Period.

Work Remotely

• No