Job Description

Quality Manager

We are looking for an energetic, enthusiastic, and curious individual to manage our quality team at Curious Brewery in Ashford, Kent.

Who We Are

Our reason for being is to inspire people to stay curious. To question. To celebrate. To smile more. And to never graduate from the school of life.

We do that by brewing with the best quality ingredients at our state-of-the-art brewery to make great-tasting beer and cider. We aim to improve our beer and our team by continually developing, training, questioning our methods, and staying forever curious.

Responsibilities

We are looking for an individual with brewing or quality management experience who will oversee our quality management system from raw materials in through to packaged beer delivered to customers.

The candidate will:

- Manage our in-house analytical and microbiological laboratories.

- Manage intake analysis of raw materials.

- Manage wort and in-progress beer analysis.

- Manage analysis of packaged stock prior to dispatch.

- Own and manage our quality system to ensure that all standards are met (H&S, HMRC, Trading Standards, SALSA, HACCP, etc.)

- Liaise with contract and licensed customers to ensure brands are being produced according to supplied specifications.

- Monitor, investigate, and respond to any in-trade quality complaints.

- Develop and improve analytical processes according to approved methods of analysis.

- Ensure lab processes, procedures, and record-keeping are kept up to date and fit for purpose to achieve all of the above.

- Manage and contribute to continuous improvement projects within the brewery to improve quality, efficiency, and delivery.

This role has two reports. You will be responsible for all lab processes, schedules, and activities to ensure that compliance is met. You will manage all aspects of the quality team from recruitment through to training and deployment. The business is currently experiencing rapid growth due to contract/license opportunities. This is a new role created to drive quality standards and improvement by working with and developing the quality team that is already in place.

You will work closely with the Head of Production to meet compliance in all aspects. You will also work closely with the Packaging and Brewing Managers and their teams to provide regular feedback and improve quality standards as well as solve any problems that may arise.

There will also be opportunity to learn and support other areas of the business. We are a small, but growing team and successful individuals will have a proven track record of problem-solving and doing whatever it takes to hit quality and performance targets.

Requirements

You will have at least 5 years' experience in the brewing or quality industry and hold an IBD diploma level accreditation or similar. You should have a science degree or track record working within leading quality roles. You will also have demonstrated food industry experience in a management role. You should be familiar with food industry HACCP, ES, H&S, continuous improvement, and production management standards.

You'll be confident, motivated, and willing to improve the beer and cider which is at the heart of what we do. People management experience and good communication skills are essential as we believe that strong communication makes a workday go smoothly.

What We Offer

Our starting package is competitive for the Southeast. We are looking for someone we can develop into a core member of our production management team.

On top of this we also offer enrollment into accredited training courses in brewing, beer serving, packaging, health and safety, forklift driving, first aid, and can find courses to suit whatever skills you are curious about and the business needs.

Based at our brewery in Ashford, we operate Monday to Friday between 6:00 a.m. and 22:00 p.m. but may need to expand these hours as the business grows. This role is 09:00 to 17:00, but the successful candidate will need to be flexible within operating hours to help support the needs of the entire team.

We also offer a 25% discount in our restaurant and bar, enrolment in our pension scheme, and we always enjoy a few beers after work or to take home!

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: 35,000.00-40,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Company pension Employee discount Free parking On-site parking
Schedule:

Monday to Friday
Work Location: In person