Cellar Lead

Are you looking for a unique and exciting opportunity? Do you thrive in organized chaos that is fast paced? Drake’s Brewing Company is all that and so much more!!!

Since 1989, Drake’s Brewing Company has been perfecting the union of hops and grain and is a leading producer of high-quality, innovative and unique craft beers including Bear Republic Racer 5. We are passionate about brewing with integrity and supporting the community, while bringing people together over great beer with beer gardens around the Bay Area and Sacramento regions.

We’re looking for some dynamic folks to join our crew to help us give our customers an unforgettable experience with craft beer, artisan pizzas and other Drake’s originals. We place a priority on having fun and enjoying what we do! Come be a part of the Drake’s fam!

The Cellar Lead is responsible for overseeing and assisting in the execution of all cellar operations and procedures on a daily basis. The ideal candidate is someone who enjoys working with their hands to create delicious beer while maintaining an optimistic, can-do attitude.

Job Responsibilities/Main Functions/Main Tasks:

• Monitoring fermentation and adjusting parameters to produce high quality beer
• Overseeing daily cellar walkthrough and action list creation
• Overseeing and performing data recording for actions, CIPs and fermentation data
• Assigning and verifying proper materials usage (e.g. dry hops, finings)
• Performing and overseeing daily cellar operations, including prioritizing daily tasks
• Cleaning (CIP) and sanitizing (SIP) of fermentation, bright beer tanks, and process piping
• Operate centrifuge achieving high degree of clarity / yield and low DO
• Cleaning tank exteriors, parts, floors, walls, etc.
• Capping and crashing tanks
• Performing dry hops, yeast drops, and harvests
• Adding finings and other process aids to beer in tank
• Carbonating beer for packaging
• Racking beer into kegs
• Taking all necessary lab samples
• Performing all tasks according to SOP
• Performing all necessary recordkeeping
• Maintaining a clean working environment
• Adhering to all safety regulations at all times
• Stay in communication with other cellar staff and management
• Assisting in the creation of SOPs (e.g. CIP, SIP, cellar actions, transfers, clarification)
• Conduct routine cellar meetings to ensure all staff are up to date on process, etc.
• Working to improve cellar process and efficiencies (e.g. conserving resources, streamlining)
• Adhering to all safety regulations and working to improve the safety of the workspaces at all times; preventing unsafe work from occurring at any time
• Training of new staff and ensuring all staff adhere to SOPs

Core Competencies:

• Leadership:  Promotes organizational or departmental goals & objectives, and models ways to achieve them.
• Teamwork: Must be able to work cooperatively and collaboratively with others; makes contributions to the work of others to assist the team to achieve a shared goal.
• Workload & Time-Management: Uses time productively and effectively; stays focused by using time effectively and prevents irrelevant issues/distractions from interfering with task/project completion; ensures that high-priority work is accomplished within established deadlines
• Technical Competence: Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one’s job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues
• Flexibility: Shows willingness and ability to adapt to any situation
• Multitasking: Successfully manages more than one competing task at a time; understands how to shift priorities in order to achieve goals
• Attention to detail: Is thorough when performing work & conscientious about all details. Strong focus on quality, safety and efficiency.
• Problem-Solving: Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and makes recommendations.
• Judgment: Makes good decisions by ensuring that all direction given is fair, honest, and defensible
• Effective Communication Skills: Presents information clearly, concisely, and logically both verbal and written.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Minimum 2-year’s experience in a production brewery environment
• Minimum 1-year experience in Cellaring
• Strong organizational skills
• Strong focus on quality, safety, and efficiency
• Understanding of all aspects of beer production, cellar/cleaning tasks, production equipment, and safety
• Working knowledge of yeast pitching, dry hopping and other cellar techniques
• Ability to follow complex instructions to a high level of detail and precision
• Flexibility to work a variety of shifts, and to participate in company events
• High School Diploma or equivalent
• Basic computer skills (word processing, email, Google Docs)
• 21 years of age or more
• Positive, get-it-done attitude and a passion for beer

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Ability to stand for several hours
• Ability to communicate with management and other team members
• Ability to occasionally climb up small ladders, position themselves next to/under equipment through kneeling or squatting
• Ability to frequently lift at least 55 lb. move at least 100 lbs of materials and equipment
• Ability to work safely around chemicals, loud noises, hot environments, wet environments, and other potential hazards
• Ability to frequently reach, push, pull with hands and arms. Use hands to touch or maintain grip strength required to adjust valves, containers, hose nozzles, tools, or controls

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described are a representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

• The work environment is that of a brewing and packaging facility
• Frequently must work in sterile environments
• The noise level is frequently loud
• Working around high voltage, hot water, steam and flame
• Works with pressurized vessels
• Handles hazardous materials
• Working near moving mechanical parts
• Working on wet floors and with wet equipment
• Shared working environment