Technical Operations Manager

Get to Know Us

Ken Grossman started Sierra Nevada in 1980 with a hand-built brewhouse and the odds stacked against him. That passion forever changed the course of American craft brewing and launched a beer revolution that's in full force today. Turns out, good beer can do a lot of good, and Sierra Nevada became a cornerstone for both its innovation and its care for the Earth and its people. We’re committed to advancing a culture of inclusion and believe diversity in all its forms makes us stronger. We keep pushing boundaries, whether that’s in the brewhouse, with sustainability, or in the great outdoors.

Get to Know This Role

The Technical Operations Manager serves as a key leadership position within the site operations team, with full accountability for the strategy, execution, and performance of maintenance, reliability, and engineering site operations in a dynamic, high-output beverage production facility. Spanning over 300,000 sq. ft., our site produces more than 500,000 barrels of beer annually and features a state-of-the-art array of equipment—including a 200-barrel GEA brewhouse, glass, can, and keg lines, as well as a robotic system for repacking. This role is critical in maintaining peak operational performance and maintenance excellence across a highly automated and fast-paced production landscape. The role reports to the Plant Director and leads a team of Technical Supervisors, Maintenance Planners, and Reliability, Electrical & Controls Engineers. The team is responsible for maintenance of all the equipment, utilities, wastewater and CIP systems. The position drives the full spectrum of responsibilities—from preventative and predictive maintenance to site capital project management, utilities oversight, wastewater systems, and technical reliability. The Manager, Technical Operations achieves success by building and maintaining an engaged, high-performing team guided by our company values: Quality, Integrity, People, Sustainability, and Community. This role is key to building and sustaining a reliability-centered maintenance culture that supports operational excellence and consistently delivers the best quality beers.

What's In It For You

We’re committed to our employees and work hard to prove it. For starters, we’re offering $98,279 to $153,315 base compensation for this role. Individual offers are based on skills, experience, and qualifications. This role may be eligible for our bonus program – inquire with our Talent Acquisition Partner for additional details.

But base pay is just the beginning. We support your future by offering a generous 10% company match on 401(k) contributions, providing learning and development opportunities, and fostering your safety at work with ongoing trainings, state-of-the-art equipment, and preventative care. We offer medical, dental, and vision insurance, an onsite medical clinic, as well as mental health and well-being benefits including paid sick leave. We foster a culture of work-life balance and always encourage employees to use and enjoy their paid time off.

What You Will Do

• Set technical direction for maintenance and reliability programs: develop and execute plans that align with company objectives for quality, uptime, and cost efficiency. Champion a culture of continuous improvement and reliability.
• Oversee the development and execution of proactive maintenance strategies to minimize unplanned downtime and maximize asset life across production, brewing, utilities, and facilities. Leverage data and systems to improve ove5rall equipment effectiveness (OEE).
• Lead and mentor a high-performing technical team. Promote safety, accountability, collaboration, and ongoing development.
• Ensure all technical operations comply with applicable health, safety, environmental, and regulatory standards. Maintain OSHA, GMP and sanitary standards across the plant. Oversee the operation and compliance of the onsite anaerobic wastewater treatment plant, ensuring all discharge and treatment processes meet local, state, and federal environmental regulations, including EPA, POTW and NCDEQ. Responsible for monitoring incoming water quality and source testing. Also manage a program for all refrigerants including leak detection, reporting, and equipment maintenance.
• Ensure the reliability of PLCs, HMIs, SCADA systems, and utilities infrastructure (boilers, chillers, compressed air, wastewater, etc.). Troubleshoot issues and work with vendors and internal teams to sustain performance.
• Oversee the operation, maintenance, and performance of critical utilities infrastructure including boilers, compressed air systems, CO2 recovery system, glycol refrigeration systems, and steam generation/distribution. Ensure all systems are operating safely, efficiently, and in compliance with regulatory requirements and internal performance standards. Coordinate inspections, preventive maintenance, and vendor support to avoid downtime and extend asset life.
• Lead site-level engineering and capital improvement projects from concept through execution. Scope project requirements, develop timelines, coordinate internal and external resources, and manage contractors to ensure safe, on-time, and in-budget delivery. Oversee equipment installations, line modifications, infrastructure upgrades, and systems commissioning while aligning with production, quality, and safety standards.
• Manage technical vendors, OEMs, and service providers. Oversee contract scope, performance, and cost control.
• This role is responsible for production and support the development, implementation, and maintenance of the Safe Quality Food (SQF) System as defined in the SQF Code. There will be Safety, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), Food Safety and Food Security Training as required by Local, State, Federal and SNBC policies. All duties will be completed in a manner that is consistent with all aspects of Company Safety Rules, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and Safe Quality Foods (SQF). Employees shall report food safety & quality problems to personnel with authority to initiate action.
• Collaborate with EHS personnel to maintain all necessary permits, documentation, testing records and regulatory reporting for environmental and safety systems.
• Collaborate with Finance and leadership to align MRO spend and overall expenditures with strategic priorities, track variances, and identify cost-saving opportunities.

Please Apply if You Have

• Bachelor's Degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical or Process Engineering required or any combination of education and/or experience from which comparable knowledge, skills, and abilities have been achieved required
• 5 years relevant technical experience in manufacturing maintenance and/or engineering, preferably in a beverage, food, or CPG environment required
• 3 years previous experience supervising, leading and developing staff required
• Strong background in mechanical systems such as welding, part fabrication, fluid transfer, pneumatics and plumbing preferred
• Demonstrated expertise in preventative/predictive maintenance, reliability-centered maintenance, root cause analysis (RCA), breakdown analysis (BDA), basic equipment care, Asset and Maintenance Management (AMM), etc.
• Strong understanding of PLCs, automation systems, SCADA, and control networks.
• Experience with utilities systems (boilers, chillers, air compressors).
• Experience with wastewater treatment plants - anaerobic and aerobic.
• Knowledge of OSHA, EPA, and food safety regulatory requirements.
• ERP knowledge (procure to pay and plan to produce) and their impacts on CMMS/ EAM
• Proven track record of executing capital projects from concept through commissioning.
• Knowledge of OSHA, EPA, and food safety regulatory requirements.
• Experience working in GMP environments and familiarity with HACCP principles.
• Formal training or certification in Lean Manufacturing or TPM.
• Experience in beverage manufacturing, especially beer production.
• CAD proficiency desired
• Thorough understanding of safety regulations (e.g. NFPA 70E) and proper safety procedures
• CAPEX budgeting and preparation, standard costing, understanding of equipment criticality, spare parts inventory, and working capital.
• Maintenance or Reliability (e.g., CMRP, CRL, CRE). preferred

Additional Requirements to Consider Before Applying

• You must be at least 21 years of age to work for Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
• Selected candidate must pass a pre-employment, post offer background check

Before applying for this role, please review the full job description, including the physical demands and working environment: https://sierranevada.jdxpert.com/ShowJob.aspx?EntityID=2&id=3681

** This position will remain open until filled; online applications will be reviewed weekly **

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is an Equal Opportunity Employer