Brewing Director/Head Brewer

Brewing Director/Head Brewer – Switchback Brewing Co. – Vermont

Experienced Brewing Director/Head Brewer required to join our team at a well-established brewery in New England. Switchback Brewing Company is a Burlington, Vermont based brewery founded in 2002 by Bill Cherry, a UC-Davis M.S. graduate and former Head Brewer for Boulevard Brewing in KCMO. The brewery has a 40,000 barrel capacity with room and infrastructure to increase production as needed.

We are seeking an individual to lead our brewing department. Specifically, you will oversee brewing operations and quality assurance, coordinate with our Lead Brewer, and guide our beer development program. This position is a combination of hands on and organizational, with a guiding principal based on quality, consistency, and improvement. You will be responsible for brewing schedules, ingredient inventories, troubleshooting, training, and auditing. Knack with modern equipment interfaces and ability to diagnose routine glitches is a must. The brewery consists of a 66 bbl Huppmann brewhouse (4 vessel system), the improved original 15 bbl brewhouse (now 4 vessel with automated hop strainer and proprietary hop infusion device), one bbl pilot brewing system, ASME pressure rated fermenters for natural carbonation (15 – 264bbl sizes), Alfa Laval centrifuge, and an M+F Keg Technik automated keg cleaner/filler, and Kosme 30 valve bottle filler.

We are determined to maintain our small brewery ethos, with a tight knit crew and all-inclusive atmosphere. You will be expected to foster this environment with your crew and coworkers. The successful candidate will be:

-         Excited by the challenges of running a dynamic brewery efficiently by coordinating a staff of four dedicated brewhouse workers

-         Inspired by the challenge of personally developing new beers with an eye towards true innovation that adds a unique take on beer culture

-         Experienced working at a high level of responsibility within the brewing industry

-         A professional with 5 years’ experience in a packaging brewery

-         The holder of a science degree and brewing qualification from an accredited school

-         Comfortable with mechanical/electronics of beer production machinery

-         A good communicator and keen motivator

-         Able to assist a robust QA/QC Department to ensure timely and consistent production of beer

-         Ready to facilitate a world-class beer development program – taking a beer from concept to pilot batch, testing, scaling up, and full-blown production runs.

Life is good here at the brewery. As a result, we offer a fun work environment in a beautiful small town, competitive wages, and an excellent benefits package. If interested, please send your resume and cover letter to bill.cherry@switchbackvt.com .