Distillery Process Shift Operator
- Beam Suntory
- Ardmore, United States
- £25,000 – £30,000
What makes this a great opportunity?
The production of New Make Spirit (NMS) to agreed quality standards, whilst maintaining a strong focus on safety & efficiency.
Operating as a semi-autonomous team member, across the full range of distillery processes and across a rotating shift
environment, taking ownership and responsibility for own, and team/site performance to achieve targets and objectives.
- EXPECTATION SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENT
• Responsible for the Health & Safety of self, colleagues, and others, as well as company plant and equipment
• Challenges any unsafe behaviours, at all levels of the business and amongst contractors, suppliers and visitors
• Promotes the development of positive EHS culture, processes and performance, within the local team and site, and supports other team members and departments to do the same
• Complies with all Statutory, Regulatory and Beam Suntory Global Standard requirements
• Complies with all Feed Materials Assurance Scheme (FEMAS) safety requirements as appropriate
• Contributes to local EHS KPIs, highlighting performance out-with agreed parameters
• Ownership and knowledge of EHS, SOPs, COSHH, RA’s and any other department specifics
• Supports or undertakes local audits, internal audits and external audits, highlighting concerns and helping to manage actions to completion
• Performs regular Environmental, Health and Safety checks, analysing results, and seeking Continuous Improvement Opportunities
• Ensures appropriate EHS Training is maintained for self through regular 1-2-1’s with Team Leader or Manager
• Understands the EHS risks and control measures under COMAH and DSEAR
• Understands their role in the QEHS management system (IMS) and how their performance and behaviours can impact on the Environment, Health & Safety
Role Responsibilities
PRODUCTIVITY
- Contributes to local and site production KPI’s (e.g. OTIF, OEE etc.)
- Fully understands performance targets and ensures that the required level of performance are met and sustained, including their own personal input
- Challenges Ways of Working and utilises Focused Improvement tools to seek Continuous Improvement opportunities
- Optimises utilisation of materials, plant and equipment within own work areas
- Monitors daily production trends, adjusting the program accordingly to ensure targets are achieved (e.g. OEE, Volume, Yield & Energy) within own work areas
- Follows SOP’s, WI’s, etc., demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of production processes within own work areas (e.g. Malting, Mashing, Distillation, Warehousing etc)
QUALITY
- Fully understands performance targets and contributes to local and site Quality KPI’s
- Ensures that highest standards of quality are maintained, through constant vigilance and inspection, looking for ways to improve through own work areas
- Monitors plant and equipment to ensure optimum hygiene standards are met, and general housekeeping is completed within own areas
- Adheres to all Quality procedures, making suggestions to adjust control parameters based upon trends, and assessing any changes made within own work areas
- Understands the theoretical process, monitoring critical control points and highlights non-conformances within own areas
- Ensures accurate material, process liquor and spirit sampling, labelling and analysis
COST
- Contributes to local and site Cost KPI’s (e.g. PIP’s, Energy Monitoring, Waste Reduction etc.)
- Contributes to the effectiveness of Operations, maximising efficiencies and local Energy/Waste KPI’s, seeking
- Continuous Improvement opportunities across own work areas
- Ensures the attainment of Cost targets and follows Liquid Gold philosophy, within own work areas
- Maintains a high focus on loss and waste across all processes, resources and material steams within own work areas
- Adopts the philosophy of “Business Owner” when considering performance and cost across the site
- Ensures sufficient stock of materials are available and they are used in the proper rotation
DELIVERY
- Contributes to local and site Delivery KPI’s
- Supports the business in delivering excellent service OTIF across the site
- Ensures that all team objectives are achieved across the site
- Collates accurate data on all aspects of plant, process or line performance, monitoring trends and reporting variation from program or plan
- Communicates to internal and external suppliers/customers/logistics providers etc. if any change to program or plan impacts service or supply requirements within own work areas
- Ensures that all function specific and strategic targets are achieved, supporting contingency plans as required
Qualifications
SKILLS, QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE EXPECTATION LEAN MANUFACTURING
- Supports and promotes the implementation of OBSW throughout the site
- Drives OBSW continuous improvement processes through the effective use of TRACC LEAN methodology and best practices
- Monitors and maintains Safety and 5S standards across the site through 5S Audits, Behavioural Safety Audits, Waste Walks etc.
- Follows the standards and supports all OBSW training and development necessary
- Generates performance improvement ideas across areas such as Health and Safety, Quality, efficiencies etc.
- Contributes to departmental and site OBSW activities such as ITF & MDT meetings, Focused Improvement, Loss & Waste etc.
- Maintains and improves local SOP’s, improves systems, strengthens communications with other departments (e.g. NPD and Purchasing)
TECHNICAL SKILLS
- Clean Driving License
- FLT license holder
- First Aider (beneficial) or Emergency First Aid aware
- Fully understand the entire range of spirit production processes including: cereal intake & storage; malt milling, mashing, fermentation, wash & spirit distillation, co-products (Draff, Pot Ale, PAS, Spent Lees etc.)
- Good numeracy and literacy skills and the ability to maintain accurate stock records of barley, malt, yeast, oil etc., as well as process liquids (wort, wash, LW&F and spirit) across the entire distillery operations
- Ability to draw production samples, monitor process conditions (volumes, vessel levels, pH, temperatures etc.) and maintain accurate process information logs across the entire distillery operations
- Ability to accurately measure spirit strength and complete HMRC paper work e.g. Charge Reports, Compare Report paper work etc.
- Ability to operate and understand SCADA / PLC graphics and computer-based process control systems
- Ability to operate Steam raising plant and steam distribution systems
- Ability to operate Compressed Air raising plant and pneumatic valves
- Ability to operate both manual and CIP cleaning regimes, including the safe storage and use of chemicals/addittives
EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS
- Standard Grade or equivalent
- Ideally educated to IBD GCD (General Certificate in Distilling) or equivalent level
- ECDL or equivalent computer literacy qualification
- IOSH Working Safely or equivalent
EXPERIENCE
- Minimum of 3 years’ malting or distillery operations experience (preferable)
- Alternatively, minimum of 3 years’ experience within associated distillery functions e.g. maturation, co-products, effluent management, engineering etc.
- Experience of working on a rotating shift basis, including weekend working
- Awareness of ancillary Plant operations e.g. Steam Boiler Plant, Evaporation Plant, Effluent Treatment Plant etc.
- Knowledge of HMRC regulations and requirements e.g. ADR
- Awareness of COMAH Regulations and DSEAR/ATEX Regulations
Skills
- Safety Compliance
- Process Operation
- Quality Assurance
- Hazard Analysis
- continuous improvement
- Team Collaboration
- Equipment Maintenance








