Apply Job Type Full-time Description

Sapporo brewed the first beer of Japan in 1876. It’s now the number one selling Asian beer brand in the U.S. thanks to its best-selling Sapporo Premium. Sapporo acquired Stone Brewing in 2022 to brew all of Sapporo’s beer for the U.S. market. Stone Brewing, established in 1996, pioneered the West Coast Style IPA helping to fuel the modern craft beer revolution. Now one company, Sapporo-Stone Brewing is among the 15 largest breweries in the U.S. and operates production facilities in Escondido, CA and Richmond, VA plus seven Stone Brewing taproom and bistro locations. We’ve enjoyed a rich history following our passion and are in search of people who take great pride in building our legacy for the future. history following our passion and are in search of people who are equally passionate about pursuing their craft to join the team.

Summary

The Sr. Manager of Packaging Operations is responsible for developing, managing and leading all aspects of packaging processes, and financial, leadership, and strategic missions as defined below.  

Responsibilities

Drive safety, food safety, and 5S discipline values in Packaging.  Regularly perform inspections to verify these are consistently being met. Develop and improve comprehensive kegging, canning, and bottling infrastructure, programs and teams. Own and drive overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) and total extract loss (TEL) improvements. Monitor and track progress on all packaging operations. Develop standardized KPIs/metrics and reports to ensure process operating performance and to drive continuous improvement in Packaging operations using Lean/Six Sigma methodology.  Document, maintain, and track continuous improvements to safety, quality, productivity, reliability, and operational efficiency. Educate the Packaging team on best practices for setup time reduction (SMED/SUTR) and change over in a high mix environment. Work with Engineering and Maintenance to commission, support and set up new capital equipment, and to build early equipment and reliability centered maintenance (EEM/RCM) programs, including sanitation and/or autonomous maintenance checklists to be performed by Packaging Technicians. Work with Engineering to develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) for all process operations. Ensure coordination to provide initial and ongoing training and ensure SOP compliance.  Provide quick response to challenges that impact production quality and delivery.  Develop annual budget and track expenses vs budget monthly. Adjust expenses as needed to meet stated financial goals. Seek to reduce operating costs whenever possible without compromising safety, quality, reliability, efficiency, or productivity. Conduct return on investment analyses when required in support of continuous improvement initiatives. Lead by example and hold teams accountable to Sapporo-Stone’s policies, Core Values and applicable laws. Mentor and coach Supervisors, Continuous Improvement Specialists, and Shift Leads.  Lead scheduling, performance reviews and business plan goals as required. Establish performance requirements and development plans based on Sapporo-Stone’s annual business plans and direct reports’ personal and professional goals.  Take action to address performance deficiencies, in accordance with personnel rules, policy, and procedures (subject to Senior Management and Human Resource concurrence). Establish and maintain a collaborative, partnering, team-oriented work environment both within packaging and with all other Sapporo-Stone departments.  Maintain staffing levels at 90% - 95%. Work with Human Resources to identify candidates and conduct interviews within 2 weeks of staffing levels falling below these levels.  Lead continuous performance management (CPM) routines including both monthly individual and team-wide meetings to assess and maintain the performance of staff and distribute company, site, and department information as required. Maximize cross-training and work assignments to the extent possible and rotate individuals to improve redundancy in all areas (2x2 and 3x3 training methodology). Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, Planning, Logistics, and Brewing Operations to assist in developing long-term production plans, and to schedule and coordinate daily, weekly, monthly production plans.  Translate the Sapporo-Stone strategy into actionable initiatives and SMART goals. Identify needed long-term staff skills and develop plans to obtain these skills. Develop and maintain a 3-year plan to increase efficiency and productivity. Update plan annually.  Plans should include capital and Lean projects to improve safety, quality, reliability, efficiency, and productivity. Work with Engineering to add these projects to the CapEx forecasts if warranted. Requirements Bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university in Engineering, preferably in Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial or four-year Food Science or Business degrees coupled with manufacturing or CPG experience.  At least 7-10 years of directly related experience and demonstrated results implementing and managing beer packaging operations and achieving elevated performance levels; or equivalent combination of education and experience; demonstrated thorough knowledge of brewing industry and experience in packaging beer. Must have years of demonstrated experience and familiarity with CMMS, ERP, production and inventory management systems developing and driving change adoption of them into standard operations. Demonstrated results managing large scale brewing and packaging operations, multi-million-dollar, complex projects, programs, portfolios, infrastructure, vendors and high performance teams. Experience in using Lean/reliability tools such as setup time reduction (SMED/SUTR), 5 Why, Pareto analysis, Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM), and Root Cause Analysis (RCA). Proficiency with office and project management tools including Microsoft Project, SharePoint, MS Office Suite, etc. Experience w/ Microsoft Dynamics AX preferred or other ERP systems preferred. Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: Certified Cicerone, or Brewing Certifications, exams preferred (IBD, MBAA, etc.). Lean/ Six Sigma certification or experience preferred. PMP certification, PMI equivalent credential/training, and Black Belt or Green Belt training/certification desired or a combination of demonstrable equivalent experience/training. Must be able to effectively communicate in English, both verbally and written.   Occasional weekend and evening work as well as overnight travel required, as well as occasional travel to other Sapporo-Stone locations.  

Compensation, Benefits & Perks

Annual Salary: $125,000 - $140,000Bonus Plan: 10% of Annual SalaryComprehensive Health Insurance, 401K, and Bonuses for Eligible Team MembersCompany beer perks program and discountsPaid Time Off – including Vacation accrual, Sick Leave, and 12 paid HolidaysBenefit programs supporting Financial Wellness, Health & Wellness and Career Development

Sapporo-Stone Brewing is an equal employment opportunity employer and does not discriminate against applicants or employees because of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, citizenship status, various ability status, genetic information, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression of an otherwise qualified individual, or membership in any other class protected by applicable law. Sapporo-Stone Brewing hires and promotes individuals based on their qualifications for the job to be filled.

Sapporo-Stone Brewing seeks to build a culturally diverse staff where differences are valued and respected. Women, minorities, individuals with various abilities, veterans, LGBTQ+ and intersectional individuals are encouraged to apply.

Salary Description $125,000 - $140,000