Head Brewer - Kern River Brewing

Location: Kernville, California

Reports To: Board of Directors and Eric Giddens (Brewmaster)

Supervises: Production Team (Brew, Cellar, Packaging, QA)

Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Kern River Brewing Company is a 100% employee‑owned (ESOP) craft brewery. Every eligible employee participates in our Employee Stock Ownership Plan, sharing directly in the long‑term success of the company. As a leadership‑level position, the Head Brewer qualifies for participation in the Manager / Key Employee ESOP allocation pool, aligning ownership rewards with company performance, profitability, and long‑term growth. Located in Kernville, CA — a mountain town on the Kern River and gateway to the Southern Sierra — KRBC pairs award‑winning beer with an unmatched outdoor lifestyle.

The Head Brewer is the senior leader of all brewing and production operations and is accountable for delivering continuously improving results in safety, quality, service, cost performance, and operational efficiency. This role is both strategic and hands‑on. The Head Brewer leads the production team while actively collaborating with the Board of Directors and Corporate Secretary / Brewery Manager on budgeting, capital planning, reporting, systems development, and long‑term strategy.

The ideal candidate is a decisive leader with strong financial acumen, operational discipline, and the ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining a positive, professional presence.

Executive & Board Engagement

• Participate in Board meetings as requested; present production updates and KPIs.
• Contribute strategic ideas to support company growth and operational improvement.
• Align production strategy with overall business objectives.

Production Leadership & Department Accountability

• Provide direct leadership, coaching, evaluation, and development of the production team.
• Hire, train, develop, and administer performance improvement plans as needed.
• Make staffing recommendations, including promotions, corrective actions, and terminations.
• Conduct formal employee evaluations at least twice per year.
• Meet one‑on‑one with each team member monthly to develop improvement plans, eliminate gaps in knowledge, and maximize job satisfaction.
• Help lead weekly production meetings; document and communicate outcomes.
• Foster a culture of accountability, professionalism, and ownership.
• Ensure the department consistently meets production targets and quality standards.

Brewing & Quality Excellence

• Oversee brewing operations across 7 BBL pub and 20 BBL production systems.
• Ensure all beers meet KRBC’s sensory and analytical quality standards.
• Maintain and improve Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Implement structured SOP training, certification tracking, and equipment logs.
• Monitor fermentation performance, yeast health, and ingredient management.
• Lead root‑cause analysis and corrective action for process deviations.
• Maintain complete batch records, compliance logs, and traceability documentation.
• Drive continuous improvement in consistency, yield, and process efficiency.

Production Planning, Inventory & Systems Management

• Manage and execute the production schedule in collaboration with Brewery leadership.
• Forecast annual ingredient requirements and negotiate for optimal pricing and supply reliability.
• Oversee brewery production inventory systems (raw materials and finished goods).
• Utilize EKOS (or equivalent ERP system) to improve efficiency, data accuracy, and reporting.
• Track and analyze KPIs including yield, loss, labor efficiency, and cost of goods sold (COGS).
• Identify opportunities to reduce operating costs without compromising quality or safety.

Financial Stewardship & Budget Oversight

• Monitor department spending and cost performance against forecasts.
• Identify questionable, excessive, or unnecessary expenses within production operations.
• Support margin improvement through waste reduction, process efficiency, and vendor management.
• Collaborate with leadership on financial planning and long‑term operational sustainability.

Safety, Compliance & Risk Management

• Lead and maintain a comprehensive Safety Program compliant with OSHA standards.
• Foster a strong…