Packaging Lead

That Fonta Flora Overview 

Located on the banks of beautiful Lake James and under the backdrop of the rugged Linville Gorge, we are an Appalachian farmhouse brewery situated on 15 acres of a historic dairy farm. Fonta Flora’s mission is to highlight the biodiversity and bounty of North Carolina agriculture through an endless array of contemplative libations. At Fonta Flora, we celebrate this concept by harnessing impactful relationships that contribute to localized agricultural economics. From these intentional partnerships, we build our community by helping to sustain our local food systems and the people responsible for its success. This meaningful business model provides synergistic opportunities through collaboration and empowers us to continue pushing the boundaries of what it means to create beverages with a sense of place and agricultural purpose.

We are currently seeking a full-time Packaging Lead to supervise all packaging operations of the brewery. This role will be the leading team member on canning, bottling and kegging, running lines and delegating responsibilities. This role will have support from the Production Supervisor and Production Manager to ensure packaging stays on schedule and to the highest quality. 

Job Purpose

The Packaging Lead is a vital part of the cellar team who is responsible for all final aspects of beer production resulting in beer going into appropriate packaging. This includes all matters surrounding hands on production including quality, inventory  of packaging materials and leadership of the packaging team. 

The successful candidate for this role will be heavily focused on details and communication between production, distribution and management teams. 

We are seeking a highly motivated, capable and goal-oriented individual to help us put our highest quality liquids into packages for our distribution teams. Candidates must also share Fonta Flora’s commitments to quality, safety, business ethics, continuous innovation, local agriculture and our own unique culture.

ERRDAY JOB TASKS

PRODUCTION

• Leading the packaging team to have canning/bottling line setup, sanitized and running in a timely manner daily.
• Following strict SOPs for operating machines on a daily basis and staying up to date with preventative maintenance along with necessary cleanliness and organization of packaging areas. 
• Documenting packaged data in quality logs, brewsheets and brewing software
• Managing keg cooperage inventory, ensuring cleaned kegs are prepared for packaging dates and sharing when new purchases need to be made. 
• Operating efficiently to assure brands are packaged on schedule and looking for opportunities to increase efficiency
• Have a full understanding behind operation and maintenance of all packaging machines including; Wild Goose canning line, Meheen bottler, Autolabe Labeler, SKA Depalletizer, Domino Ink Coder, Cascade Stainless keg washer. 

QUALITY

• Being aware of quality status of every beer (CO2, temp, DO, sensory) prior to packaging, making any adjustments if needed
• Checking seams, DO, clarity and foam during every canning run. 
• Filling cans to the optimal fill weight to ensure quality while reducing loss. 

CLEANING/ORGANIZATION

• Running CIP, sani, bacterial cycles daily while monitoring sanitation
• Removing and organizing dunnage and keg cooperage on a weekly basis
• Maintaining organization of all packaging areas and materials 
• Completing daily and weekly cleaning checklist

SUPERVISING

• Communicate directly with other departments on packaging needs, shortages or time adjustments. 
• Working very closely with warehouse teams to organize and consolidate packaged beer inventory
• Directing your team before, during and after packaging runs of individual responsibilities
• Keeping up with preventative maintenance on all packaging lines. Adhering to schedule of needed adjustments based on SOPs from Wild Goose/Meheen along with in house SOP.
• Taking ownership of team development by identifying knowledge gaps, providing hands-on training, and ensuring packaging team members are equipped with the skills and resources needed to perform their roles successfully. 
• Monitoring packaging performance, identify operational challenges or inefficiencies, and implement solutions to improve productivity and workflow. 

INVENTORY

• Working with Production Manager and brewing software to ensure packaging materials are logged and accounted for, including; 

• All canning products- cans, labels, pak-teks, lids, case trays
• All bottling products- bottles, caps, boxes, corks, labels, wax
• All chemicals- domino cleaning chemical, Lerapur products

DESIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

- High School Degree, or Bachelor’s degree preferred

- 3 years experience in a production brewery setting, 2 of which were packaging specific

- Strong Planning and Organizational Skills

- Self Motivated

- Ability to manage time and priorities in an effective and efficient manner

- Strong computer skills (MS-Word, MS-Excel, email, google doc, Basecamp)

- Excellent written and oral communication skills

- Have reliable transportation

- Must be 21 years of age or older at the time of application

- Able to pass a post-offer, pre-employment background check 

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL REQUIREMENTS
- Able to stand for prolonged periods of time
- Able to stoop, crawl, twist, turn, lift, kneel, climb ladders and stairs
- Able to manipulate valves and clamps
- Able to read and follow written English instructions
- Able to regularly lift/carry 44 pound boxes
- Able to regularly lift/carry 55 pound bags above waist level
- Able to lift or move (with assistance) kegs or cases of beer up to 165 lbs

- Able to work four 10 hour shifts per week
- Able to work in a factory/production environment which may be loud, slick, humid, and hot
- Able to work in indoor and outdoor environment with moderate noise, sometimes slippery floors
- Able to comply with safe chemical handling procedures, including personal protection equipment such as gloves and goggles

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS
- none

COMPENSATION: 

• Competitive hourly wage and benefits
• Medical Insurance reimbursement 
• Time Off: Paid vacation, sick days, holidays, and parental leave
• Simple IRA: Employer-matched retirement savings
• Team Culture: Supportive, inclusive, and fun work environment
• Employee Perks: Discounts and beer perks
• Annual Work Shoe Reimbursement