Head Brewer
Narrows Brewing Co. — Tacoma, WA
Full-Time | Salaried
Salary Range: $80,168.40–$85,000 per year
About Narrows Brewing
Narrows Brewing is an established Tacoma craft brewery producing high-quality, approachable beer from our waterfront production brewery and serving our community through two Tacoma taprooms.
For more than a decade, we have built our beer program around consistency, creativity, and a willingness to keep experimenting. In addition to our core lineup, we regularly produce seasonal beers, limited releases, collaborations, and new small-batch concepts.
We are looking for an experienced and motivated Head Brewer to lead our production department and help shape the future of the Narrows beer program. This is an opportunity to take ownership of brewery production, lead a small team, develop new beers, and have a meaningful voice in what we brew and how we operate.
Position Summary
The Head Brewer will lead beer production at Narrows Brewing and directly manage a three-person production team consisting of brewing, cellaring, and/or packaging personnel.
This role is responsible for production planning, staff leadership, recipe development, quality control, inventory management, cost awareness, and regulatory compliance. The Head Brewer will work closely with ownership, sales, taproom, and operations leadership while remaining actively involved in day-to-day brewery production.
Key ResponsibilitiesProduction Leadership & Staff Management
- Lead the brewery production department and directly supervise three production employees.
- Establish daily and weekly production priorities and create production schedules.
- Assign work and ensure adequate staffing and workflow to meet production needs.
- Set clear expectations, provide coaching and feedback, and conduct employee performance evaluations.
- Manage performance issues and personnel decisions within the production department in accordance with company policies.
- Maintain accountability for production quality, efficiency, safety, and departmental performance.
- Participate directly in brewing, cellaring, packaging, and other production activities as needed.
Recipe Development & Brewing Innovation
- Lead the creation, testing, refinement, and implementation of new beer recipes.
- Develop beers for the core lineup, seasonal releases, limited releases, experimental batches, and collaborations.
- Scale recipes from pilot or small-batch production to full commercial production while maintaining consistency and quality.
- Stay current with brewing ingredients, fermentation techniques, sensory practices, and relevant industry trends.
- Work with ownership and leadership to evaluate new products based on quality, customer demand, seasonality, profitability, and production capacity.
Production Planning & Operations
- Develop and maintain production schedules to support wholesale, taproom, and special-order demand.
- Coordinate with sales, taproom, distribution, and operations teams to prioritize production based on inventory and projected demand.
- Monitor tank availability, fermentation timelines, packaging requirements, and overall brewery capacity.
- Identify production bottlenecks and adjust priorities when circumstances change.
- Maintain clear and accurate production records and reporting.
Inventory & Cost Management
- Monitor inventory levels for malt, hops, yeast, adjuncts, packaging materials, chemicals, and other production supplies.
- Conduct regular inventory counts and maintain accurate records.
- Order ingredients and production supplies as needed.
- Forecast upcoming production needs and coordinate purchasing with suppliers and leadership.
- Minimize waste through efficient ingredient utilization, forecasting, and production planning.
- Monitor ingredient and production costs and identify opportunities to improve efficiency and control costs.
Release Planning & Communication
- Develop and maintain schedules for new, seasonal, limited, and rotating beer releases.
- Communicate production changes and upcoming releases to ownership, sales, taproom, distribution, and operations teams.
- Provide adequate advance notice of upcoming releases so marketing, photography, design, social media, and other launch needs can be coordinated.
Strategic Collaboration
- Work with ownership and leadership to help determine the future Narrows beer portfolio.
- Balance creativity and innovation with profitability, customer demand, seasonality, and production capacity.
- Recommend recipe changes, new products, product discontinuations, and production priorities.
- Contribute to long-term planning related to production capacity, equipment, process improvements, and brewery efficiency.
- Participate in management-level discussions related to brewery production and operations.
Quality Assurance & Regulatory Compliance
- Maintain quality standards throughout brewing, fermentation, cellaring, and packaging.
- Conduct and/or oversee sensory evaluation and appropriate brewery quality-control testing.
- Ensure proper cleaning and sanitation procedures are followed throughout the production facility.
- Maintain accurate production, inventory, and regulatory records.
- Ensure brewery production complies with applicable federal, state, and local requirements, including TTB, OSHA, FDA, and Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board requirements.
- Promote a safe working environment and ensure production staff follow applicable safety procedures.
- Identify and resolve quality, safety, and production issues as they arise.
Qualifications & RequirementsEducation & Experience
- 3+ years of professional brewing experience preferred, with demonstrated experience in a production brewery.
- Previous experience as a Head Brewer, Lead Brewer, Production Brewer, or similar leadership position preferred.
- Demonstrated experience developing and successfully launching beer recipes.
- Experience supervising and developing production employees.
- Experience with production scheduling, inventory management, quality control, and brewery operations.
- Strong understanding of commercial brewing processes from raw materials through finished packaged product.
Technical Knowledge & Skills
- Strong knowledge of brewing science, fermentation, yeast management, water chemistry, and ingredient selection.
- Experience with commercial brewhouse and cellar operations.
- Knowledge of packaging operations, including canning and kegging.
- Understanding of sensory evaluation and brewery quality-control practices.
- Ability to accurately scale recipes from pilot batches to commercial production.
- Experience with brewery management, production scheduling, inventory, or related software preferred.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
Leadership & Communication
- Strong leadership and team-management skills.
- Clear, professional, and proactive communication.
- Ability to provide direction, coaching, and constructive feedback.
- Ability to manage conflict and address performance issues professionally.
- Ability to make sound decisions independently and take ownership of production outcomes.
- Ability to collaborate effectively with ownership, sales, taproom, marketing, distribution, and outside partners.
- Demonstrated accountability and follow-through.
- Passion for craft beer and a commitment to producing high-quality, approachable products.
Physical & Scheduling Requirements
- Ability to regularly lift and move 50+ pounds.
- Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.
- Ability to work in varying temperatures and environments, including a hot brewhouse and cold cellar.
- Ability to safely work around wet floors, brewing equipment, chemicals, pressurized vessels, and other production-related hazards.
- Flexible schedule, including occasional evenings, weekends, holidays, or special events when production or business needs require.
- Valid driver's license and ability to drive for brewery-related business as needed.
Compensation & Benefits
Salary: $80,168.40–$85,000 per year, depending on qualifications and experience.
Benefits include:
- Health insurance
- 80 hours of paid time off annually, inclusive of paid sick leave, with up to 40 hours of unused PTO carrying over each year
- 401(k) retirement plan
Narrows Brewing is an equal opportunity employer.
Work Location: In person
Pay: $80,168.40 - $85,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
Work Location: In person
