Fair State Team Growth

 

Happy summertime from Fair State. We have been enjoying lots of tropical pale ales and super crisp lagers next to the grill, and we’ve also been making some additions and changes to our team that we’re really excited about. We thought you might be, too:

TAPROOM
Some of you came by to celebrate Charlie’s last shift behind the bar. As our Taproom Manager and sometimes promotional model, Charlie has been an outstanding ambassador for the beers and community that are the hallmarks of Fair State. He’s switching to a back-of-house role in order to have more time to lead the charge in taking good care of our physical space and curating a fun and inclusive mix of programming. Charlie is now leading a new group of Beertenders, instilling the spirit of Charlieness throughout the taproom. We are excited to see this team, which now includes Sean Lipinski, Alicia Bird, John Wynn, and Patric Driessen, grow under his leadership.

SALES & MARKETING
We’ve been excited to spend more time introducing customers in greater Minnesota to Fair State. We’re currently hiring for our Street Team in Bemidji, Brainerd, Duluth, Mankato, St. Cloud, and Rochester for the first time, in addition to the Twin Cities region. We have also hired a new full-time Sales Representative, Anthony Pukay, to help us be an even bigger part of the outstanding craft beer culture in Twin Cities bars, restaurants, event spaces, and liquor stores.

PRODUCTION
As our production volume has grown and we’ve introduced new products, the complexity of our brewing operations has greatly increased. As such, we have identified the need to create more nuanced production roles.


To this end, we just posted a Lead Brewer job. Niko will continue to be our Head Brewer and will rely on the Lead Brewer to manage the day-to-day operations of our brewing and cellaring team. This will give Niko the time to focus more on driving innovation at Fair State. He will commit more of his time to new product development (including fun limited-releases in cans and lots more special, taproom-only beer), guiding our brewing philosophy and direction, and managing special projects.

 

We’ve hired a number of Packaging Technicians over Winter and Spring and now have a great team of skillful, energetic people to get our beer ready for sale. Specifically, we’d like to call out Jake Graham, Chad Hoffer, Anders Bloomquist, and David Anderson for doing a great job putting our favorite beer into our favorite cans. We’re going to lean on them, even more, when long-time employee Jim Pankratz, currently our Warehouse and Packaging Manager, moves to Iowa. We’ll initially hire another Warehouse and Packaging Manager and then split that role out so that we can do more special canning projects and implement some more sophisticated materials handling practices.

IPA Cans

As we adapt and grow, there will surely be more additions and changes, and we’ll look forward to sharing them. In all of this, our goal is to deliver enjoyable beer of outstanding quality and to honor the festive and inclusive community that has supported us for the last three and a half years. We’re so grateful for your work, patronage, and membership.

 

Jobs @ Fair State Brewing Cooperative: Lead Brewer

Fair State Brewing Cooperative is seeking a full-time Lead Brewer to join our production staff in St. Paul, MN. We are growing quickly and need to add staff to help meet demand.

Fair State is one of a very few cooperatively-owned breweries in the US. We began operations at our brewery/taproom in Northeast Minneapolis in August of 2014, and recently expanded into a 40,000 sq. ft. production brewery in St. Paul, MN. We focus on traditional lager beer, sour beer (ranging from kettle sours to 100% barrel-fermented mixed culture beers), and hoppy beers. We are positioned to grow substantially over the next few years, and as such this position may continue to grow and evolve with the brewery.

Currently we operate a 7.5bbl brewhouse at the taproom location, and a 4-vessel 30bbl brewhouse at the St. Paul location, where we also package our beer in cans and bottles.

We’re looking for a skilled, dedicated, and hardworking person to lead our team of brewers. The ideal candidate will have extensive technical brewing knowledge and experience, general brewery operations experience, demonstrated leadership skills, and a willingness to contribute to building systems and processes to support our continued growth and innovation.

This position will report to the Head Brewer and will supervise our Brewers.

Responsibilities

Production Work

  • Wort production
  • CIP and sanitation of fermenters, brite tanks, and the brewhouse
  • Cellar work (e.g., transfers, dry-hopping, centrifuging, carbonation)
  • Wine and spirit barrel work (e.g., filling, transferring, blending, cleaning, maintenance)
  • Yeast management (e.g., harvesting, pitching)
  • Cleaning kegs and kegging finished beer
  • Operating the canning line, weighing and sorting cans, casing and palletizing finished product
  • Operating the bottling line, labeling, casing, and palletizing finished product
  • Collecting data and maintaining extensive records related to brewing, cellaring, and packaging
  • Performing general cleaning and sanitation
  • Operating forklifts and pallet jacks
  • Loading, unloading, and driving dock-height box truck to transfer beer and supplies within the greater Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro area
  • Performing, scheduling, and overseeing maintenance on production equipment, kegs, and vehicles
  • Participating in beer sensory panels, production team planning, and team development of standards and procedures
  • Representing Fair State at events, as necessary

Inventory Management

  • Counting inventory of brewing raw materials, packaging materials, and finished product
  • Expressing and closing production orders in our brewery management software
  • Reviewing production records and performance in our brewery management software to identify and resolve variances

Production Management

  • Creating and communicating weekly and daily production schedules and work assignments based on production plans and staff availability
  • Providing coaching, guidance, and support to brewers and cellarworkers
  • Implementing Fair State policies, procedures, goals, strategies, and plans by communicating, answering questions, and providing direction and oversight to brewers and cellarworkers
  • Providing quarterly written feedback to brewers and cellarworkers based on direct observation, peer evaluation, performance measurement, goals, and job descriptions
  • Setting clear expectations through quarterly updates to job descriptions and goals
  • Providing input into staffing plans, job descriptions, and hiring decisions as necessary

Desired Skills and Experience

  • Previous brewing and cellaring experience is a must, preferably in a brewery producing at a rate of 10,000-20,000 BBLs annually
  • Forklift operator certification preferred
  • Willingness to work hard, often at odd hours
  • Dedication to learning, improving, and contributing to a dynamic and growing team
  • Commitment to following company policies and procedures
  • Ridiculous dedication to the aforementioned mop and squeegee work
  • Excellent judgment, outstanding professionalism, and exemplary communication and teamwork skills
  • Experience leading teams, solving difficult problems, and building a sense of shared purpose
  • Arithmetic, problem-solving and mechanical skills
  • Familiarity with lab testing protocols and standards, and the ability to troubleshoot technical brewing issues
  • High school diploma or GED

Requirements

  • At least 21 years of age as of time of application
  • Able to stand for prolonged periods
  • Able to stoop, crawl, twist, turn, lift, kneel, climb ladders and stairs
  • Able to manipulate valves and clamps
  • Able to read, follow, and give oral and written English instructions
  • Able to regularly lift/carry heavy objects (55 lbs.) repeatedly and safely above waist-level
  • Able to occasionally move heavy objects (165 lbs.)
  • Able to work in a factory environment which may be loud, hot, humid, cold, or slick
  • Able to work in a fast-paced environment with high-pressure deadlines and time constraints
  • Able to comply with safe chemical handling procedures, including personal protection equipment such as gloves and goggles
  • Able to safely work on ladders and elevated platforms and in confined spaces
  • Able to safely operate vehicles and material handling equipment (e.g., vans, trucks, hand trucks, scissor lifts, fork lifts, pallet jacks)
  • Valid driver’s license and ability to pass insurance driving record review for operating Company-owned vehicles on public roads

This is a full-time salaried position. As a full-time employee, this role will also be eligible for:

  • Paid holidays (New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day)
  • Paid Time Off, which can be used for any purpose and is accrued at a rate of 0.0769 hours of PTO per hour worked (4 weeks per year)
  • Health insurance, with 65-75% of employee premiums, and 25%-35% of dependent premiums paid by Fair State, depending on the plan selected
  • Dental and vision insurance, with 50% of employee and dependent premiums paid by Fair State
  • Short- and Long-Term Disability, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, and life insurance coverage, with 100% of premiums paid by Fair State
  • Flexible savings account for medical and dependent care
  • Employee Assistance Program
  • Employee beer stipend
  • Discounted membership in our cooperative after 6 months of employment
  • Merchandise and beer discounts
  • Credit for clothing merchandise at hire
  • Annual safety clothing & equipment stipend

This is a salaried, exempt position, compensated at $50,000 per annum.

Application Process

To apply, please send your resume and cover letter to jobs@fairstate.coop with the subject line, “Lead Brewer”. Applications will be accepted and interviews conducted on a rolling basis, and we’re looking for someone to start ASAP.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Fair State Brewing Cooperative strongly supports equal employment opportunity for all applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.

Jobs @ Fair State: Street Team Member

Fair State Brewing Cooperative is seeking several individuals to join our Street Team, which introduces our beer to new consumers at liquor store tastings and festivals. We are growing quickly and are excited to add staff to help meet the demand for our beer.

A little about us: Fair State is one of very few cooperatively-owned breweries in the US. We began operations at our brewery/taproom in August of 2014. We were fortunate enough to be named one of RateBeer’s 10 best new brewers in the world for 2015 and recently expanded into a 40,000 sq. ft. production brewery in St. Paul, MN. We focus on traditional German-style beers (especially lager beer), sour beer (ranging from kettle sours to 100% barrel-fermented mixed culture beers), and hoppy beers. Our new production facility has enabled us to supply an expanded assortment of products to a larger number of off-premise accounts.

A little about you: we’re looking for friendly, knowledgeable, and responsible individuals to help us share our beer with new consumers. The ideal candidate would have some experience in the service roles, enjoy talking with and educating others, and be able to work independently.

Responsibilities

The Street Team pours samples of our beer at liquor store tastings and festivals. Liquor store tastings are typically from either 4 pm – 7 pm or 4 pm – 6 pm on weeknights, often on Thursdays and Fridays, and occasionally on Saturdays. Festivals are typically on weekend afternoons. Street Team members will be notified of upcoming events and asked to respond with their availability on a rolling basis.

For each event, Street Team members will be responsible for:

  • Picking up and returning supplies to our taproom or production brewery (e.g., tablecloths, tasting notes, ice tubs, beer)
  • Setting up and breaking down a display table
  • Pouring samples, engaging consumers in conversation, and educating them about our beers and our cooperative business model

Requirements / Qualifications

  • General knowledge of beer styles
  • Experience in customer service, sales, or teaching roles is a plus
  • Willingness to work weekday afternoons and evenings, as well as weekend afternoons
  • Ability to safely lift and move 30 lbs.
  • Ability to follow training on safe and legal service of alcohol

Compensation and Benefits

This is a part-time hourly position with irregular hours. For each event, Street Team members will be paid for the full scheduled length of the event plus 30 minutes for setup and breakdown. Any time worked in excess of that amount will be paid at $10 / hr. Street Team members will also receive a beer allotment, typically (2) 4-packs, for each event worked.

Application Instructions

To apply, please send a short email to jobs@fairstate.coop answering three questions:

  1. What do you like about beer?
  2. What have you done before (your experience) that would make you a great Street Team member?
  3. What would you enjoy about working on the Street Team?

No phone calls, please.

Fair State Brewing Cooperative is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to excellence through diversity. Employment offers are made on the basis of qualifications and without regard to race, sex, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability, age, veteran status, or sexual orientation.