Job Title: Head Brewer
Company: Antifragile Brewing Company
Reports To: Owner / CEO
Direct Reports: Assistant Brewer
Brewing System: 1 BBL brewhouse, 12 – 2BBL Unitanks, Canning Line, Keg Washer
Employment Type: Full-Time, Exempt — Salary commensurate with experience
Schedule: Brew days, cellar work, and planning vary; full-time commitment with schedule flexibility

Position Summary

Antifragile Brewing Company is looking for a Head Brewer who is ready to run a brewery. Not assist with one. Run with what has been created — from building on the last 4 years to new recipe design through fermentation, cellaring, packaging.

This is a small, hands-on operation is in the process of growing. Currently, our 1 BBL brewhouse means no production manager between you and your craft, no committee sign-offs on every batch, and no assistant to hand tasks off to when things get messy. You and a highly capable Assistant Brewer are the brewing program. You will be on the floor, cleaning tanks, lifting grain, dialing in fermentation, and building something worth drinking — every single brew day.

The Head Brewer operates the brewing side of the business in a fully turnkey fashion — owning ingredient ordering, production planning, scheduling, quality control, and compliance without day-to-day direction from ownership. Creative latitude is broad: you bring the expertise, the palate, and the ideas, and you execute on them. Where ownership stays involved is at the level of brand and portfolio direction — collaborating on the overall style mix, the philosophy of the lineup, and any significant departures from the established direction. Think of it as a creative partnership where your voice carries most of the weight, and ownership's role is to keep the beer program coherent with the brand we've been building.

The right fit: This role is ideal for a brewer who has put in their time at larger operations and wants the freedom to brew on their own terms — or a standout talent ready to step into a lead role and prove what they can do with real ownership and minimal bureaucracy.

Key Responsibilities

Recipe Development & Creative Direction

• Lead all recipe development with broad creative latitude — the ingredients, the process, the techniques, and the refinements are yours to own
• Build and maintain a rotating lineup that reflects your palate, the season, and the community we serve, within the context of our agreed-upon portfolio direction
• Bring new style ideas and lineup proposals to ownership for collaborative review; significant additions to the portfolio or departures from established direction require owner alignment before proceeding
• Participate in regular portfolio conversations with ownership to ensure the beer mix reflects both your creative vision and the brand's direction
• Research and experiment with ingredients, techniques, and styles to keep the program alive and evolving
• Document all recipes with precision so every batch is reproducible and improvable
• Collaborate with ownership on beer naming, release storytelling, and how new beers are positioned to guests

Brewhouse Operations

• Plan and execute all brew days from grain to fermenter on our 1 BBL system
• Manage all brewing operations with care and precision
• Monitor and adjust wort quality at each stage — gravity, pH, color, and clarity
• Maintain a brew schedule that supports consistent product availability and variety
• Keep the brewhouse clean, organized, and running safely at all times — this means hands-on cleaning, not delegating it

Fermentation & Cellar Management

• Manage all active fermentations across the cellar: temperature control, pressure, and timeline
• Execute dry hopping and other post-fermentation processes as required by recipe
• Monitor beer health throughout conditioning and make adjustments to achieve the intended outcome
• Manage transfers, clarification, carbonation, and conditioning to packaging readiness
• Maintain a clean, well-organized cellar with clear labeling and documentation on every vessel

Packaging

• Execute kegging and any other applicable packaging formats
• Ensure all packaged product meets quality and presentation standards before it leaves the brewery
• Maintain packaging equipment in good working order

Ingredient Ordering & Inventory

• Manage all raw material procurement: malt, hops, yeast, and brewing chemicals
• Build and maintain relationships with preferred suppliers; source new ingredients as the recipe program evolves
• Maintain accurate inventory of all raw materials and consumables
• Order proactively to avoid shortages without over-purchasing; manage ingredient freshness
• Track material costs

Brew Scheduling & Production Planning

• Build and manage the production schedule to maintain consistent product availability across the lineup
• Balance batch timing, fermentation capacity, and packaging throughput on a 1 BBL system
• Plan seasonally and plan ahead — account for extended fermentation or conditioning timelines for lagers and specialty projects
• Communicate the production schedule and upcoming releases to ownership and the taproom team proactively

Quality Control

• Conduct regular quality checks throughout production: gravity readings, pH, sensory evaluation, and visual inspection
• Maintain detailed batch records for every brew, including any deviations and corrective actions
• Hold every batch to a high standard — if it is not right, fix it or dump it before it reaches the guest
• Identify recurring issues and adjust process, recipe, or technique to eliminate them

Equipment & Facility

• Take ownership of all brewing equipment — maintain it, clean it, and address issues before they become failures
• Perform routine preventive maintenance and coordinate outside repairs when needed
• Keep the brewery clean, safe, organized, and compliant with all applicable regulations
• Flag capital needs or equipment improvements to ownership as they arise

Assistant Brewer Leadership

• Work directly and daily alongside a capable Assistant Brewer who is a genuine partner in the operation
• Assign tasks, teach techniques, and develop the Assistant Brewer's skills over time
• Foster a working relationship built on trust, clear communication, and shared standards
• Model the level of care and attention to detail you expect from every person in the brewhouse

Regulatory Compliance

• Maintain all required TTB and Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) production records and reporting
• Ensure all compliance obligations remain current
• Follow and enforce all safety protocols related to CO2, chemicals, and brewing equipment

How We Work Together

Head Brewer owns independently

Owner collaborates and approves

Day-to-day recipe development and refinement

Overall beer portfolio mix and style direction

Ingredient selection, sourcing, and substitutions

Significant new style additions or major lineup changes

Fermentation and process decisions

Brand philosophy and how the brewery is positioned

Production scheduling and batch planning

Release naming and storytelling for new beers

Quality control standards and corrective actions

Capital expenditure and major equipment decisions

Ingredient ordering and vendor relationships

Final say on beers that represent a meaningful brand departure

Qualifications

Required

• 3+ years of professional brewing experience with demonstrated hands-on brewhouse and cellar skills
• Experience managing a full production cycle independently, from recipe to packaged product
• Strong working knowledge of brewing science, fermentation management, and quality control
• Experience with raw material procurement and production scheduling
• Working knowledge of TTB and state regulatory requirements for beer production
• Ability to lift 55+ lbs, work in a physically demanding environment, and perform tasks requiring bending, climbing, and sustained physical effort
• Meticulous attention to detail and a genuine, uncompromising commitment to quality
• Comfortable working collaboratively on brand and portfolio decisions while maintaining creative ownership of execution
• Must be of legal drinking age

Preferred

• Experience on a small-format system (3 BBL or under) where one or two people own the full operation
• A distinctive point of view on beer — demonstrated through a recipe portfolio, prior release history, or homebrewing body of work
• Experience with well executed lagers and hazy IPAs
• Connections within the craft brewing and ingredients community

What We Offer

• Near-total creative ownership of the beer program — your recipes, your craft, your reputation on every pour, within a collaborative brand framework
• Competitive salary commensurate with experience
• A direct, low-bureaucracy working relationship with ownership — no layers, no politics
• A capable, hardworking Assistant Brewer who will make your days better, not harder
• Staff meal and beverage discounts
• Industry education and certification support
• Paid time off and holidays per employee handbook

Antifragile Brewing Company is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds. If you are a brewer who takes the craft seriously, wants genuine ownership of your work, and can thrive in a collaborative creative partnership — we want to hear from you.

Pay: $60,000.00 - $75,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Paid time off

Work Location: In person