Distilleries Technical Innovation Scientist

What we can offer you

• We offer a competitive salary and benefits which are designed to promote our employees financial wellbeing. Employees are also eligible to participate in a bonus plan.
• Our employees enjoy a generous holiday entitlement and an opportunity to ‘buy’ or ‘sell’ some holiday entitlement.
• Private Healthcare and Doctor@Hand (remote GP service).
• Our employees can join a defined contribution pension plan. Employees contribute either 4% or 5% of salary, the company contributes 8% or 10% depending on the employee contribution. Employee contributions can be made through salary sacrifice.
• Our Employee Assistance Programme offers practical, impartial support on everyday matters ranging from medical, financial and legal to home and family issues. 
• Our Life Assurance cover is a multiple of eight times your annual basic salary.
• Product allocation so that you can enjoy our fantastic portfolio of brands.
• Our Cycle to Work scheme allows you to hire a bike for an agreed length of time, and then snap it up for a fraction of its original value. All while making savings (at least 25%) and spreading the cost.
• Every employee has the opportunity to claim up to £1,000 per year for a charity or charities for which they have raised money, volunteered their time or personally donated.
• Learning resources to help you be your best self.

Job Introduction

We have an amazing opportunity for a curious and driven individual to join the Distilleries Technical Development Team at William Grant and Sons.  You will lead the thinking and practical research for development or change to existing distillery operations or invent new processes at lab or pilot scale This will drive raw material effectiveness, process effectiveness, and develop new flavours from our distilleries.  You’ll then get to apply this and validate in distillery operations.

You’ll need to work collaboratively and cross functionally with the wider technical team and across all our UK and Ireland Distilleries, providing controls and setting deliverable targets alongside the operations teams. Some travel to execute trials will be required. 

Main Responsibilities

If you are the successful candidate, you will bring your curiosity and problem-solving mindset to identify technical opportunities on plant including novel means of improving productivity, ensuring environmental compliance, and contributing to distillery project work.  You will be expected to explore development of concept & processes to create new make spirit from our distilleries through lab trials, perform R&D and trials on plant.  You will be able to analyse samples in accordance with standard operating procedures, ensuring accurate record keeping for report writing and will be accountable for collection and prioritisation of innovation initiatives from sites/key stakeholders to inform the development of the annual innovation plan.  You will be responsible for managing the process and ensuring cross site conformance.  You’ll be excellent at data handling and interpretation through statistical tools to enable clear communication to the main stakeholders. 

Our Ideal Candidate

As our ideal candidate, you must have a curious approach, be confident in distillery operations and be inclined to think outside the box.  You will have a can-do attitude alongside exceptional technical skills and the ability to work in a fast-paced environment.  You will be emotionally grounded in strong values with a highly effective communication style.  Key to the success of your role is your experience in distilleries brewing or plant science.  Analytical chemistry, laboratory equipment, method development as well as experience of quality systems and process implementation are required. 

About William Grant & Sons

A HOME FOR RARE CHARACTERS

William Grant & Sons: a home where Rare Characters thrive.

We value every employee for their rare character, distinctive skills, experience and perspectives. Every one of our colleagues has a role to play in helping us to achieve our growth ambitions.

At William Grant & Sons, our vision is to be A home where rare characters thrive. We value all colleagues for their rare character, distinctive skills, experience and perspectives. Diversity & Inclusion is at the heart of how we do things at William Grant & Sons, fully aligned to our purpose and our company values. We strive to create an environment where we can all be our best and bring our whole selves to work.

OUR AGILE WORKING PHILOSOPHY

Our agile working philosophy is to “Have your best work day everyday”.
Built on trust, we empower our rare characters to have their best work day every day. Where flexibility and positive working experiences help employees to feel connected and release potential across our teams.
We are open to discussing possible agile/flexible working options as part of the recruitment process.

INCLUSIVE RECRUITMENT PROCESS

Diversity & Inclusion is at the heart of how we do things at William Grant & Sons, fully aligned to our purpose and our company values. We want to ensure that our recruitment process is inclusive.