At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead grain distilling operations and ensure safety, quality, and sustainability.
- Company: Join Pernod Ricard, a global leader in spirits with iconic brands.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, bonuses, private medical insurance, and generous holidays.
- Other info: Inclusive culture with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Why this job: Shape the future of Scotch whisky while promoting sustainability and innovation.
- Qualifications: Senior leadership experience in distillation or comparable manufacturing environment required.
The predicted salary is between 60750 - 74250 £ per year.
Pernod Ricard is a worldwide leader in the spirits and champagne industry, blending traditional craftsmanship, state-of-the-art brand development, and global distribution technologies. Our prestigious portfolio of premium to luxury brands includes Absolut vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine's, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liquor, and Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes. Our mission is to ensure the long-term growth of our brands with full respect for people and the environment, while empowering our employees around the world to be ambassadors of our purposeful, inclusive, and responsible culture of authentic conviviality.
Chivas Brothers is the Pernod Ricard business dedicated entirely to Scotch whisky. Our award-winning portfolio features some of the world’s most revered single malt and blended Scotch whisky brands, including Chivas, Ballantine's, Royal Salute, The Glenlivet and Aberlour, which are exported from Scotland to over 100 countries worldwide. As the world’s No.2 Scotch whisky producer with a 1,600-strong team across 26 sites, we are committed to upholding the heritage and pursuing the progress of Scotch and ensuring its sustainable future, as well as opening it up to new audiences across the globe.
About the role: We are hiring a Head of Grain Distilling to be responsible for providing leadership and direction for all grain distilling operations. The role translates business and supply requirements into safe, resilient, and efficient site performance, balancing volume, quality, service, cost, people capability, legal compliance, and sustainability commitments. You will provide visible leadership, bring clarity, support multidisciplinary teams, and ensure that operational improvement and capital investment deliver measurable, sustainable value.
What you will do:
- Safety & Compliance: Promote and support a safety-first culture and ensure full compliance with health, safety, environmental, quality, food safety, and regulatory requirements. Lead process safety, risk management, incident learning, and continuous improvement programmes.
- Operational Excellence: Work with teams to deliver production outcomes safely, reliably and to high-quality standards. Improve plant performance through collaboration, insight and continuous improvement, with focus on reliable asset performance, maintenance, operational resilience, and business continuity planning.
- Performance & Efficiency: Support teams to improve efficiency, productivity and responsible cost management across energy, water, yield, and asset utilisation. Use data, automation and digital tools to inform decisions, solve problems and improve ways of working.
- People Leadership: Lead, coach and develop capable, engaged teams, including direct leadership team. Build an inclusive, engaged culture that promotes accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning.
- Sustainability: Deliver ambitious sustainability goals, including decarbonisation, resource efficiency, and environmental performance improvements. Partner across the business to balance environmental impact, operational resilience, and commercial performance.
- Strategy & Investment: Shape and deliver the capital investment roadmap, ensuring projects are safely executed and deliver long-term value. Build trust-based relationships with key stakeholders, regulators, and industry partners while contributing to strategic business decisions.
Your skills and background:
- Bring senior leadership experience in distillation, spirits manufacturing or a comparable process manufacturing / high hazard environment, with a combination of technical expertise and commercial and financial acumen.
- Demonstrated delivery of measurable cost, efficiency, reliability, and sustainability improvements without compromising safety or quality.
- Experienced in leading, supporting and developing people, as well as change management, and talent development.
- Ability to collaborate across functions and externally, communicating effectively at diverse levels.
- Hold a relevant degree or professional qualification and a full UK driving license, with ability to travel as required.
Why join us?
- Collective Spirit: You will be part of a connected, international community shaped by iconic brands, a performance mindset, and a proud legacy, where collaboration, fun and ambition coexist.
- Craft your path: We empower you to own your career, innovate boldly and grow alongside our business, surrounded by leaders who value curiosity, energy, and impact.
- Cultivate the future: You'll help shape a business with a soul - one that cherishes the land, respects communities, and brings good times from a good place, responsibly and sustainably.
People are at the heart of everything we do at Pernod Ricard and are the foundation of our collective spirit as 'Créateurs de Convivialité'. We promote inclusion throughout our business and supply chain. In our teams, we proactively foster a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture, an environment where we can truly be ourselves.
We will assess your application for this role based on your skills, experiences, and achievements, not your gender, age, ethnic or educational background or any other such factors. Our recruiting team are more than happy to provide reasonable adjustments during our application and interview process, in order for you to participate fully in our recruitment experience.
Our mix of benefits:
- Competitive salary, along with performance related bonus
- Defined Contribution Pension
- Private medical insurance, including income protection
- Comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme
- Generous annual holiday entitlement (increasing with length of service) plus public holidays
- Pernod Ricard share incentive plan and share ownership plan
- Life Assurance
- An allowance each year to spend on our brands
- Our reward & recognition scheme
- Employee discounts from a range of high street retailers
- Regular events in our very own office bar
Closing Date for Applications: 2nd October 2026
Job Posting End Date: 2026-10-03
Target Hire Date: 2027-01-04
Head of Grain Distilling in Glasgow employer: Chivas Brothers
Pernod Ricard is an exceptional employer, offering a vibrant work culture that prioritises employee empowerment and safety. With a commitment to professional growth, employees are encouraged to innovate and develop their careers within a supportive environment that values diversity and inclusion. Located in the heart of Scotland's whisky industry, the company provides unique opportunities to engage with iconic brands while enjoying competitive benefits and a strong sense of community.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Grain Distilling in Glasgow
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We think you need these skills to ace Head of Grain Distilling in Glasgow
Some tips for your application 🫡
Showcase Your Technical Skills:In the manufacturing-production sector, it's crucial to highlight your technical skills and experience. Make sure your CV features any relevant qualifications, such as certifications in machinery operation or production management, and don’t forget about any specific systems or software you’re familiar with. This can really set you apart!
Emphasise Teamwork and Communication:Working in manufacturing often means being part of a larger team. Highlight your experience in collaborative projects or environments where communication was key. Maybe you have experience with lean manufacturing principles? Talk about how you worked with your team to improve productivity and maintain quality.
Tailor Your Cover Letter to the Company:Don’t just recycle an old cover letter! Take the time to tailor your cover letter to Chivas Brothers specifically. Mention what excites you about their production processes or products, and how your previous experiences can contribute to their goals. We want to see your enthusiasm for the role!
Use Concrete Examples of Your Achievements:When detailing your work experience, include measurable achievements that can demonstrate your impact. Whether it’s improving efficiency by a certain percentage or successfully leading a project, these specifics can make a huge difference. Numbers speak volumes in the manufacturing world!
How to prepare for a job interview at Chivas Brothers
✨Know Your Manufacturing Processes
Before you walk into the interview with Chivas Brothers, brush up on the specific manufacturing processes relevant to the role. Understanding lean manufacturing principles or quality control techniques could give you a solid edge to discuss how you’d fit into their operations.
✨Technical Questions Are Key
Be prepared for technical questions around machinery, production scheduling, or materials handling. Make sure you can confidently explain how you've dealt with these in past experiences or internships. Knowing industry-specific software could also be a big plus!
✨Showcase Your Problem-Solving Skills
Manufacturing environments often focus on continuous improvement. Be ready to discuss specific instances where you’ve solved a production issue or implemented a process improvement. It’s all about demonstrating your analytical thinking and hands-on approach.
✨Align Your Values with Quality and Safety
In a full-time role, companies like Chivas Brothers value commitment to quality and safety. Be prepared to discuss how you prioritise these factors in your work. It’s about showing that you’re not just looking for a job, but that you genuinely care about contributing positively to their production environment.
