Optimization Engineer

Job Title: Optimization Engineer

Location: Fox and Geese, Dublin 22.

Contract: Permanent

About Irish Distillers

Irish Distillers is Ireland’s leading supplier of spirits and wines and producer of some of the world’s most well-known and successful Irish whiskeys. Led by Jameson, our brands are driving the success of Irish whiskey globally. Jameson is the world’s fastest-growing Irish whiskey, achieving +10% net sales growth globally in FY23. Our brands are exported to 130+ markets around the world.

Irish Distillers was formed in 1966, when a merger took place between John Power & Son, John Jameson & Son, and Cork Distilleries Company. In 1988 Irish Distillers joined Pernod Ricard, gaining access to unprecedented levels of investment and an extensive global distribution network.

In 2022, we announced our ambition to significantly reduce carbon emissions across our distilling operations at Midleton Distillery in addition to our plans to invest in a new distillery on a site adjacent to our existing operations in Midleton.

We employ over 800 people across our operations in Cork and Dublin.

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is a worldwide leader in the spirits and wine industry, blending traditional craftsmanship, state-of-the-art brand-building, 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 liqueur and Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes. Our mission is to ensure the long-term development 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. Pernod Ricard’s consolidated sales amounted to € 12,137 million in fiscal year FY23.

About the role

Join our team as an Optimization Engineer with expertise in packaging equipment analysis and support, specializing in maximizing performance. This role requires experience in identifying trends and gaps within production processes, leading optimization initiatives in dynamic environments. Reporting to the Engineering Manager, the successful candidate will excel in cross-functional engagement, representing teams in meetings and overseeing documentation change control to drive operational efficiency.

Role and Responsibilities

Compliance

• Every employee has a duty of care to ensure the safety and wellbeing of themselves and others.
• Ensure compliance and comply with all safety, health, environment, and quality legislation, procedures and standards in the workplace.

People Engagement and Leadership

• Be Real, Be Remarkable, Be Responsible, role-modelling the Irish Distillers Values.
• Embrace a competitive and collaborative High-Performance team mindset.
• Ensure effective specialist support to the operational teams.
• Participate in the weekly production meetings and the daily maintenance review meetings
• Play an active role in building the knowledge and experience of the line teams.

Continuous Improvement

• Track engineering loss and waste within the area. At all times work to reduce and eliminate waste. Identify opportunities to improve business processes and reduce machine downtime.
• Responsible for leveraging and adhering to world class work practices (Business improvement program.)
• Work with the Packaging teams, asset care planners and equipment and material suppliers to improve process capability through root cause analysis to determine cause of problem to prevent reoccurrence.  Continually look to improve the packaging asset care program.
• Work with engineering team to create machine TCO (Total cost of ownership) in CMMS system (Pemac)
• Support engineering team with weekly asset care schedule. Plan and execute schedule when required.
• Lead problem-solving teams to address systemic problems within the packaging hall.
• Follow-up on identified systemic issues and ensure effective specialist support to the operational teams.

Job Specific

• Ensure critical equipment reliability is high and packaging processes are optimized
• Analysis Data through SCADA and MES Reporting tools to assist with problem solving and improvement practices.
• Lead and conduct line capability studies to ensure lines are correctly balanced and optimised.
• Work with engineering team to scope and lead engineering improvement projects.
• In conjunction with engineering manager, work with equipment suppliers and material suppliers to ensure all improvement opportunities are exhausted.
• Support for technical training requirements
• Lead and drive improvement practices through business continuous improvement program
• Lead engineering line trials in order to ensure smooth start-up of NPD. Reports on results and modifications to material or equipment design where necessary.
• Lead and support  line installations, including FATs/SAT, CQV, debugging, optimisation.

Qualifications and Experience

• BEng Degree (Mechanical, Electrical, Manufacturing, Process Engineering)
• 1-3 years’ experience in a similar role
• Strong financial awareness, understanding of business drivers, budgeting processes.
• Excellent process improvement and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent organisational and administrative skills
• Working knowledge of lean manufacturing excellence techniques.
• Computer literate
• Strong numerical and verbal reasoning.

Person Specification

• A developed continuous Improvement mindset underpinned by a history of ownership of own professional development.
• Be self-aware and driven to deliver beyond expectations
• Ability to positively impact and influence with or without direct line authority.
• Strength of character to challenge poor team behaviours.
• Have an “Agile” mindset and respond to change in a positive and flexible manner.
• Proactive, structured and logical problem-solving skills.

What we offer
We understand our people are our special ingredient. We treat our employees with respect and offer an environment that is engaging, supportive and collaborative.  We understand that employees require different supports at different stages of their working lives and our benefits, perks and programmes look to support your employee journey. We want to make you feel recognised and valued for your contribution to our shared success.

Some offerings include:

• Profit share ; - An annual profit share scheme to reward your contribution to the company’s success.
• Product allowance ; an annual allowance to spend on our portfolio of products and merchandise, for you to enjoy responsibly.
• People Development : We enable continuous development for our people at every stage of their careers through our people development, online learning, and leadership training programmes. 
• Family leave : fully paid maternity, parent and paternity leave, allowing you spend precious time with your new family member. 
• Parental Support : Our ‘Reconnect’ programme includes access to a workplace parenting coach, a phased return to work and a supportive environment for new parents
• Health & Wellbeing ; Our Wellbeing Programme “THRIVE” supports employees across the three main pillars: Life, Body and Mind
• Charity Days : up to 2 days paid leave every year to volunteer at a charity of their choice

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Like a well-blended whiskey, we believe that diverse perspectives make us better and we welcome people from all backgrounds, experiences, orientations, and differences to create together the spirit that makes us great.

To learn more about our careers, go to our careers page www.irishdistillers.ie/careers

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