Quality Technologist

Location: East Boston, MA (in the Boston Harbor Shipyard)
Schedule: Full-Time (First or Second Shift availability required)
Pay Rate: $60,000 - $85,000 (commensurate with experience), 10% yearly bonus

Mission of the Role:
As a Quality Technologist at Downeast, you are the guardian of our liquid. You’ll be on the front lines, ensuring every drop of cider meets our high standards for quality, consistency, and food safety. Our production runs at a breakneck pace, and you provide the essential data and testing—from spec verification to microplating—that keeps us from ever compromising on the product.

We’re looking for a detail-oriented "science person" who isn't afraid to get their hands dirty on a production floor. Success in this role means evolving from a learner to a leader; we expect you to master our QA processes within 30 days and start driving lab experiments and process improvements by your 90-day mark.

What you’ll do:

• Laboratory Excellence: Maintain accurate, detailed, and organized records of all formulations, experiments, and test data. No data, no cider.

• Quality Testing: Perform daily testing on all liquid production, including spec verification, product profile checks, and benchtop mixing.

• Microbiology & Sampling: Execute sterile sampling and microplating for raw materials, blends, and finished products to ensure everything is clean and safe.

• Sensory & Shelf Life: Lead sensory evaluations (yes, tasting the cider) and monitor shelf-life testing to ensure it stays fresh from the tank to the glass.

• Operational Support: Perform regular packaging checks and assist with data collection for specialized Quality and Production projects.

• Lab Upkeep: Take full ownership of laboratory equipment maintenance and general upkeep. If the lab isn't dialed in, the product isn't either.

Who you are: You are a technical expert with an obsession for detail. You understand that in QA, "close enough" isn't an option. You are a proactive communicator who can work across departments to solve problems before they hit the can. You’re comfortable in a fast-paced manufacturing environment, you’re tech-savvy, and you have the stamina to stay on your feet and move through the cellar and lab with ease.

Must-haves:

• Lab Fundamentals: Hands-on experience with basic lab equipment, pH testing, and density measurements.

• Organization: Exceptional organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple testing streams at once.

• Communication: Ability to share technical data clearly with non-technical teams.

• Reliability: A "whatever it takes" attitude and a desire to grow within a high-performance team.

Bonus points if you have:

• A Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Biology, Chemistry, or Engineering.

• 1+ year of quality experience in a manufacturing setting (bonus points for beverage/fermentation).

• Experience with sensory testing and basic statistics.

• A background in microbiology.

Don’t meet every requirement? We know there’s no such thing as a perfect candidate. If this role excites you and you have the technical foundation to learn fast, we encourage you to apply with a one-page cover letter. Skip the "to whom it may concern" and tell us straight—why you?

What we offer:

• 16 PTO days in your first year

• Paid holidays, sick days, and bereavement leave

• Paid parental leave

• 401(k) with company match

• Health & dental insurance from day one

• Company-provided short-term disability coverage

• Cider allowance (How big is your fridge?)

All offers of employment are contingent on the successful completion of a background check, conducted after a conditional job offer has been made.

About Downeast Cider: We first started fermenting batches of cider up at Bates College in 2011. We have a few more teammates now. You can now buy our cider in tens of thousands of retailers, not just a couple of bars in central Maine. It takes us 15 minutes to make a pallet of cider, not the 12 hours it took in the early days. We’re diversifying beyond cider. But our aim remains the same:

We aspire to be an enduring company. If we create value for our customers, we create value for ourselves through fulfilling work and robust compensation. To do this requires a world-class brand and a world-class team.

We define our culture by seven principles. You can read more about those principles here.

We like to hire the way we like our cider: unfiltered. We are proud to hire regardless of gender, race, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, disability, age, or anything else that makes us who we are.