Canning Line Manager in Savannah, Georgia at Florida Rum Company LLC

Position Summary:

ZIAMI Distillery is launching a new production facility in Savannah, Georgia. We are hiring an experienced Canning Line Manager to own that line end to end — leading installation and commissioning, running daily production, and managing the operators who work the line. This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who already knows canning equipment inside and out and can bring a line up to speed fast. You will be the technical authority on the line — including the transition from the current Alpha Can filler/seamer to a new ProBrew ProFill 200 rotary filler/seamer — and the person accountable for the line's output, quality, and uptime.

Key Responsibilities:

• Safety & Compliance
  • Operate in line with food safety, GMP, sanitation/washdown, LOTO, and PPE requirements.
  • Support quality and regulatory compliance relevant to beverage canning and alcohol production.
• Quality
  • Own seam quality — perform and direct teardown seam inspections, monitor fill accuracy, and document results to spec.
  • Hold product and process to spec; maintain traceability and quality standards across every run.
• Team Leadership
  • Manage, train, and schedule the line crew; build the SOPs and run sheets that make the line repeatable.
  • Set and enforce the standard for safety, quality, and accountability on the floor.
• Production
  • Run daily canning production to schedule, hitting throughput, yield, and quality targets.
  • Drive down downtime, scrap, and material loss through root-cause problem solving and continuous improvement.
• Canning Line Ownership
  • Lead installation, commissioning, and startup of the full canning line — depalletizer, can rinse, rotary filler/seamer, warming tunnel, dryer, labeler, Keyence date/lot coder, Shanklin shrink-bundler and heat tunnel, Econocorp cartoner and tray packer, and Macro Corp palletizer — and everything in between.
  • Own the transition from the existing Alpha Can filler/seamer to the ProBrew ProFill 200 rotary filler/seamer (20-valve counter-pressure fill, 4-head rotary seamer, Allen-Bradley PLC, VFD drive, integrated CIP); dial in the new line with OEMs and vendors and bring it to production-ready condition.
  • Operate and optimize the line end to end, from depalletizing through palletizing.
  • Own conversions and setup across products and run parameters — currently 12oz cans on a 202 end, with plans to run additional sizes (such as 7.5oz and 16oz) as the line scales; minimize conversion time.
• Maintenance & Reliability
  • Troubleshoot and repair mechanical, pneumatic, and basic controls issues to keep the line running.
  • Build and run a preventive maintenance program, including PM systems and lube routes; manage spare parts, change parts, and consumables.

Required Qualifications

• Direct, hands-on experience running a canning or bottling line — rotary filler/seamer operation, double-seam quality, and conversions.
• Demonstrated mechanical troubleshooting and repair ability on production equipment.
• Experience leading or supervising a production crew or team in some capacity.
• Experience in a food & beverage manufacturing environment; cGMP/HACCP familiarity.
• Able to work on-site in Savannah, GA, with flexibility during the startup phase.
• Able to stand for extended periods, lift up to 50 lbs, and work in a manufacturing environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience commissioning or starting up a new canning line or production equipment.
• Background in food & beverage manufacturing, including canned or RTD beverage production.
• Double-seam setup and evaluation (teardown, seam scope/micrometer); CarnaudMetalbox-style seamer tooling a plus.
• Comfort with Allen-Bradley PLC/HMI, VFD-driven lines, and CIP/sanitation systems.
• Familiarity with preventive maintenance, including developing preventive maintenance systems and lube routes.
• Forklift certification or willingness to certify.

Why This Role

This is a ground-floor opportunity at a brand-new facility. You will have real autonomy, direct influence on how the canning operation is built and run, and the runway to grow your responsibilities as ZIAMI scales in Savannah.