Fixed term 12 month contract as maternity cover to lead our logistics and operations from late May 2026.
Office Manager – Maternity Cover
Nc’nean is a Scotch whisky distillery with a difference. The UK’s first net zero whisky distillery, BCorp certified, female‑led and with accolades from near and far for the product and our commitment to doing things the right way. Stand‑out awards include a double gold from San Francisco World’s Spirits Competition, IWSC 95 points and being ranked 21st in the “World’s Most Admired Whiskies”.
The distillery is based on Morvern where our end‑to‑end production takes place, from milling malted barley through to dispatching our finished bottles.
We are looking for an Office Manager on a fixed‑term 12 month contract as maternity cover to lead our logistics and operations from late May 2026. This is a pivotal role in the organisation, acting as a bridge between operations and sales and ensuring the company remains compliant.
We are looking for someone with the ability to oversee procurement, logistics, compliance and reporting, as well as managing new projects and being the day‑to‑day contact for our cask sales programme. The role is varied and fast‑paced and we’re looking for someone who thrives in that environment with great problem‑solving, prioritisation and planning skills.
Responsibilities
Procurement
* Working closely with the Operations Executive and Distillery Manager, manage the procurement of distillery inputs including all packaging, distillery materials such as yeast and casks and other requirements.
* Monitor stock levels, forecast requirements, place orders and manage deliveries.
* Coordinate with the rest of the team including bottling and finance to ensure the process runs smoothly.
* Actively review cost and quality, looking to optimise where possible.
Logistics and order processing
* Plan movements of goods between central belt warehouses and the distillery, with the support of the Operations Executive ensuring we have the right stock in the right place at the right time.
* Support the Operations Executive to process export orders, ensuring 100% compliance and seamless movement of goods to our export partners.
Compliance and reporting
* Manage the application and approval process for various key distillery consents including with SEPA, Ofgem and HMRC.
* Oversee record keeping onsite including bottling and dispatch records and the monthly stock‑take process and feed into finance and HMRC reporting.
* Manage the annual organic inspection including collating data, hosting the inspection and managing compliance of off‑site partners.
* With the Distillery Manager, manage regular Health and Safety tasks, work on continuous improvement in the business’s health and safety programme, adapting as processes change.
Project management and other support
* Coordinate new product development projects and run the operational side – e.g. finding third‑party manufacturers, sourcing new ingredients and packaging and organising the end‑to‑end logistics.
* Manage off‑site production where required (e.g. for mini bottles) including sourcing partners, negotiating pricing and ensuring all production requirements are delivered on time.
* Be the first point of contact for IT support and accounts support with our outsourced IT and bookkeeping teams.
* Run Nc’nean’s private cask programme including building relationships with current cask owners and driving new sales each year casks are released.
* Run end‑to‑end filling process including scheduling fillings with distillery manager, invoicing and certificate issue.
Skills and experience
To be successful in this role you will need to:
* Be highly organised and with excellent attention to detail.
* Be agile and dexterous in your thinking to juggle multiple priorities and deadlines.
* Be an excellent communicator to work across a wide team and with multiple key suppliers.
* Be highly numerate and able to analyse costs and opportunities clearly using Excel and other tools.
* Have experience in an operations environment and be able to think through problems in a logical way.
Ideally you would also have:
* Team leadership skills, with a track record of developing and motivating colleagues.
* Knowledge of the drinks industry.
Role details
* 4 day a week maternity cover (12 months, starting late May 2026) – days per week can be further discussed.
* Based at the distillery in Drimnin with some flexibility to work from home on occasion.
* Occasional UK travel for events and meetings.
* Free whisky allocation.
* Flexibility to work from home on occasion.
* Being part of a dynamic, fast‑growing business in an exciting category with the opportunity to grow and develop your career.
* Supporting a business that is a force for good (Highest scoring B Corp distillery globally with a score of 147).
* Employee wellness scheme.
* Cycle‑to‑work scheme.
* 34 days holiday per year (which includes Scottish bank holidays).
How to apply
To apply please send your CV and covering letter to jobs@ncnean.com.
Please include:
* Why you’d like to work for Nc’nean.
* An honest assessment of which bits of the role you’d be great at and which might be less familiar (we’re not expecting anyone to have done it all before!).
* Any practical details you feel we ought to know (where you are based, possible start dates etc).
We are expecting to run two rounds of interview with the first being phone‑based in early March and then final in‑person interviews in the last week of March at the distillery.
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