Packaging Line Operator

Location:

East Boston, MA (in the Boston Harbor Shipyard)

Schedule:

Full-time, 8 hour shifts Monday-Friday, first shift (7am-3pm), second shift (3pm-11pm)

Availability for at least 1 of the 2 shifts is required for consideration, bonus points for full 2 shift availability

Pay Rate: starting rate is $20 per hour, with additional pay depending on prior packaging experience and shift differentials for 2nd shift (+$0.50/hr)

"If we create value for customers, we create value for ourselves in fulfilling work and robust compensation. This requires a world‑class brand and a world‑class team."

The packaging operator is an essential role on the rapidly growing team at Downeast Cider. The packaging team is fully responsible for operating the canning and kegging line. Our equipment runs at high speeds (285 cans per minute!), requiring attention to detail and the ability to perform repetitive tasks efficiently. Sometimes deadlines need to be met, or tanks need to be emptied, and the team stays until the job is done.

We’re looking for team members who bring a positive attitude, a strong work ethic, and the ability to stay focused—even in challenging situations.

Successful packaging operators often grow into leadership roles within the team. This role offers hands‑on training with high‑tech, state‑of‑the‑art packaging equipment, exposure to other departments, and opportunities for cross‑training.

• Operate canning and kegging equipment safely and according to established procedures
• Clean and maintain packaging equipment and work spaces
• Enter packaging data through web‑based forms and maintain records in spreadsheets
• Operate forklifts to stage raw materials and move finished product

• Comfortable lifting heavy objects repeatedly
• Able to work in hot, cold, damp, or confined spaces
• A team player who is willing to assist other departments when needed
• Able to think critically through complex processes such as tank handling
• Open to working first and second shifts as needed

• Have experience in the food, beverage, or manufacturing industry
• Have a mechanical background

We know there’s no such thing as a perfect candidate. If this role excites you, we encourage you to apply with a one‑page cover letter explaining why this opportunity speaks to you. Skip the “To Whom It May Concern” and tell us straight—why you?

• 16 PTO days in your first year
• Paid holidays
• Paid sick days
• Paid bereavement leave
• Paid parental leave
• 401(k) with 4% company match
• Health & dental insurance from day one
• Company‑provided short‑term disability coverage
• Annual PPE stipend
• 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. Candidates will have the opportunity to review and respond to any findings.

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.