Jobs

Are you an experienced Distillery Operator who shares our passion for quality whisky production and making a positive contribution to the local community, with a desire to be part of something new on Islay, within a family owned company? If so, this could be the perfect opportunity for you…

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Ian Macleod Distillers Ltd… ‘An international, entrepreneurial, brand-led, successful, sustainable and respected, family business’

We appreciate and value your interest in this opportunity with Ian Macleod Distillers. We are a fourth generation family owned and run spirits business and the proud owners of some of the world’s best loved brands including Glengoyne, Tamdhu, Rosebank, Smokehead and Edinburgh Gin. Please browse our websites and social channels and immerse yourself in our award-winning portfolio of brands. As we start to tantalise your taste buds and whet your appetite for a career here with us at Ian Macleod Distillers, you will really get to understand just why our team members and customers are indeed so passionate about all things Ian Macleod!

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Our Story…

It’s an exciting year for us here at IMD as construction of our brand-new Laggan Bay Distillery on Islay is nearing completion. For the first time we’ll have our very own Islay based distillery, famed for its signature peaty and smokey single malt whisky, join our family and portfolio of exquisite spirits.

We are passionate about this project and have been working in partnership with The Islay Boys on this who we have a long-standing relationship with and who have opened the neighbouring brewery.

You will find us located on the ‘low road’, by the stunning Laggan Bay (our namesake!) making the distillery locally accessible. We are mindful of making a positive contribution to the local Islay community and inspired by Laggan Bay, an area of outstanding natural beauty, the distillery has sustainability at the heart of its journey, and will feature dedicated wetlands, to manage liquid waste and provide a haven for wildlife.

At the forefront of the Laggan Bay Distillery is our Distillery Manager, Malcolm Rennie, who has recently returned to his Islay roots where his whisky career started. He brings with him over 20 years of experience in peated whisky distillation and has played a key role in a number of distillery commissioning projects. Using his knowledge and expertise, and working in partnership with our brand team, he will help to define the essence of the Laggan Bay spirit, supported by his team to deliver quality spirit!

We are now looking for kindred spirits to join us and become part of the evolving Laggan Bay Distillery story…

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Our Opportunity…

As we prepare for our commissioning and first distillation this summer, we are now looking for 2 x experienced Distillery Operators to join our small team!

It’s a highly exciting time and an excellent opportunity for you to become part of our Laggan Bay production team from the outset, playing a key role in the commissioning phase, first distillation and ongoing production process.

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Who We Are Looking For…

We’re looking for candidates who share our passion for whisky and love for the industry, professionals with positive attitudes and good work ethics.

As Distillery Operator you will form part of a small team and be responsible for ensuring we produce high quality liquid whilst meeting production targets and maintaining the distillation process and equipment to maximise performance, ensuring full compliance with all legal requirements and company standards will all be key requirements of these roles. As a true ambassador of Laggan Bay you will represent our brand at all times and will occasionally be required to interact with private visitors to the working distillery and other external parties, such as contractors, who attend to the distillery.

For these roles, we are looking for candidates with direct previous experience in a similar role within the whisky and/or spirits industry. Ideally we are looking for candidates who have prior experience making traditional Islay peated single malt whisky who can bring their knowledge and insight to the commissioning and distillation, supporting Malcolm as we shape the essence of our newly formed Laggan Bay spirit.

Candidates should have breadth and depth of both practical and theoretical technical experience. The successful candidate will be a strong team player, working collaboratively with their colleagues to achieve common goals, whilst also having the ability to work independently, using their own initiative and making suggestions to improve processes. It is requirement that applicants hold a full UK driving licence. Previous fork lift truck experience would be advantageous although not essential. The role will also involve the administration of documentation and all internal communications and HR systems are fully self serve, therefore candidates must be computer literate and have experience using Excel and other technology and systems at work. An understanding of all statutory and company regulations relating to health, safety, HMRC and environmental issues is also desirable.

In line with our current production forecasts, we anticipate that our Distillery Operators will provide day shift cover across Monday to Friday, providing the successful candidates with a great opportunity for work-life balance! We will require flexibility and in future there may be further shift working patterns introduced – this will be discussed further at interview.

Due to the nature of our industry candidates must be 18 or over to be considered. In addition, we are looking for candidates who live within a commutable distance to our Laggan Bay Distillery, located on the Isle of Islay.

In line with our commissioning activities, we are anticipating a start date of 30th June for the successful candidates.

A copy of the full job profile is available on our website.

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Next Steps…

So… if you feel you have all the skills and experiences that we are looking for, combined with a positive attitude and a desire to be part of something special, then we would love to hear from you!

To apply for this opportunity, click the ‘apply now’ button to create your own recruitment account with us and submit your application and CV. Please remember that along with your CV, you will need to answer some key questions and submit a tailored cover letter, clearly outlining why your skills and previous experiences are a perfect fit to what we are looking for – this is your opportunity to make yourself stand out from the crowd!

Please note, this is an open application window therefore we may close the advert at any point depending on the candidate applications received, so our recommendation is that you apply early to ensure you do not miss out.

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***No Agency Contact***

Proudly supporting the #OpenToWork movement.

Ian Macleod Distillers (IMD) are proud members of the Scotch Whisky Association, Drink Aware and the Portman Group. In our individual IMD way, we endeavour to follow best practice to help shape our commitment to wider social responsibility and industry standards. We are advocates of promoting responsible selling and consumption of alcohol.

Application Deadline: Sunday 01/02/2026