Packaging Line Operator [East Boston, MA]

Packaging Line Operator – East Boston, MA

Location: The Shipyard, East Boston, MA
Schedule: Full-Time, 8-hour shifts, Monday–Friday (1st Shift: 7am–3pm | 2nd Shift: 3pm–11pm)
Compensation: Starting at $20/hr, with additional pay for prior experience

Why Join Downeast?

Building a world-class brand takes a world-class team. Here's what the job comes with:

Health & Wellness: Health and dental insurance from Day 1, plus company-paid short-term disability.

Time Off: 16 PTO days in your first year, plus paid holidays, sick days, bereavement, and parental leave.

Future Focus: 401(k) with a 4% company match.

The Perks: Annual PPE stipend, company-wide holiday party, and a consistent cider allowance. Keep your fridge stocked.

Growth: This isn't just a shift; it's a career path. Successful operators are first in line for leadership roles and cross-department training.

No Experience? We'll Train You.

You don't need packaging or manufacturing experience to start here. You'll be trained on our canning and kegging equipment, our cleaning and maintenance procedures, and our quality standards. We can teach the machines. Showing up ready to work is the part you bring — and if you do have experience, it shows up in your starting pay.

The Mission

The Packaging Line Operator is the engine room of Downeast. Your mission is to master the technical art of canning and kegging, ensuring every drop of cider meets our quality standards at 285 cans per minute. This is an evergreen role — we are always scouting for disciplined, high-motor people to join our talent pipeline as we grow. Whether we're hiring today or tomorrow, we want the best operators ready to step up.

What a Shift Looks Like

You start with safety checks and line setup. Once the line is running, you're operating the canning and kegging equipment, clearing minor mechanical issues on the fly, running quality checks against our specs, and logging packaging data as you go. You'll hop on a forklift to stage raw materials and move finished pallets into the warehouse. Shifts end with cleaning and handoff to the next crew. It's fast, it's physical, it's on your feet — and at the end of it, there are pallets of cider that didn't exist that morning.

What You'll Do

Master the Machinery: Operate canning and kegging equipment safely and efficiently. Perform routine cleaning and maintenance (CIP/SOPs) to keep the line at peak performance, and troubleshoot minor mechanical issues on the fly to minimize downtime.

Own the Data: Accurate record-keeping is vital — you'll enter packaging data through web-based forms and spreadsheets, and ensure all finished goods meet our strict "unfiltered" quality specs.

Flex the Logistics: Operate forklifts to stage raw materials and move finished pallets into the warehouse. Maintain a clean, organized, and safe workspace in the heart of the Shipyard.

Who You Are

Disciplined and safety-first. You follow SOPs to the letter, take ownership of your station, and keep quality top of mind.

Someone who thrives on the hustle. You aren't intimidated by high speeds or repetitive tasks; you find a rhythm and stay focused.

A self-improver. You learn new machinery quickly, ask sharp questions, and use feedback to sharpen your skills.

Gritty. You're comfortable lifting heavy objects and working in the elements — hot, cold, damp, or confined spaces.

A team player. When a tank needs emptying or a deadline is looming, you stay until the job is done to support the crew.

What You Need

Must be at least 21 years old (federal & state alcohol regulations).

Ability to stand for an 8-hour shift and lift up to 50 lbs repeatedly.

Availability for at least one of our two shifts — bonus points for full flexibility.

A track record of showing up on time, every time.

Bonus Points

Prior experience in food, beverage, or high-speed manufacturing.

A mechanical background or experience with industrial equipment.

One More Thing

After you apply, we'll send you a short Wonderlic assessment. Everyone who applies takes it — it's part of the process, not a trap. If you're going to complete it, apply. If you're not, this saves us both an email.

Don't check every single box? We value grit, hustle, and reliability above all else. If this role speaks to you, apply — no "to whom it may concern" required.

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 on our website.

Unfiltered Hiring

We like to hire the way we like our cider: unfiltered. With the understanding that we can learn and grow from each other's differences, we are proud to hire regardless of gender, race, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, disability, age, or anything else that makes us who we are

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