Cellarmaster (Wine Jobs: Vineyards & Cellars )

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

1. Cellar duties and other responsibilities as assigned: (45%)

• Able to perform any Cellar Operation to a high skill level that includes being able to problem solve and train others in the following but not limited to:

1. Productivity and Safety Management: (20%)

• Creates and executes daily shift work plans. Reviews and prioritizes daily workload, adjusts labor plan accordingly to ensure staff and equipment resources are appropriately allocated. Leads daily shift start-up meeting, delegates work orders keeping in mind safety, quality and productivity objectives and cellar worker skill development goals.
• Monitors and participates in all cellar activities throughout the day, monitoring production for actual vs plan, checks compliance with safety, quality, productivity standards reinforcing correct performance as needed; provides training and revises or recommends revisions to standard work where needed; reports equipment performance issues promptly.
• Maximize employment of Cellar labor resource, by ensuring start and break times are managed.
• Ensures Cellar equipment is available and in safe, optimal working order to meet winery production needs. Includes ensuring proper use and care of equipment by cellar employees, and communicating maintenance needs and priorities to the maintenance department.
• Assists with monitoring of Cellar supplies, materials and equipment to ensure availability to support department functions
• Assists in the development and maintenance of productivity standards including identification of production rates and metrics and interprets data to improve operational efficiencies (e.g barrels washed per hour, barrels topped per shift, gallons of water used per case etc.)
• Assists Production Supervisor in Long term and weekly cellar work planning, including development of workforce requirements for both harvest and non-harvest periods.
• Actively promotes and ensures a safe and positive environment for all persons working in (but not limited to) the Cellar
• Reports and investigates all accidents, incidents and near misses and identifies ways to eliminate risk of recurrence.
• Ensures Cellar security and is responsible for Cellar opening/closing duties. Reports suspicious activities.

1. Quality: (20%)

• Manages quality of all cellar operations by ensuring a culture of accuracy, thoroughness, attention to detail and commitment to excellence is present at all times.
• Completes work in a manner that maintains quality and enhances the overall appearance and sanitation of the cellars in keeping with the winery business goals. Includes maintaining a clean work area, cellar cleanliness and aesthetics, general good housekeeping & hygiene, and maintaining cellar temperature and humidity as appropriate.
• Assists with the development and maintenance of Cellar SOPs to ensure quality standards and risk aversion are built into all production processes.
• Communicates with Laboratory and Winemaking to ensure wine / juice analysis meets specifications per work order instructions
• Ensures cellar employees are trained on SOPs and have the appropriate skills, knowledge, tools and supervision necessary to perform quality work before they are authorized to perform tasks with or without supervision.
• Focuses on continuous improvement - conducts on-going assessments of cellar operations to ensure quality goals are met or exceeded. Looks for ways to measure, improve and promote quality.
• Responsible for work order accuracy prior to distribution and upon return post task completion
• Ensures accuracy of inventory through correct use of work orders, barrel scanners, tank cards and fermentation cards, tank & barrel management boards

1. Leadership, Influence and Team Building: (15%)

• Will be required to lead a shift on a daily basis, sometimes without onsite availability of regular winery management.
• Demonstrates leadership and professionalism and serves as a role model in the development of a positive and progressive company culture that is conducive to maximizing safety, quality, productivity and efficiency, promoting open communication, teamwork and respect for others.
• Manages development and performance of cellar workers as individuals and as a group. Writes and delivers cellar performance and development reviews. Provides timely and constructive work performance feedback to Cellar individuals and reports performance issues to HR.
• Coaches and supports individuals and groups towards achievement of set goals. Utilizes Cellar Procedures in training and as a reference to ensure Cellar quality and productivity performance is maximized.

Supervisory Responsibilities: Approximately 6 fulltime direct reports. Additional to this is approximately 6 seasonal Cellar Workers employed during the harvest season.

Job Requirements

Education/Experience:

• Must have at least 5 years of winery production (or equivalent) experience including 3 years of direct supervisory experience.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:  

• Accountability - Ability to accept responsibility and account for his/her actions.
• Ambition - The drive to achieve personal advancement
• Autonomy - Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Communication, Oral and Written – Excellent ability to communicate effectively with others using the spoken and written word.
• Creative - Ability to think in such a way as to produce a new concept or idea.
• Detail Oriented - Ability to pay attention to the minute details of a project or task.
• Honesty / Integrity - Ability to be truthful and be seen as credible in the workplace.
• Initiative - Ability to make decisions or take actions to solve a problem or reach a goal.
• Reliability - The trait of being dependable and trustworthy.
• Safety Awareness and Accountability - Ability to identify and correct conditions that affect employee safety, be responsible for personal safety and safety of others, adhere to company policies and procedures.

Other Physical Requirements

Vision (Near, Distance)

Sense of Sound (i.e. Machinery/tractor sounds)

Sense of Touch

Ability to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) (Steel toe boots, safety glasses)

Work Environment: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, moving mechanical parts, and outside weather conditions.  The employee is occasionally exposed to high, precarious places; fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals; risk of electrical shock; and vibration.  The noise level in the work environment is frequently loud.  Employee works around dangerous, automatic machinery.

Other requirements

• Excellent written and verbal communication in English.
• Excellent verbal communication in Spanish
• Able to read, understand, and possess High School graduate level math skills.
• Able to handle multiple competing tasks and priorities.
• Excellent leadership, teamwork, supervisory and organizational skills.
• Detail-oriented and able to perform quality work efficiently with minimal supervision.
• Able to problem solve and use initiative to adapt / change processes to improve operational performance.
• Computer proficiency in MS Office required.
• Knowledge of various aspects of winemaking operations, quality, personnel supervision, workflow scheduling, equipment and facility maintenance, equipment operation, capacity planning, procedural practice and development, and process improvement.
• Desire to participate in Winemaker tastings.
• Knowledge and use of safety regulations pertaining to cellar equipment operation and maintenance
• Must be able to climb stairs to work on platforms 12 feet or more in height.
• Able to stand, walk, and climb stairs for eight to twelve hours per day.
• Able to lift and carry 55 pounds.
• Work flexible shifts and schedules, including overtime.