Operations Manager / Assistant Winemaker (Wine Jobs: Vineyards & Cellars )

  Blendtique Wine Co.

  Santa Maria, California

Operations Manager/Assistant Winemaker will be a key member of an intimate team building a new, high-quality program and custom brands in the Santa Maria, California. The business is gearing up to establish growth in both production and sales, marketing, PR and branding. 

This is an opportunity to help build an evolving and extremely diverse project's vision from the ground up. Due to the unique nature of this venture, the Operations Manager/Assistant Winemaker must thrive in a professional environment wearing many hats in pursuit of achieving the overall goals of the organization. 

Working long-days and potentially weekends may be expected, however, there is some flexibility with this position should the candidate wish to maintain additional part-time weekend work. 

To succeed and thrive in this role, the Operations Manager/Assistant Winemaker must possess the following qualities: 

- Strong organizational & leadership skills.
- Thrives working independently & proactively, while maintaining with the ability to work closely with others 
- Excellent communication skills, both written & verbal.
- Ability to devise & execute plans to achieve both short-term & long-term goals.
- Acute eye for detail and fierce pursuit for achieving the best results in all tasks.
- Creativity & minor Maintenance Skills
- Interest in learning & mastering new topics & skills.
- No task is too big or too small. 
- Enjoys & welcomes physical labor in addition to office work.

The ideal candidate will possess the following professional experience & capabilities: 

- Bachelor’s degree.
- Minimum 2+ years professional Wine Production experience in Wine Industry 
- Minimum 2+ years professional experience in F&B, Restaurant, Tasting Room, or Hospitality w/ Wine Training. 
- Business Operations & Customer Service Experience.
- Must Maintain Forklift Certification 
- Must reside in or near the Santa Ynez Valley/Santa Barbara County/Santa Maria Valley area.
- Physically able to be on your feet for many hours a day or sit at a computer for several hours at a time.
- Must be able to independently lift min. 50lbs.
- Must possess valid California driver’s license. 
- Flexible work-schedule.
- Excellent Technological Skills & Strong Computer skills using Apple devices (Mac, iPhone, iPad, etc.) & proficient in Microsoft Office Suite applications such as PowerPoint, Word, and Excel. 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Facility Management (30%): Oversee the day-to-day operations of the boutique winery facility, including but not limited to…

- Organize & coordinate daily tasks carefully moving pallet stacks with use of Fork Lift. 
- Ensure Organized & Cleanly Work Environment in both winery and office. 
- Daily Order Fulfillment & Shipping
- Manage maintenance & shipping needs of the winery and coordinate with vendors to schedule appropriate pick-ups. Ensure the facility is always operating at the highest level. 
- Maintain a weekly shipping schedule & work hand-in-hand with our fulfillment center. 
- Address & resolve unforeseen maintenance needs as required. 
- Coordinate delivery & installation of equipment & supplies, boxes, packages, mail, etc. 
- Manage office & office supplies and oversee the upkeep of office area, equipment, and all technology/devices. 
- Manage Part-time teams to box & finalize product packaging. 

Business Operations/Administration (30%): Ensure daily business responsibilities are executed & keep the business on track to achieve short term & long-term goals. Responsibilities include but are not limited to…

- Manage day-to-day winery operations including answering calls & emails
- Order fulfillment & execution which may include labeling and attention to detail regarding labeling. 
- Organizing & prioritizing relevant tasks based upon the Owner’s discretion to achieve both business and winemaking goals.
- Generate documents and presentations as needed.
- Coordinate with Owner to hire part-time help as needed. 
- Liaise with accounting office to manage administrative paperwork 
- File and maintain business records including permits, invoices, inventories, etc. 
- Research & lead special projects as requested by the Owner and Winemaker such as purchasing new equipment, finding new vendors, etc. 

Cellar/Winemaking (30%): The Assistant Winemaker will report to the Owner/Winemaker on all aspects of wine production, with a focus on hands-on, task-driven work.
- Schedule & monitor daily cellar operations, including harvest, bulk wine, barrels, bottling preparation, sanitation, and cellar organization and cleanliness. 
- Help with Lab analysis when needed
- Keep accurate records of all tasks and bulk wine inventory on cellar tracking software
- Maintain inventory of dry goods and cellar additives as well as reordering and coordinating with suppliers
- Assist winemaker in preparation of blends, fining trials, & submissions
- Participate in wine tasting at all stages throughout the winemaking process. 
- Make periodic additions. 
- Assist in operation and supervision of the bottling line, including any personnel assigned to those operations
- Supervise and train cellar staff in job duties and H&S.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of the winemaking process & procedures.
- Keep Winery & Equipment Clean and Functional at all times. 
- Assist with basic repairs as needed. 
- Assist winemaking team with tasks as needed. 

Events/Food & Beverage (10%): 
- Coordinate and manage private events as requested by the Owner, including wine tastings, food and beverage service, event staff, event communication, etc. 
- Manage food & beverage catering during harvest and vineyard & winemaking teams.
- Some travel, special events, and instructional class tastings may be required. 

Initial hours: Monday-Thursday 9am-5pm
Hourly Wage: TBD