WineTalent Classifieds: Lab Manager - Enologist in the Napa Valley

WineTalent is working with our winery client to find a Lab Manager – Enologist to join the company. 

 

About the Company:  Our client is a well-respected, luxury wine producer in the heart of the Napa Valley.  The wines are produced from all estate grown fruit.  The winery has a proven commitment to producing wines of the highest quality. 

 

About the Position:  The Lab Manager will be responsible for Quality Assurance throughout the entire winemaking process, from grape sampling to bottling. The Lab Manager will carry out routine laboratory analysis on juice and wine samples and maintain accurate records of results.  This position will have frequent interaction with the Winemaker and cellar staff, be aware of all winery activities and monitor the evolution of the wine.  The Lab Manager will also be responsible for maintaining all inventories of lab chemicals and supplies, wine and dry goods, tracking cellar work orders and activities as they affect inventories and maintain all production records.  The Lab Manager will oversee the acquisition of dry goods and logistics during packaging, bottling and warehousing of wine.  This role supervises harvest interns and has daily interaction with the production team.  As needed, the Lab Manager will write and maintain SOPs for the laboratory and the cellar.   

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: 

Laboratory

•      Update standardization protocols and analytical procedures.

•      Maintain and update testing procedures

•      Maintain accurate record of test results

•      Maintain, calibrate and troubleshoot laboratory equipment and offer solutions as necessary

•      Ensure accurate analysis, compare results against previous data and re-run if results are not within specifications

•      Check lab analysis against external lab analysis to verify accuracy

•      Perform monthly volatile acidity and free SO2 analyses on all aging wine lots

•      Perform full analytical panel on all lots at racking (every three months)

•      Perform analysis panels as per Analysis Request Calendar (harvest and malolactic)

•      Sample tanks and barrels as necessary, and request samples from cellar team

•      Record results in vintage log

•      Conduct sensorial testing for wine defects

•      Maintain current inventory of lab chemicals and supplies and order as necessary

•      Alert Winemaker to potential issues with analysis or other observations

•      Investigate new lab protocols and methods

•      Ensure proper safety procedures are followed in the lab

 

Laboratory Analyses

•      Autotitrator

o   Total Acidity

o   Free SO2

•      Auto-analyzer (SMARTCHEM) or Spectrophotometer (enzymatic)

o   Volatile Acidity

o   Malic Acid

o   Residual Sugar

o   Nitrogen/Ammonia

•      Carbodoser

o   CO2

•      Alcolyzer

o   Alcohol

•      pH meter

o   pH

•      NTU meter

o   NTU

•      Spectrophotometer

o   Tannins – A280

o   Anthocyanins

•      Invisible Sentinel – PCR

o   Brettanomyces

•      Microscope

o   Microbiological observations of yeast and bacteria

•      Refractometer

o   Brix

•      Glories Method

o   Phenolic sampling during harvest

 

Winemaking Related Responsibilities

•      Participate in daily cellar crew meeting and interaction with cellar crew

•      Calculate and confirm wine additions

•      Write and maintain SOP’s for laboratory and cellar

•      Prepare egg-white fining and filtration trials and other benchtop trials as needed

•      Prepare trial blends and determine AVA and varietal breakdown

•      Understand winemaking and aging process to plan and organize analyses annually

•      Perform sensorial analysis and alert supervisor to any potential quality issues

•      Calculate and confirm additions

•      Proactively check analyses on lots according to stage or intervention

•      Prepare bulk wine samples

 

Inventories and Traceability

•      Enter work orders into cellar record keeping document

•      Maintain intermediate inventory

•      Prepare end of month bulk inventory

•      Participate in annual physical inventory

•      Ensure that traceability is completed (in coordination with cellar master)

 

Bottling

•      Realize pre-bottling analyses

•      Prepare bottling work order

•      Assist in pre-bottling organization (warehouse map, logistics, storage placement of bottles)

•      Ensure quality control during bottling

•      Realize inventory count

•      Enter bottling work order and create bottling summary

•      Supply cage labels

•      Realize end of bottling dry goods inventory

 

Packaging

•      Order dry goods (labels, foils, cases) and coordinate delivery and storage

•      Prepare warehouse maps and packaging logs

•      Realize pre-packaging analyses

•      Assist in pre-packaging meeting

•      Perform quality control checks on all dry goods (labels, filters, cases)

•      Ensure quality control during packaging

•      Realize end of day inventory count

•      Enter packaging work order and create packaging summary

•      Realize end of bottling dry goods inventory

 

Managing of Intern

•      Prepare intern introduction and training plan

•      Train and manage lab intern sampling methods, sample rows, grape analysis and data entry

•      Organize and evaluate intern’s work schedule

•      Coordinate sampling and grape ripening analysis

•      Layout and monitor activities during the workday (with Winemaker)

 

Cork Selection

•      Sample, prepare and perform cork quality control, including sensory analysis, for lot selection

•      Create cork sensory report summary

•      Maintain relationship with cork suppliers

•      Prepare cork purchase orders

•      Track “corked” bottles from tasting room

 

Sustainability

•      Update sustainability documents

•      Investigate potential areas of improvement

•      Organize audits

 

Qualifications:

•      BS in Fermentation Science or related science field

•      Experience with lab equipment and research methodology

•      At least 3 years of wine industry experience, including hands-on laboratory experience

•      Good Excel skills

•      Accuracy and attention to detail

•      Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects

•      Ability to function independently

 

Compensation and Benefits:  This is a full-time, hourly position.  During harvest and other times of peak activity there will be overtime hours.  Benefits include healthcare, dental, life insurance, 401K plan with company match and possible subsidized company housing.

 

About WineTalent:  WineTalent is a wine industry focused recruitment company. We work closely with our clients and our job seekers to find the right fit of talents, experience and work environment. All inquiries will be kept strictly confidential.

 

Please email resume and all inquiries to amy@winetalent.net  

 

COVID Career Casualty? Time to start the job search

Two months into the COVID-19 shutdown here in California, and things look a lot different than at the beginning of March.  After shelter in place orders were given and the need for some to self-quarantine, our employment situation is drastically different.  We are starting to chart a path to reopen the economy, but it may be a very bumpy ride for the next few months. 

The first few days and weeks of the pandemic response seem like a blur.  Businesses were forced to shut down and employees found themselves sheltering at home.  Workers who could work from home were, sometimes for the first time ever.  Other people whose companies closed were home, facing their future.  Many of us now had young children home, and we were navigating online learning.  And some of us chose to self isolate in order to avoid getting the virus.  Looking back, it was a time full of heightened emotion, uncertainty and fear.  Today, emotions can still run high, there is plenty of uncertainty, and some of us continue to have a good amount of fear of the virus, the future and our livelihoods. 

I think the uncertainty is the toughest part of this pandemic.  While I am fairly confident in how to limit my exposure to the virus, and prevent others near me from becoming ill, I'm not completely convinced the coronavirus will not cause harm to me or my family.  Having geared up to make hundreds of masks early on in our lockdown, I felt like I was making something that could help prevent contracting the virus, or prevent spreading it to someone unknowingly.  Hand washing is a new religion for my entire family.  Yesterday I even made my second batch of homemade soap.  But small projects will not keep me occupied or feeling rewarded long term.

Just like I need to keep myself active and engaged with my business, you may be facing an uncertain employment situation yourself.  Now is the time to plan your "get back to work" strategy.  Now that the future is starting to take shape, let's sharpen our focus on your job search strategy. 

Connect with people you know:  Being isolated from people we see regularly can be very hard on us, and reconnecting with those people may seem daunting.  Right now, people enjoy hearing from friends and colleagues.  Pick up the phone and call your old friends.  If you have lost your job, call your old co-workers.  And call your old boss.  We are all going through this together, and right now connecting with those we care about is important. 

Don't be afraid to express your emotions--within limits!  If you reach out to an old colleague right now, don't be afraid to say you have been scared or lonely.  Those are natural human emotions, and most people are feeling them too.  I would say it's best to avoid putting yourself in a situation where you can't communicate because you completely lose your composure.  And while emotions may be high, don't bad mouth your old boss or employer--many people had to make tough decisions on the fly in the first few days of the pandemic.  Remember that the relationships you have are very important now, and keep them strong. 

There is no shame in having lost your job:  During this lockdown, many high performing people found themselves unemployed for the first time in their life.  If you are still reeling from the fact that you lost your job, you are not alone.  Many people are in the same situation, and can commisserate with you.  Face the fact that you don't have your old job, and present your situation honestly when talking to others. 

Get in touch with people who can help:  Right now many people I proudly helped find a great job are facing shaky employment prospects.  I want to hear from you.  Recruiting can feel like a role that is all about making the placement and walking away.  But it really doesn't stop at the placement.  We want to continue to hear from you, help you on your career path and connect you with a great job again when you need it.  Put a quick call into anyone who has mentored you with your career and let them know you are looking for help again.  Knowing you need help often allows others to assist you. 

Take some small steps in your job search:  Looking for a job can seem like a Herculean task when you are sad and sheltering at home.   Breaking up the task into bite-sized pieces will make it much easier.  

Here are some things to do now to get your job search on track, (with resources where appropriate):

• Update your resume (for tips, click here)
• Create a generic cover letter to use when sending in a resume
• Update your LinkedIn profile (tips, click here)
• Get in the habit of scanning job boards for opportunities
• Talk to friends about what they are hearing out there, job wise.  
• Connect with old bosses and co-workers 
• Have a game plan for taking care of children or family members if you need to do a phone or video interview
• Follow up on any job leads, interviews or networking calls to see how things evolve over time.  While a job opening might be on hold, when it reopens you want to be one of the first people the employer thinks of.
• Make sure you can do a video interview, professionally (tips, click here)
• Get an interview outfit ready, in case something comes up quickly.  The interview may be by video or in-person, and having something ready may save you precious time.  
• Clean up your social networking feeds--if you have a social media presence and are job hunting, now is a good time to have positive posts up and not political, silly or distasteful posts.  

Figure out what works, and keep doing that:  This job search may be quite different than your previous ones.  There may be many people vying for the job.  Some people may be leery about the role based on the potential for exposure to the coronavirus.  The future of the employer may be questionable.  As you put one foot in front of the other on your job search, see which steps work best, and keep doing those as much as possible.  

Reevaluate your career plan:  Does your employment history skew towards industries that are the hardest hit by the pandemic?  Is the type of position you've had before put you too close to potential danger?  Do you need to factor in family care responsibilities differently now?  This new world we are in may make a profession pivot necessary.  Look at reports on what industries are hiring and poll your friends and family for where they think the jobs will be.  If you can repackage your skill set to a new, thriving industry, do it.  Or if you see an opportunity to provide a needed product or service in this environment, figure out how to make that happen and do it.  This dynamic time can be the perfect time to create a whole new career for yourself.

Hang in there:  This is a tough time for all of us.  We are all in this together, apart.  Soon we'll be in this together,  together again.  Find ways to find happiness in small things, and keep a long view for where your career path leads, not simply on this bump along the way.  

How to Conduct In-person Interviews during COVID-19

Right around the second week of March all hiring activity came to a screeching halt here in California.  Taking a look at what was going on, as the World Health Organization declared coronavirus a pandemic on March 11, public gatherings were being banned in San Francisco and the NBA suspended the season.  Within days schools were closing throughout California.  On March 15th, Governor Newsom ordered all wineries to close tasting rooms, and restaurants were ordered to reduce capacity to allow social distancing.  Four days later, the state ordered us to shelter at home.  

In this new environment, many companies were quickly forced to close or send workers home to work remotely.   Not surprisingly, all open jobs were closed.  Positions that were recently filled were in limbo--were newly hired employees still going to have a job to go into?  Recruiting practically stopped completely.  

We went into the pandemic with full employment.  Often, finding the right person for the job was nearly impossible since everyone was working.  Fast forward to the end of April 2020 and now 19% of the California workforce had filed for unemployment benefits.  We are in a completely different environment for hiring now.  

The wine industry is an interesting model during the pandemic.  Wine production and vineyard operations are essential, and my clients are continuing to have employees at work daily, whether that's in the cellar, on the bottling line or in the vineyard.  And essential workers are still being hired to keep operations running.  But hospitality roles were severely impacted.  Many hospitality workers I know are currently unemployed, and wondering what the future holds.  

As we start to re-open our economy, hiring will start to take place.  It will be a completely different landscape than two months ago, and we will need to follow different protocols to keep ourselves, our employees and our future employees safe.  Interviews for essential roles have continued during the pandemic.  My clients are implementing more phone and video interviews, but for important roles, the in-person interview continues to be very important.  Employers want to get a complete picture of a future employee, and candidates want to see where they will be working, learn more about the job, and get to know their future coworkers.  This leads me to ask, how should you perform in-person interviews in the Age of COVID-19?

Talking with my colleagues in Human Resources, they are having all interviewees wear a mask and keep all interactions at least 6 feet apart.  Some are conducting interviews outside, weather permitting.  Reviewing the CDC guidelines, and from recommendations of colleagues in the industry, here are my proposed best practices for interviewing amid COVID-19.

Set Clear Expectations:  With interviewees probably visiting the work location for their first time, giving them clear information about some basic items will be reassuring.  These include:

• Where to park.  

• Where to enter the building.  If this is a production environment the employer may have certain areas only accessible to employees.  If there is an entrance interviewees and visitors are using, please let the interviewee know ahead of time.

• Instructions on what to do if the interviewee isn't feeling well.   Let candidates know to inform the interviewer if they do not feel well, and do not go to the interview.    Rescheduling an interview is a small inconvenience. 

Interview Protocol:  Interviewing is often fraught with anxiety, and the added element of COVID-19 will likely increase this.  Here are some items that should be communicated to the candidate:

• Mask:  If the interviewee will need to wear a mask, please let them know that ahead of time.  Many winery and vineyard workers have a mask for work, and can bring one to the interview if needed.

• Greetings:  While I was taught the importance of a firm handshake from a young age, it is a completely unnecessary skill these days.  Greet anyone you meet and introduce yourself from a distance.  Don't shake hands.

• Social Distancing:  All interviews should be conducted with at least 6 feet of distance between all people at the meeting.  Knowing this ahead of time will eliminate any awkwardness at the beginning of the interview.  Some companies are putting large tape Xs on spots that either can or cannot be occupied during meetings.  An interviewer should let candidates know where they can locate themselves for correct social distancing

• Embrace the great outdoors:  While many things are not understood about the transmission of the coronavirus, I do believe that having plenty of fresh air is a positive element.  If it is feasible, interviewing outdoors in a spot with plenty of fresh air can limit the potential for exposure even further, while you continue to maintain social distancing and wear a mask.  

As always, have a sense of humor!  We are all in this together, and are figuring out how to get back to work, safely.  There may be some mistakes made, but as long as you are safe, I encourage you to be understanding and adjust to the situation.  We will get through this together, and be stronger as a result.  

And at the end of the interview, remember, don't shake hands!  Interviewees--follow up with a thank you email to the interviewers.  Interviewers--let the candidate know what next steps will be whenever possible.  

Good Luck!

Virtual Job Fair for Military and Veterans: April 28th at 11 am to 3 pm, PST

Job Seekers:  For all military personnel and veterans, RecruitMilitary is holding a virtual job fair for West Coast employers next Tuesday, April 28th from 11 am to 3 pm, PST.  Registration & attendance is free and resources for writing resumes, crafting elevator pitches, etc. are also available to job seekers prior to the event.  RecruitMilitary also maintains an online, mobile-friendly job board that currently hosts 209,000+ jobs nationwide.  Job seekers can identify job opportunities by geographical location, skill sets or remote work. Job opportunities include winery roles.

Employers:  In need of highly qualified job candidates?  RecruitMilitary has a candidate pool of nearly 1.5 million job seekers with military experience.  They may be a perfect fit for your business needs. 

More Info:  To learn more about the job fair, visit the website Western Region Virtual Career Fair for Military and Veterans.  And to learn more about RecruitMilitary, visit https://recruitmilitary.com/about#team  

Culture Club Part II: Digging into a Company's Culture

Last month I posted ways to determine the culture at a potential employer during the interview process (Culture Club Part I).  Let's dig a little deeper, and see what else we can learn about the culture at a company you are interested in working at. 


Do Your Homework:  Snoop around online to see what you can find.  Glassdoor has employee reviews of many companies.  Larger companies may be profiled in local newspapers and business journals.  Publications such as Business Insider and Entrepreneur frequently create lists of the companies with the best company culture.  Looking at social media posts by the company, its employees and others can give you some insight into the company as well. 

Crowdsource your Information:  When you are considering a certain company, think about who you know who works there, or better yet, who has worked there.  Ask for their thoughts on the company.  I do say take the information with a grain of salt.  If your friend who is badmouthing the company tends to grumble about lots of things in his life, it might be him, not the company that was not a good fit. 

Ask the Right Questions:  You'll be getting asked questions during the interview process.  Make sure you ask questions too.  Ask questions relevant to the role you are interested in, and questions about how the company manages its employees and how people work together.  For some good questions, look here.

Shadow Someone:  If you are offered the job, but are still unsure the company is the right fit for you, ask if you could job shadow someone in a similar role to you.  My all time best boss offered this option to me during the interview process.  While I didn't do a job shadow, I did call up some of the employees to ask them about the job, about their boss and about the dynamics of the office.  It allowed me to learn more about the company, interact with future colleagues early on, and do my own "reference" check of my future employer.  It paid off!


Here are some additional articles to determine company culture:

• Examples of companies with great corporate cultures.
• Starting a New Job?  Here's how to Evaluate Company Culture.
• 9 Sneaky Ways to Figure out a Company's Culture

Remember, you will be spending a lot of time at your new company.  Making sure it's a good fit early on is very important.  You want to make sure your culture and values are well matched with your future employer.