WineTalent Classifieds: Winemaker in Mendocino, CA

WineTalent is working with our client, Redwood Valley Cellars, to find a Winemaker to manage the production and cellar team, and to serve as the leader of the winemaking team.  This position oversees the wines from vineyard to bottle, as well as working with custom crush clients to produce quality wines for their wine programs. The Winemaker will be handling the overall management, direction and coordination of strategic planning for the family owned, 1.2 million case custom crush and storage facility.  Additionally, the Winemaker will be handling all of the winemaking activities for the company’s estate grown, organically farmed, Barra of Mendocino and Girasole Vineyards brands.  This position will interact closely with other departments to support the brand in the market, to represent the company at trade events, and to manage business relationships. 

Responsibilities: 

Production:

·      Manage and direct production processes to maximize capacity and efficiency

·      Adherence to safety, quality, regulatory compliance and the company’s vision. 

·      Assure effective communication among production staff including consulting winemakers and other staff as well as with other departments, managers and owners.

·      Promote strong relationships with custom crush clients. 

·      Effectively and timely manage production issues and consistently reach satisfactory resolutions. 

·      Ability to troubleshoot and create new SOP’s to eliminate production problems, ensure safety and increase efficiency.

·      Lead the Safety Management Committee

·      Direct the winemaking team in daily execution of Work Orders including record keeping.

·      Direct supervision of winemaking team and cellar crew.

·      Hire, train and coach winemaking and cellar team, including harvest cellar crew.

·      Work collaboratively with the Chief Operations Officer for the purchase and maintenance of production equipment and winemaking supplies.

Administration:  

·      Responsible for compliance with local, county, state and federal agencies.

·      Budget preparation and management of production to budget.

·      Assistance with administrative tasks as needed to ensure a highly functioning operation.

Qualifications and Requirements: 

• 10 or more years of winemaking experience in a similar sized winery.
• Prior personnel management experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in Viticulture and Enology, Fermentation Science, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering or related field.  Industry work experience will also be considered in lieu of a Bachelor’s degree.
• Knowledgeable of all cellar equipment and an understanding of proper use, maintenance, sanitation and repair.
• Excellent mechanical aptitude
• Effective communication skills to manage the production team, interact and support other company departments and ensure strong relationships with custom crush clients.
• Microsoft Office experience.  AMS fluency highly desirable.
• Valid Driver’s license.
• Spanish language skills a plus.

Compensation and Benefits:

·       This is a full-time, salaried position.

All inquiries will be kept strictly confidential.  Please visit www.winetalent.net for contact information to email your resume to us.  

WineTalent:  The Right People for the Job

WineTalent Classifieds: Production Manager near Fresno, CA

WineTalent is working with our client, O'Neill Vintners & Distillers on a Production Manager to
manage and oversee the operations activities at the Parlier, CA production facility.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

·       Facilitate, train, and coach team members in the use of Lean methodology

·       Develop and drive strategy for Continuous Improvement principles to become an integral part of operational culture

·       Develop production processing metrics (KPIs) that enable team discussion around continuous improvement

·       Develop daily/weekly critical processing metrics for both non-harvest and harvest related activities to ensure operations teams are meeting company goals

·       Mentor and coach front line leadership in skills of communication, supervising teams, engaging workforce on problem solving and workflow prioritization

·       Plan, organize, and direct production to meet or exceed established goals in a cost-effective manner

·       Foster and facilitate change management to ensure front line work force is engaged and enlisted throughout process or cultural change

·       Design, develop, and implement processes that increase yield and/or improve quality for all manufacturing

·       Coordinate with cross-functional managers and supervisors to establish production targets and quality control standards

·       Develop, implement, and maintain processes, procedures, and programs to improve the safety, productivity, and profitability of the operation

·       Ensure that employees and frontline leadership have the required safety training and are consistently working in a safe manner; develop and implement safety programs to ensure a safe work environment is maintained

·       Coordinate with cross-functional managers to address organizational needs related to staffing, equipment and employee and food safety needs

·       Provide leadership, communication, and coaching to employees; cultivate a motivated employee environment of trust, teamwork, accountability, self-confidence, and business ownership

·       Ensure that operational supplies are on hand and available at all times

·       Develop, implement, and monitor department budget; manage expenses within approved budget constraints

·       Identify, document, and implement opportunities for continuous improvement

·       Perform other duties as assigned by manager

QUALIFICATIONS:

·       Bachelor’s degree (B.A. /B.S.) in related field or equivalent preferred

·       LEAN manufacturing/Six Sigma experience 

·       Two to four years related experience or equivalent

·       Demonstrated proficiency in supervising and motivating subordinates

·       Commitment to excellence and high standards

·       Excellent written and oral communication skills

·       Ability to effectively communicate with people at all levels and from various backgrounds

·       Basic competence in subordinates’ duties and tasks

·       Strong organizational, problem-solving, and analytical skills

·       Ability to manage priorities and workflow

·       Versatility, flexibility, and a willingness to work within constantly changing priorities with enthusiasm

·       Ability to work independently and as a member of various teams and committees

·       Proficient on Word, Excel and PowerPoint

·       Proven leadership and business acumen skills

·       Proven ability to handle multiple projects and meet deadlines

·       Strong interpersonal skills

·       Ability to deal effectively with a diversity of individuals at all organizational levels.

·       Good judgment with the ability to make timely and sound decisions

·       Bilingual skills a plus

·       Ability to understand any and all safety requirements and cautions

·       Ability to perform the physical labor necessary

·       Ability to speak, read, write, and understand primary language(s) used in the workplace

·       Must pass pre-employment background check and drug screen

All inquiries will be kept strictly confidential.  Please visit www.winetalent.net for more information and for our contact information. 

WineTalent:  The Right People for the Job

WineTalent Classifieds: Wine and Spirits Packaging Sales Representative

Dynamic Napa based packaging company is looking for an Outside Sales Representative to be part of an independently minded, flexible, and growing company with lots of career advancement opportunities.

Position Summary: WineTalent is working with our confidential client on a Sales Representative role. This position will be responsible for bringing in new customers in the wine and spirits industries in North America as well as handling existing customers. The Sales Representative will be working with wineries and distilleries to supply bottles and high end packaging materials for bottling. The Sales Representative will be working with new customers to develop strong relationships, to provide competitive pricing and to maintain consistent follow-up. The Sales Representative will be focusing on boutique and quality-minded clients. 

The ideal Sales Representative will be a proven sales and revenue generator that knows how to build new business and constantly land new accounts.  


Responsibilities: The Sales Representative will be responsible for the following:
•  Maximize the outreach into the North Bay, Napa, Sierra Foothills, Santa Barbara, Paso Robles and Southern California.
•  Develop new accounts in these areas through prospecting, lead generation and networking.
•  Building sales throughout the large territory will require extensive weekly travel, out of state travel and tradeshow attendance.  
•  Provide knowledgeable customer service to current and future accounts. This will require a broad knowledge of the product offerings, technical specifications and related nuances of alcoholic beverage packaging.
•  Focus on developing and servicing the specialty glass-packaging client in both wine and spirits.
•  Create strong sales with proprietary packaging. 
•  Provide various tiers of packaging to customers while focusing on higher end product sales.
•  Support warehouse during inventory and inspections. This may include picking up products as needed for special orders.
•  Order entry, modifications and related administrative tasks will be handled through the company’s software system. Accurate and timely order entry extremely important.
•  Strong attention to detail is required to minimize and eliminate order errors, and to ensure efficient deliveries and consistent restocking.  
•  Self-motivated salesperson will be tracking upcoming packaging needs of current and future customers. All customer activities will be entered and maintained in company database.
•  Weekly sales reporting.


Experience and Skills Required:  
•  At least 2 years of sales in the wine and/or spirits industry.  
•  Must have proven sales ability and customer relationship management skills. 
•  Strong database skills and order tracking experience.
•  Exceptional customer experience including problem troubleshooting, issue resolution, and the ability to eliminate problem areas in the future.
•  Experience with glass packaging specifications highly desirable. 
•  Knowledge of wine and spirits production 
Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Finance, Communications, Winemaking or Fermentation Science or related discipline is desired. 

All inquiries will be kept strictly confidential

WineTalent: The Right People for the Job

WineTalent Classifieds: Lead Financial Officer in Lodi, CA

WineTalent is working with our client Rutherford Wine Company on a Lead Financial Officer position. This role will be accountable for the administrative, financial, and risk management operations of the company, including the development of a financial and operational strategy, metrics tied to that strategy, and the ongoing development and monitoring of control systems designed to preserve company assets and report accurate financial information. 

Responsibilities:

Planning
- Assist in formulating the company's future direction and supporting tactical initiatives
- Monitor and direct the implementation of strategic business plans
- Develop financial and tax strategies
- Manage the capital request and budgeting processes
- Develop performance measurements that support the company's strategic direction

Operations
- Participate in key decisions as a member of the executive management team
- Maintain in-depth relations with all members of the management team
- Manage the accounting department
- Assist the financial operations of subsidiary companies
- Manage any third parties to which accounting or finance functions have been outsourced
- Oversee the company's transaction processing systems
- Implement operational best practices

Financial Information
- Oversee the issuance of financial information
- Report financial results to the family

Risk Management
- Understand and mitigate key elements of the company's risk profile
- Construct and monitor reliable control systems
- Maintain appropriate insurance coverage
- Ensure that the company complies with all legal and regulatory requirements
- Ensure that record keeping meets the requirements of auditors and government agencies
- Report risk issues to the family
- Maintain relations with external auditors and investigate their findings and recommendations

Funding
- Monitor cash balances and cash forecasts
- Arrange for debt and equity financing

Qualifications:

-       Master's degree in accounting or business administration, or equivalent business experience will be considered

-       10+ years of progressively responsible experience for a major company or division of a large corporation. 

-       Wine and vineyard industry experience required.

-       Should have experience in partnering with an executive team, and have a high level of written and oral communication skills.

-       Candidates with an MBA in Finance and Certified Public Accountant or Certified Management Accountant highly desirable. 

All inquiries will be kept strictly confidential

WineTalent:  The Right People for the Job