Rack & Riddle Custom Wine Services, the #1 custom sparkling wine producer in the United States, is seeking to add an experienced Cellar Lead to our growing team.   
Position Overview 

The Cellar Lead provides direction and coordination for all cellar activities and programs. The position is responsible for the supervision, management and leadership of the cellar team, supplies and equipment, compliance with established safety protocols and regulatory compliance. This position is responsible for the coordination of all crush processing activities, working with other departments for short and long term planning and scheduling and is responsible for the product integrity and for the quality maintenance of wines in storage.



Essential Responsibilities 

Responsibilities would include, but are not limited to the following: 

Maximize use of cellar labor resources to ensure availability of staff, advanced planning to ensure a smooth and seamless workflow. 
Optimize use of employee skills, knowledge and ability and best use of staff hours while minimizing overtime.
Ensure cellar equipment and cellar supplies are available and in optimal working order to meet winery production needs. Ensure proper use and care of equipment by cellar employees, and communicate maintenance needs and priorities to the Facilities department. 
In conjunction with QC Manager, develop and maintain Cellar Standard Operating Procedures to ensure quality steps and risk aversion are built into all production systems and processes. 
Ensure employees are trained on SOP’s and have the appropriate skills, knowledge, tools and supervision necessary to ensure quality work. 
Conduct on-going assessments of cellar operations to ensure quality goals are met or exceeded. 
Manage overall sanitation and appearance of all cellar areas. 
Create, direct and prioritize cellar work plan and resources to ensure production, quality and budget goals are met. This includes the writing of cellar workorders in coordination with the QC Manager and Winemakers for all general activities. 
Develop workforce requirements for both Harvest and non-Harvest periods. Hire to meet production needs. 
Manage the storage and maintenance program for all barrels, coordinating with the Barrel Master/Lead, and tanks. 
Contribute to winery safety program development and ensure the enforcement of and adherence to all OSHA regulations and internal safety policies. Ensure staff is protected from hazards in the cellar work environment. 
Communicate to management any employee or workplace safety violations, and note new or developing hazards. 
Demonstrate leadership and professionalism and serve as a role model in the development of a positive and progressive company culture. 
Play an instrumental role in the development of a company culture that is conducive to maximizing productivity and efficiency, promoting open communication, teamwork and a spirit of cooperation and effective management of employee relations. 
Provide input to Senior Management Team to accomplish master planning and other winery business goals. 
Promote and implement sustainable practices (water conservation, recycling, energy efficiency). 
Ensure compliance with government regulations and manage regulatory issues. 
Continually evaluate and document employee performance and provides constructive feedback. 
Ensure the cellar team is developed to meet the level of skills and knowledge required to operate the winery. 
Responsible for managing time cards, vacation requests 
Database management – workorders completed as work is completed 
Responsible for the writing of annual performance reviews. 
Other duties, as assigned by Management.

Requirements

The successful candidate’s background includes:
Previous crush experience and knowledge of winery cellar, 5+ years 
Forklift experience preferred 
Ability to work outdoors in cool and hot temperatures 
Ability to work in cold, wet, noisy environments
Ability to work safely and accurately in a fast-paced environment is required 
Must be able to work nights, overtime and weekends 
Hours: Full Time (plus overtime) 
Ability to work individually and within team to achieve daily cellar goals 
Ability to read/understand work orders 

Physical Requirements 

Must be able to lift up to 55 lbs. and work at catwalk heights of 25 feet

Summary

Established in 2007 in Northern California by wine industry veterans Rebecca Faust and Bruce Lundquist, Rack & Riddle was founded with the mission to craft superior sparkling wines. Through years of steadfast dedication and thoughtful expansion, Rack & Riddle has become the #1 custom sparkling wine producer in the United States with 3.5 million cases of capacity. An exceptional winemaking team dedicated to the mastery of sparkling wine supported by state-of-the-art technology, delivers turnkey grape-to-bottle, wine-to-bottle, and private label sparkling wine services with tank sizes ranging from 500 to 100,000 gallons. Four modern wineries located in Healdsburg, Geyserville and Lodi specialize in Méthode Champenoise, Charmat, and in-line carbonation solutions producing the best of all things sparkling. The company prides itself on being an upstanding member of the communities in which it operates and is committed to operating fairly, ethically, and sustainably.


Rack & Riddle is a drug-free workplace and an Equal Opportunity Employer.

This role's compensation is anticipated to fit within the stated range. These figures represent what we reasonably expect to pay for this position, but the actual compensation offered will depend on numerous job-related factors, including but not limited to candidate skills, knowledge and education.