Job Summary
This position is responsible for leading safe, efficient, and high-quality bottling operations, including production planning, team leadership, equipment performance, quality control, and continuous improvement, by performing the following duties.
Essential Job Duties
•  Directs bottling operations, ensuring safety, quality, efficiency, and execution across multiple packaging types, brands, and client bottlings.
•  Plans, schedules, and controls departmental labor to meet production needs at the lowest effective cost, including crew sizing, overtime, and temporary labor, and ensures productive use of staff during non-bottling periods.
•  Leads, develops, and holds accountable a crew of permanent and temporary staff through clear daily direction, training, feedback, and performance management.
•  Partners with winery leadership to set departmental goals, strategies, and policies that support broader company objectives. Influences, interprets, and implements policy and practice within the organization.
•  Leads by being a visible, engaged presence on the floor, providing guidance, resources, and hands-on support to empower the team and drive operational excellence.
•  Partners with winery leadership (VP of Winemaking, Winemakers, Logistics and Purchasing Manager, et al.) to schedule the annual bottling calendar.
•  Collaborates cross-functionally with Winemaking, QC, Logistics, and Purchasing to align processes, uphold wine integrity, and achieve operational goals.
•  Ensures inventory, materials, and labor are aligned to support scheduled bottling runs and projects efficiently.
•  Procures and manages all ancillary bottling supplies (filters, stretch wrap, glue, wax, etc.) in line with the bottling schedule.
•  Maintains the riddling calendar and program to meet objectives for disgorging sparkling wine.
•  Develops and manages the bottling department budget, monitors expenditures, and takes appropriate action to support departmental financial objectives.
•  Builds crew schedules aligned to the bottling calendar, sizing crews by run length, package type, and line speed. Flexes temporary labor up and down to match demand.
•  Tracks and reports labor KPIs, including labor hours per case, labor cost per case, overtime hours, and temporary labor spend, against budget. Takes corrective action when results fall off target.
•  Approves timecards and manages overtime proactively, with overtime authorized in advance and tied to production need.
•  Develops and maintains a non-bottling work plan so permanent staff stay productively assigned between runs. Assignments may include preventative maintenance, deep cleaning and sanitation, changeover preparation, cross-training, inventory counts, rework and relabeling, riddling and disgorging support, and supporting cellar or warehouse teams during harvest and peak periods.
•  Coordinates with staffing agencies on temporary labor requests, onboarding, safety orientation, and performance feedback. Maintains a pool of trained, reliable temporary workers.
•  Maintains a cross-training matrix so the crew can cover all line positions, reducing dependence on additional labor and protecting continuity through absences and turnover.
•  Leads and develops a high-performing team through effective hiring, coaching, training, and performance management. Makes recommendations regarding employee compensation and other personnel actions.
•  Operates, sets up, and optimizes packaging equipment for each package type at high efficiency, applying technical knowledge to troubleshoot issues and ensure consistent production outcomes. Maintains detailed records and logs for ongoing reference.
•  Partners with Winery Maintenance Manager to ensure equipment performance, preventative and reactive maintenance programs, including machine adjustments, troubleshooting, and repairs.
•  Reads, interprets, researches, and applies information from equipment manuals, technical drawings, and other resources.
•  Contributes to capital planning for bottling, including equipment investments, automation, and facility improvements, and manages execution of approved projects.
•  Establishes and sustains strong working relationships with equipment vendors, service technicians, and technical support teams.
•  Develops and evolves the quality control program, ensuring traceability, documentation, and adherence to specifications and regulatory requirements.
•  Demonstrates a comprehensive understanding of how packaging processes affect wine quality, integrity, and final product outcomes.
•  Uses operational KPIs (e.g., OEE, cost per case, labor cost per case) and data analysis to lead lean and continuous improvement initiatives, conduct root cause analysis, formalize best practices, and implement solutions that increase efficiency, reduce waste, and improve quality.
•  Uses, maintains, and updates data within databases, cloud-based software, ERP systems, and the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS).
•  Creates and issues packaging work orders, analyzes completed work orders and supporting documentation, and updates systems to reflect current inventories. Generates SKUs, maintains reference data, and produces product codes and labels.
•  Oversees the development, maintenance, and implementation of SOPs, training materials, and documentation to ensure consistency, compliance, and operational readiness.
•  Fosters a culture of safety, cleanliness, and compliance by maintaining facility standards, enforcing protocols, and driving accountability.
•  Performs other duties as assigned

Supervisory Responsibilities
Directly supervises employees and carries out supervisory responsibilities following the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.