Assistant Winemaker
Chapel Down, England’s leading wine producer has an exciting opportunity for an experienced Assistant Winemaker to join our dynamic winemaking team in Kent.
This is a key role in delivering our next phase of development, achieve our ambitious growth targets and support our Winemaker in the delivery of our mission to “change the way the world thinks about English wine.”
About You
Reporting to the Winemaker, the Assistant Winemaker’s primary responsibility is to ensure that our wines are made to world class quality standards from pressing through to bottling. This involves meticulous attention to detail and an in-depth understanding of wine science to inform winemaking decisions.
The Assistant Winemaker must have good organisational and communication skills in addition to being comfortable making oenological decisions. Quality, leadership and safety are key elements of this role.
Key responsibilities:
- Production of super-premium, consistently high-quality wines
- Deputise for the Winemaker with regards to oenological decision making
- Under the guidance of the Winemaker, ensure all steps are followed to maximise quality and food safety in line with the SALSA accreditation scheme
- Responsible for quality wine scheme applications
- Regular, accurate updating of winery processes and additions to ensure full product traceability
- Continually analyse and improve production processes and techniques in our pursuit of quality and efficiency
- Conduct wine analysis as necessary
- Health and Safety:
- Responsible for the creation, implementation and regular review of winery Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Risk Assessments
- Confidently represent and communicate the brand values and winemaking to internal and external partners
- Sustainability:
- Manage data collection for internal sustainability accounting in addition to overall responsibility for winery compliance with SWGB scheme
- Harvest recruitment:
- Responsible for organisation and recruitment of winery harvest staff including temporary accommodation, transport, visas, welfare and inductions
- Alongside the Winemaker ensure timely purchasing decisions are made in order to maximise value for money and operational efficiency. Build cost-benefit analyses for CAPEX purchases within the annual cycle.
Essential skills and experience:
- Tertiary qualification in Oenology (BSc, DNO or post-grad equivalent)
- Experience in winemaking, ideally including cool-climate traditional method sparkling
- Ability to lead and train winery teams and delegate effectively
- Established track record of successful wine making
- Ability to approach winemaking from an environmentally sustainable perspective
- Good proficiency in Microsoft packages, especially Excel
- Proficient in the Laboratory
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This role is ideal if you have an interest in developing your skills and knowledge in a supportive environment that values teamwork and personal development.
What we can offer you
This is a permanent role with the following:
- Competitive salary
- Performance related annual bonus
- 25 days holiday plus a day off on your birthday
- Wine allowance
- Employee Discount
- Enhanced family leave policies
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Company social events
Location
Tenterden, Kent.