Rickety Bridge Head Winemaker

Package:

• Basic Salary: Highly competitive (TBC depending on candidate)
• Housing (TBC depending on candidate's personal needs)
• Vehicle (TBC depending on candidate's personal needs)
• Motor allowance (Non-Taxable benefit)
• Cell phone allowance (Non-Taxable benefit)
• Annual performance based bonus

Job description

1. Manage the cellar (including hygiene, health and safety and security) in line with best practice and highest industry standards.
2. Manage the winery staff to ensure accurate and timeous execution of their duties. Managing, monitoring and motivating cellar staff on a day-to-day basis
3. Manage the winery and prepare the plans and strategies for the production of wine ("Winery Production Plans") to effectively meet sales projections.
4. Responsible for accurately reporting on winery-related costs, managing such costs, and sticking to annual budgets and agreed cost of sales targets.
5. Manage cost-effective sourcing of appropriate quality grapes from own or other growers and negotiate favourable prices for the grapes.
6. Operate the cellar utilising WINE MS software, accurately recording every process.
7. Plan, manage and execute the annual harvest to ensure production targets are met.
8. Make wines according to the Wine Production Plans, aligned with the sales budgets, at quality levels commensurate with the Rickety Bridge Winery brands.
9. Managing and being responsible for effective and accurate Integrated Production of Wine ("IPW") audit and control and Wine and Agricultural Ethical Trading Association ("WIETA") audit and control as well as any other administrative requirements, including the South Africa Wine Industry Information and Systems ("SAWIS") reporting and certification requirements.
10. Attend functions and wine shows as required as a representative of Rickety Bridge Winery.
11. Travel to present wines to distributors and buyers, locally, nationally, and internationally, as required by Rickety Bridge Winery.
12. Grow and develop the winery’s reputation in the industry.
13. Assist with the new ultra-premium fine wine strategic development and execution

Candidate requirements:

• 10 years + experience managing a cellar of 300 tonnes or more
• Fine wine making experience
• Relevant winemaking qualifications from a prestigious university of college
• Viticulture qualifications and experience are advantageous
• Proven track record with relevant accolades and awards
• Wine MS competence
• Understanding of regulatory requirements: e.g WEITA, IPW, Health and safety

• Incredible personal skills and a brand and team first attitude
• Interest in being part of an exciting challenge
• Client and supplier related interpersonal skills
• Global experience is advantageous