Regional Viticulturist – Central Valley at Constellation Brands in Madera, California

Job Description:

Job Description

Position Summary

The Regional Viticulturist is responsible for contributing viticultural expertise to their region and contributing to Winegrowing team efforts and projects within the company. This includes working with the internal farming Operations within the region to develop a farm plan, which recommends, monitors and evaluates the best science-based viticulture practices to implement for pest and disease control, vineyard data collection and sampling, yield estimation and management, and cultural operations to achieve fruit quality goals to provide consistent, high quality, cost-effective fruit that meets winemaking objectives. Ensures regional viticulture practices support global, US, and brand-specific strategic plans while meeting quality, quantity, and fiscal targets. Liaise with Internal Vineyard Operations, Grower Relations, Winemaking, and other Constellation regional departments to foster strong relationships and drive continuous improvement of the regional grape supply, focusing on winegrowing best practices that enhance quality. Ensure technical viticulture policies, SOPs, and regional trials are executed to achieve a best-in-class winegrowing program within the region. Evaluate new technologies and stay abreast of new academic and extension research to apply the best science-based practices to enhance wine grape quality and improve regional viticulture practices. Be a regional and industry-wide viticulture leader, connecting with other appropriate industry and community leaders on relevant topics such as sustainability, labor, economics, and pest management.

Responsibilities

Leadership:

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  Responsible for training and supervision of Viticulturist(s) within the region.

  
  


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  Support the development and continuing education of Grape Management within the region on important viticulture topics and/or tasks.  

  
  


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  Provide viticultural learning opportunities for members of Winemaking and other Constellation departments.

  
  


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  Demonstrate exceptional leadership by modeling company values and behaviors and expecting others to do the same and aligning own and other's effort to the company’s strategic imperatives. 

  
  


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  Develop a positive presence within the region representing Constellation Brands in the technical and academic communities. 

  
  


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  Perform any other duties as reasonably required, leveraging experience and expertise to support the overall success of the department. 

  
  

Winegrape Quality Enhancement:

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  Responsible for the creation of farm plans for internal farming operations and monitoring of farm plan progress and individual block performance and highlighting issues.

  
  


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  Oversee scouting program and work with managers within the region to evaluate scouting reports, including the monitoring of crop load and canopy management, phenology tracking, pest and disease management, fertilization, and irrigation.

  
  


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  Act as a subject matter expert for Viticulture to support regional Winegrowing team and other departments.

  
  


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  Provide structure and process to viticulture record keeping and aligning on viticulture data collection for internal vineyards.

  
  


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  Manage sampling including tissue sampling, soil testing, yield estimates, long term block history, etc., across internal vineyards.

  
  


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  Assist in maintaining vineyard experiments, gathering data, and designing new ones.

  
  


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  Support Grower Relations with technical viticulture expertise.

  
  


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  Build strong relationships with reginal Internal Vineyards, Grower Relations, and Winemaking teams to ensure high-quality internal regional fruit supply and ongoing evaluation of fruit sourcing meeting company needs.

  
  


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  Plan and direct regional vineyard trials and research to better improve the wine quality, sustainability, and/or economics of the grape supply, coordinating with Group Winemaking.

  
  


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  In conjunction with the Vineyard Ops leadership across the region, formulate and implement technical viticulture programs as required to meet the grape quality parameters for the company. 

  
  

Continuous Improvement:

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  Oversee the refinement of a world class viticulture program within the region, improving policies and standard operating procedures and existing processes.  

  
  


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  Investigate new technologies and work with team to trial and implement new practices, tools, and knowledge at the vineyard level.

  
  


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  Participate in continuing education programs, meetings, and research within the wine industry and agricultural industry to enhance expertise.

  
  


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  Attend wine industry and other ag events within the region and statewide to have better understanding of issues facing the industry and Constellation Brands.

  
  

EHS & ESG:

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  Champion sustainable winegrowing practices and facilitate certification and compliance practices are applied in accordance with Constellation’s sustainable grape sourcing policies. 

  
  


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  Set an example of safety and ensure that the Technical Viticulture team operates safely and meets all safety training requirements.

  
  

Minimum Qualifications

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  B.S. degree in Agriculture, Viticulture, or another related field or equivalent experience.

  
  


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  5+ years of industry experience. 

  
  


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  Extensive technical viticulture knowledge.

  
  


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  Proficiency in Microsoft Office products and the ability to learn to use specific software as needed.

  
  


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  Must have valid driver’s license with clean driving record.

  
  


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  Travel up to 15%

  
  

Preferred Qualifications

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  Extensive wine knowledge and evaluation skills. 

  
  


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  M.S. in Viticulture or other relevant graduate school experience.  

  
  


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  10+ years of industry experience.

  
  


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  2+ years demonstrated management and leadership skills. 

  
  


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  Experience with GIS systems.

  
  


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  PCA and/or QAL license holder.

  
  


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  CCA license holder.

  
  


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  Demonstrated leadership and team-building experience.

  
  


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  Highly developed communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work with people at all levels within an organization.

  
  


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  Time management and planning ability.

  
  


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  Must be very organized, accurate, and have good presentation skills.

  
  


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  Highly self-motivated with a strong drive for results.

  
  


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  Proven ability to cultivate and maintain strong internal and external relationships, fostering collaboration and communication across departments, stakeholders, and industry partners.

  
  

Physical Requirements/Work Environment

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  Works outdoors/indoors. 

  
  


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  Works in warm/cold climates. 

  
  


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  Works in high places. 

  
  


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  Works on wet surfaces. 

  
  


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  Is exposed to loud noise, fumes and/or toxic chemicals. 

  
  


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  Works near moving, mechanical parts and lift truck traffic. 

  
  


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  Ability to lift 45 lbs. on an occasional basis.

  
  


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  Must be at least 21 years of age. 

  
  


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  Must be able to sit and/or stand for long periods of time and work on a computer for extended periods. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

  
  


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  Ability to walk 2-3 miles per day over uneven dirt surfaces in the vineyard. 

  
  

Location

Field Office - CA - San Joaquin/Madera/El Dorado/Fresno/Mariposa/Merced/Nevada/Placer/Sacramento/Stanislaus/Tuolumne/Yolo

Additional Locations

Job Type

Full time

Job Area

Viticulture & Winemaking

The salary range for this role is:

$92,500.00 - $141,700.00

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting.  We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. An employee’s pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but limited to, the prevailing minimum wage for the location, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, shift, travel requirements, sales or revenue-based metrics, any collective bargaining agreements, and business or organizational needs. We offer comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance, 401(k), and any other benefits to eligible employees.

Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, or any other form of compensation that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.

Equal Opportunity

Constellation Brands is committed to a continuing program of equal employment opportunity. All persons have equal employment opportunities with Constellation Brands, regardless of their sex, race, color, age, religion, creed, sexual orientation, national origin or citizenship, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer or genetic characteristics), marital status, gender (including gender identity or gender expression), familial status, military or veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related conditions (or any other group or category within the framework of the applicable discrimination laws and regulations).

Not sure you meet all qualifications? Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

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