Bottling Manager

The Duckhorn Portfolio is North America's premier luxury wine company. We were established in 1976 by Dan and Margaret Duckhorn. Today, our portfolio features some of North America's most revered wineries, including Decoy, Paraduxx, Goldeneye, Migration, Canvasback, Calera, Kosta Browne, Sonoma-Cutrer, Greenwing and Postmark.

Our team at Geyserville Winery is looking for Bottling Manager, responsible for the safe, efficient, and high-quality execution of all bottling activities on a high-speed production line operating at 300+ bottles per minute across multiple packaging formats including 375ml, 750ml, and 1.5L bottles with both cork and screwcap closures. The Bottling Manager serves as the primary hands-on authority for mechanical troubleshooting, changeover execution, and daily line management, ensuring production schedules are met while maintaining the highest standards of quality, safety, and compliance. This position directly supervises bottling line leads and operators, coordinates routine maintenance activities, and drives continuous improvement through Lean, 5S, and TPM methodologies within the ISO 9001 Business Management System framework.

Job Summary:

The Bottling Manager is the senior technical and operational leader on the bottling floor, reporting directly to the Director, Bottling Operations. This role is responsible for the safe, efficient, and high-quality execution of all bottling activities on a high-speed production line operating at 300+ bottles per minute across multiple packaging formats including 375ml, 750ml, and 1.5L bottles with both cork and screwcap closures. The Bottling Manager serves as the primary hands-on authority for mechanical troubleshooting, changeover execution, and daily line management, ensuring production schedules are met while maintaining the highest standards of quality, safety, and compliance. This position directly supervises bottling line leads and operators, coordinates routine maintenance activities, and drives continuous improvement through Lean, 5S, and TPM methodologies within the ISO 9001 Business Management System framework.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Serves as the primary technical and operational authority on the bottling floor, maintaining a consistent hands-on presence to direct daily line operations and ensure production targets for quality, efficiency, and throughput are met on a high-speed bottling line operating at 300+ bottles per minute.
• Leads and executes all packaging changeovers across multiple bottle formats (375ml, 750ml, 1.5L), closure types (cork and screwcap), and label configurations. Owns changeover procedures, timing, and quality verification to minimize downtime.
• Performs advanced mechanical troubleshooting and root cause analysis on all bottling line equipment including filler, rinser, corker, screwcapper, labeler, capsule spinner, case packer, and palletizer. Diagnoses and resolves issues rapidly to maintain line speed and product integrity.
• Directly supervises bottling line leads and operators, including workforce scheduling, daily task assignments, performance coaching, training and development, and disciplinary actions in accordance with company policies and applicable laws.
• Coordinates routine and preventative maintenance activities with the Maintenance and Facilities teams. Owns the day-to-day PM schedule, tracks equipment reliability metrics, and escalates capital or strategic maintenance needs to the Director, Bottling Operations.
• Conducts daily pre-shift meetings and end-of-shift debriefs to communicate production priorities, safety topics, quality alerts, and department or company updates. Ensures clear handoff of information between shifts and across departments.
• Monitors and drives key performance indicators (KPIs) including Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE), changeover time, unplanned downtime, line efficiency, and quality hold rates. Prepares and presents production performance data to the Director on a weekly basis.
• Ensures strict adherence to current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), food safety protocols, and all bottling SOPs developed within the ISO 9001 Business Management System framework.
• Champions 5S workplace organization and Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) methodologies on the bottling floor. Leads continuous improvement initiatives using Lean principles to reduce waste, improve cycle times, and increase first-pass yield.
• Manages all aspects of bottling line sanitation, ensuring equipment cleaning protocols are executed correctly and documented in compliance with quality and regulatory standards.
• Collaborates closely with Quality Control, Winemaking, Warehouse, Packaging, and Compliance teams to ensure packaging materials are staged, wine specifications are met, and finished goods meet all quality standards prior to release.
• Manages NAV bottling work order execution on the floor, verifying accuracy of run data, material usage, and production counts. Communicates discrepancies and adjustments to the Director and relevant stakeholders.
• Logs, tracks, and analyzes all production downtime events. Develops and implements corrective action plans to address recurring equipment failures or process bottlenecks.
• Oversees inventory management of bottling consumables including filters, gaskets, spare parts, and sanitation chemicals. Ensures adequate stock levels to support uninterrupted production.
• Supports the Director in the development and management of the bottling operating budget, providing input on labor, materials, and maintenance expenditure.
• Acts as the Director's primary delegate on the bottling floor, assuming full operational authority in the Director's absence and representing bottling operations in cross-functional meetings as needed.
• Assists with offsite bottling operations as required.
• Conducts annual performance reviews for all direct reports. Develops staff capabilities to support career growth, cross-training, and succession planning within the department.

Position Specifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Food Science, Enology, Operations Management, or related field; or equivalent combination of education and progressive bottling/packaging experience in a medium-to-large production facility.
• Minimum 5 years of hands-on experience in high-speed bottling or packaging operations (150+ BPM), with at least 2 years in a supervisory or lead role.
• Demonstrated mechanical aptitude and advanced troubleshooting skills on automated bottling equipment including fillers, corkers, cappers, labelers, case packers, and palletizers.
• Proven expertise in executing and optimizing format changeovers across multiple bottle sizes and closure types in a high-speed environment.
• Thorough understanding of process management, root cause analysis, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Experience working within an ISO 9001, Lean, TPM, or equivalent quality management system.
• Working knowledge of cGMP, HACCP, and food safety principles as applied to beverage packaging.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, Outlook) and ERP systems (NAV or similar).
• Demonstrated effective leadership in a team environment with strong communication, coaching, and conflict resolution skills.
• High level of self-initiative with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced production environment.
• Valid California Driver's License.