Vineyard Manager Position: Pay: Opening Date: Closing Date: Required Documents: Direct Applications and Questions to: Vineyard Manager

Transcription

1 Vineyard Manager Vacancy at Vox Vineyards (TerraVox) NW Farley Hampton Rd, Kansas City, MO Position: Vineyard Manager Pay: Commensurate with Experience plus Benefits Opening Date: November 13, 2018 Closing Date: Open Until Filled Required Documents: Statement of Interest and Resume Direct Applications and Questions to: or Located just outside of Kansas City, Missouri, Vox Vineyards grows and makes award winning wine from rare North American grape cultivars grown in our estate vineyard. Our collection, building on the pioneering work of pre-prohibition American grape breeders like Thomas Volney Munson, includes over 30 varieties grown on 6.5 acres near the Missouri river, with expansion to 13 acres underway. Our work also includes documentation and research as many of these varieties have not previously been used in modern commercial production. The Vineyard Manager is required to plan and oversee the execution of all operational tasks in the vineyard, budgeting, recording and reporting, repairs and maintenance, and vine propagation. A sense of timeliness, attention to detail when it counts, clear communication, and ability to assess priorities are important for success in this position. It is critical that the Vineyard Manager has the ability to work independently and at times when more labor is needed, oversee and train 2-30 vineyard workers and volunteers. The role requires oversight of 6.3 acres of established vineyard and an additional 7 acres of new vineyard expansion. Throughout the year the Vineyard Manager will work in collaboration with the Vineyard Supervisor and Owner to achieve TerraVox goals. The Vineyard Manager must report weekly to the Vox Team on the progress of work done in the vineyard and on near-term goals and anticipated challenges and their solutions.

2 Reporting Relationships The Vineyard Manager will report daily to the Vineyard Supervisor and collaborate on best practices to accomplish vineyard tasks The Vineyard Manager will prepare a brief weekly report for presentation at the weekly team meets with the Owner, Marketing Director, Vineyard Supervisor, and Winemaker Primary Responsibilities Estimate, record and monitor time and labor requirements for vineyard tasks Assist in securing supplemental vineyard labor when needed Develop weekly work plans and oversee daily duties of Vineyard Assistants and other vineyard labor Train vineyard workers on all relevant operational tasks in the vineyard Communicate with Vineyard Supervisor about all vineyard operations including: disease control, pest control, canopy management, spray efficacy, overall vineyard upkeep and weekly tasks Maintain all spray records, spray inventory, and place spray orders when needed Operate and maintain vineyard equipment(tractors, sprayers, mowers) Planning, implementing, and maintaining records for scheduled deadlines for all major vineyard activities Hands on labor includes but is not limited to: pruning, propagation, shoot thinning, leaf pulling, planting, harvesting, mowing, and any additional labor for esthetic upkeep of the property Bi-annual soil sampling and analysis to continuously maintaining soil quality and proper nutrition Assist winemaker in all harvest tasks including crop estimation, berry sampling, scouting, loading fruit from vineyard, hauling fruit from vineyard to winery, and picking Assist winemaker during grape processing as needed Collaborate and communicate vineyard conditions with winemaker to ensure wine quality Assist in the development of new strategies for better ecological practices to reduce the use of herbicide Communication with the public about the Vox Vineyards project

3 Optional Tasks Participate in sales at farmers markets, wine festivals, and events Participation in Wine Club events such as allotment pickup parties and educational events Required Qualifications Bachelor s degree in Viticulture, Horticulture, or related Science and/or a minimum of 3 years of practical vineyard experience Valid driver s license Operate and maintain tractors and equipment for spraying, mowing, and weed control Flexible schedule to adapt to weather, labor, and critical (harvest) times in the season Clear and direct communication skills The ability to work in various weather conditions required The ability to repeatedly lift and carry 40 pounds Desired Qualifications Basic mechanical maintenance/repair skills Speaks some Spanish Appreciation for wine Ability to use Excel, Word, and Google Docs

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5 Vineyard Assistant Vacancy at Vox Vineyards (TerraVox) NW Farley Hampton Rd, Kansas City, MO Position: Vineyard Assistant Pay: $13/hour with Upward Mobility plus Benefits Opening Date: November 13, 2018 Closing Date: Open Until Filled Required Documents: Statement of Interest and Resume Direct Applications and Questions to: or Located just outside of Kansas City, Missouri, Vox Vineyards grows and makes award winning wine from rare North American grape cultivars grown in our estate vineyard. Our collection, building on the pioneering work of pre-prohibition American grape breeders like Thomas Volney Munson, includes over 30 varieties grown on 6.5 acres near the Missouri river, with expansion to 13 acres already underway. Our work also includes documentation and research as many of these varieties have not previously been used in modern commercial production. The Vineyard Assistant is required to assist in the planning and execution of all operational tasks in the vineyard, budgeting, recording and reporting, repairs and maintenance, and vine propagation. A sense of timeliness and consequential thinking, attention to detail when it counts, clear communication, and ability to assess priority of tasks are important for success in this position. It is critical that the Vineyard Assistant has the ability to work independently and at times when more labor is needed, assist the Vineyard Manager in the guidance of 2-30 vineyard workers or volunteers. The role requires oversight of 6.3 acres of established vineyard and an additional 7 acres of new vineyard expansion. Throughout the year the Vineyard Assistant will work under the direction of the Vineyard Supervisor to achieve the Vox Mission. The Vineyard Assistant will assist, as needed, with reporting at the weekly team meetings describing the progress of work done in the vineyard. Reporting Relationships The Vineyard Assistant will report daily to the Vineyard Supervisor with whom they will get their work orders

6 The Vineyard Manager will attend weekly team meets with the Owner and staff to report on tasks accomplished for the week, and to prioritize upcoming tasks Primary Responsibilities Completion of all vineyard activities: pruning, propagation, shoot thinning, leaf pulling, planting, harvesting, mowing, and any additional labor for esthetic upkeep of the property Communicate with supervisors about all vineyard observations: Scouting for diseases and pests control, completing tasks like canopy management, groundcover management, spray efficacy, overall vineyard upkeep and weekly tasks as assigned Assist with maintaining all spray records, spray inventory, and place spray orders when needed Assist in soil sampling, analysis, and fertilizer application Assist winemaker and vineyard manager in all harvest tasks including crop estimation, hand picking, and hauling fruit from vineyard to winery Assist winemaker during grape processing as needed Assist in the development of new strategies for better ecological practices i.e. under the vine cover crop to reduce the use of herbicide Communication with the public about the Vox Vineyards project Optional Tasks Some sales at farmers markets, wine festivals, and events Participation in Wine Club events such as allotment pickup parties and educational events Required Qualifications Minimum of 1 year of experience working in agriculture or outdoor physical labor Valid driver s license Operate and maintain tractor and equipment for spraying, mowing, and weed control Flexible schedule to adapt to weather, labor, and critical times in the season Ability to take detailed instructions

7 The ability to work in various weather conditions The ability to repeatedly lift and carry 40 pounds The ability to respond to the exigencies of season, weather, machinery and labor in producing quality agricultural product Clear communication with supervisors, and support personnel Desired Qualifications Basic mechanical maintenance/repair skills Speaks some Spanish Appreciation for wine Ability to use Excel, Word, and Google Docs