Lab Intern

QC / Lab Intern (Seasonal)

Great opportunity to gain industry lab experience and work with a great team! Must be available now through December!

Job Description

The QC / Lab Intern (Seasonal) performs routine chemical and physical analyses across all stages of the winemaking process, from grape juice through finished wine and bottling samples, following established standard operating procedures. Working under close supervision, this role supports the Winemaking, Cellar, and Bottling teams by identifying and communicating any issues that may affect product quality or packaging analysis. This is a seasonal, temporary position that plays a key role in maintaining consistent quality standards in a fast-paced production environment.

Responsibilities

• Follow all company safety policies, procedures, and laboratory best practices at all times.
• Review bottling schedules and plan daily quality control laboratory activities accordingly.
• Perform quality control lab activities related to bottling, including label compliance review, routine lab analyses, ATP testing, and bottling QC startup checks.
• Conduct hourly bottling line quality checks to help ensure consistent product and packaging quality.
• Review pre-bottling analysis results and issue work orders for product adjustments, such as dissolved oxygen (O) and carbon dioxide (CO), to maintain quality and consistency.
• Enter, verify, and report wine analysis data accurately and in a timely manner using established systems and formats.
• Escalate any analytical results or trends that fall outside specifications to appropriate team members to ensure corrective action.
• Perform routine laboratory analysis on grapes, juice, must, and wine, including measurements of Brix, pH, titratable acidity (TA), free sulfur dioxide (FSO), and residual sugar (RS).
• Record and report tank temperatures on a daily basis to support fermentation and storage monitoring.
• Pull, label, and prepare daily samples from tanks, barrels, and bottling lines for testing and analysis.
• Support additional laboratory tasks and special projects as assigned to meet production and quality timelines.
• Work collaboratively with Winemaking, Cellar, and Bottling teams to communicate findings and support process improvements.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe laboratory work area, including proper handling and storage of chemicals and samples.

Essential Skills

• Prior laboratory experience is required, with 1-2 years in a wine production or similar production environment preferred.
• Basic understanding of wine production processes and fundamental wine chemistry.
• Basic knowledge of laboratory analysis techniques, including handling samples, preparing reagents, and operating common lab equipment.
• Basic understanding of viticulture and grape varieties and how they relate to wine styles and analysis.
• Ability to work both independently with minimal supervision and collaboratively within cross-functional teams.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy when performing analyses, recording data, and reviewing results.
• Ability to follow established standard operating procedures and quality control protocols consistently.
• Willingness and ability to work weekends and overtime during the harvest season and other peak production periods.
• Capability to stand for extended periods and perform frequent walking, bending, and reaching during laboratory and production tasks.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds on a regular basis to handle supplies, samples, and equipment.
• Adequate close vision, color vision, and depth perception to read instruments, distinguish sample characteristics, and interpret results.
• Ability to detect and distinguish tastes and smells to support sensory aspects of wine quality when required.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with sample preparation for chemical and physical analysis in a production laboratory environment.
• Familiarity with winery-specific analyses such as Brix, pH, titratable acidity, free sulfur dioxide, and residual sugar.
• Comfort working around production equipment, including bottling lines and cellar machinery.
• Strong communication skills to clearly report results and escalate quality concerns to supervisors and production teams.
• Organizational skills to manage multiple samples, tests, and data entries in a time-sensitive environment.
• Interest in winemaking, enology, or related sciences such as chemistry, food science, or microbiology.
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities and support additional lab projects as production needs evolve.

Work Environment

This role operates in a manufacturing and production setting that includes laboratory, cellar, and bottling areas. The environment may be cold, wet, slippery, and noisy, with regular exposure to chemicals, production machinery, forklifts, and other equipment. The position involves frequent stair climbing and working on elevated surfaces such as catwalks, as well as both indoor and outdoor exposure depending on production needs. Irregular shifts and extended hours are common during peak season and harvest, including weekends and overtime. The intern spends significant time on their feet, moving between lab and production areas, handling samples, and operating laboratory equipment in a safety-focused, fast-paced winery environment.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract position based out of Acampo, CA.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $20.00 - $22.00/hr.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following:

• Medical, dental & vision
• Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital
• 401(k) Retirement Plan - Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available
• Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents)
• Short and long-term disability
• Health Spending Account (HSA)
• Transportation benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a fully onsite position in Acampo,CA.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Jun 1, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 30,000 consultants and more than 4,500 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email actalentaccommodation@actalentservices.com for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.