Winery Lab Technician

Job Title: Winery Lab TechnicianJob Description

The Winery Lab Technician supports wine production by performing routine analytical testing, collecting and interpreting data, and monitoring quality across grapes, juice, fermentations, finished wine, and bottling operations. The role ensures analytical accuracy, regulatory compliance, and timely communication of results to winemaking, cellar, and bottling teams. Working within an integrated Quality Assurance and Quality Control framework, this position plays a key role in maintaining wine quality, food safety, and process consistency throughout the production cycle.

Responsibilities

• Adhere to all winery safety policies, procedures, and quality standards at all times.
• Perform incoming grape maturity analysis, including Brix, pH, titratable acidity (TA), and yeast assimilable nitrogen (YAN), to support harvest decision-making.
• Conduct juice chemistry testing and promptly communicate results to the winemaking team to guide fermentation and processing decisions.
• Monitor fermentation kinetics by tracking Brix reduction, temperature trends, and potential volatile acidity (VA) risk indicators, and escalate concerns as needed.
• Perform routine wine chemistry analysis, including alcohol content (using Alcolyzer or distillation methods), pH, titratable acidity, volatile acidity, and free and total SO.
• Measure dissolved oxygen (DO) levels throughout production and bottling preparation to support product stability and shelf life.
• Conduct residual sugar analysis using enzymatic testing methods to verify fermentation completion and style targets.
• Perform malic acid testing to monitor malolactic fermentation progress and communicate status to winemaking and cellar teams.
• Conduct turbidity and wine stability testing, including protein stability and cold stability evaluations, to ensure wines are ready for filtration and bottling.
• Maintain calibration logs, verify instrument performance, and ensure proper operation of laboratory instruments and equipment.
• Plate and monitor yeast and bacterial populations in fermentation and finished wine samples to support microbiological quality control.
• Provide support for sanitation verification testing when required, helping to confirm cleaning effectiveness in production areas.
• Assist with monitoring for spoilage organisms during wine aging and pre-bottling stages and report findings to relevant teams.
• Support environmental monitoring programs in alignment with winery food safety protocols and regulatory expectations.
• Serve as backup support for microbiological testing related to bottling and packaging quality control.
• Conduct pre-bottling analytical testing to verify wine readiness for packaging and compliance with internal specifications.
• Support in-process bottling quality control checks, including dissolved oxygen levels, fill height verification, torque checks, and CO measurements when applicable.
• Collect, label, and maintain retention samples for traceability and quality documentation purposes.
• Verify lot coding, label accuracy, and packaging compliance with internal standards and regulatory requirements.
• Provide support in the bottling laboratory during afternoon operations as needed to ensure continuous quality oversight.
• Accurately record laboratory results in Microsoft Excel-based tracking systems or winery data platforms and maintain data integrity.
• Maintain analytical trend reports to support quality monitoring, process improvements, and production decision-making.
• Assist in preparing Certificates of Analysis (COAs) for internal stakeholders and customer requirements.
• Ensure laboratory documentation supports compliance with applicable regulations, including TTB and FDA, as well as internal quality standards.
• Maintain organized laboratory records to support internal and external audits and facilitate traceability.
• Maintain laboratory cleanliness and organization in accordance with 5S standards to ensure a safe and efficient work environment.
• Calibrate and maintain laboratory instruments and testing equipment, coordinating service or repairs as needed.
• Manage chemical inventory, assist with reagent preparation, and ensure adequate stock for routine and seasonal testing.
• Ensure proper handling, storage, and disposal of laboratory chemicals and hazardous waste in compliance with safety and environmental guidelines.
• Provide ongoing support in the bottling laboratory during afternoon operations as needed to meet production demands.
• Perform other related duties and projects as assigned by management to support overall winery quality and production goals.

Essential Skills

• Associate's or bachelor's degree in Enology, Chemistry, Food Science, Microbiology, or a related field preferred, or equivalent relevant experience.
• 1-3 years of laboratory experience, preferably within the wine or beverage industry.
• Harvest experience in a winery environment strongly preferred, including exposure to grape intake and fermentation monitoring.
• Experience working in a production-focused winery environment preferred, with familiarity in coordinating with cellar and bottling operations.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to perform precise measurements and interpret complex test results.
• Demonstrated troubleshooting abilities to identify and resolve issues related to analytical methods, instrumentation, or product quality.
• High attention to detail and a strong commitment to accuracy in testing, documentation, and reporting.
• Ability to manage multiple laboratory tests simultaneously while maintaining data integrity and meeting production timelines.
• Comfort working cross-functionally with cellar, winemaking, and bottling teams, and communicating clearly with diverse stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel for data entry, tracking, analysis, and reporting of laboratory results.
• Working knowledge of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), HACCP principles, and food safety standards as they apply to winery operations.
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods and to lift and move objects weighing up to 40 pounds in a production and laboratory setting.
• Capability to perform repetitive laboratory tasks and to work safely around winery equipment, fermentation tanks, and bottling machinery.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience with ERP systems or Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) is a plus.
• Bilingual ability in English and Spanish is preferred and beneficial for working with diverse production teams.
• Familiarity with regulatory requirements related to wine production, including TTB and FDA expectations, is advantageous.
• Experience with microbiological techniques such as plating, incubation, and colony counting is desirable.
• Prior exposure to environmental monitoring programs and sanitation verification in a food or beverage facility is helpful.
• Strong organizational skills to maintain 5S standards, manage documentation, and support audit readiness.
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, to clearly convey test results, trends, and quality concerns.
• Flexibility to support extended work hours, including evenings, weekends, and long shifts during harvest and peak production periods.

Work Environment

This role operates within both laboratory and winery production environments, with regular interaction in cellar operations, fermentation areas, and bottling facilities. The position involves working around chemicals, cleaning agents, compressed gases, and varying temperatures typical of winery operations. During harvest and peak production periods, extended hours are common and may include evenings, weekends, and long shifts to support continuous production and quality monitoring. The work requires standing and walking for extended periods, lifting and moving up to 40 pounds, performing repetitive laboratory tasks, and occasionally climbing stairs or ladders in production areas. The environment includes proximity to winery equipment, fermentation tanks, and bottling machinery, and the technician follows established safety practices and 5S standards to maintain a clean, organized, and safe workspace.

Job Type & Location

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

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $20.50 - $20.50/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 Aug 8, 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 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing winner for both client and talent service.

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.

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