Vineyard & Equipment Operations Specialist
We are looking for an energetic individual to be full time Vineyard and Equipment Operations Specialist, working in our vineyards and maintaining our farm equipment. Our farm has roughly 38 acres of grapes vines, including Cabernet Franc, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Chardonnay, Viognier, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. To maintain our certified sustainable vineyard, our equipment includes 2 case 80-N tractors (2020 and 2022), A Yanmar tractor (2022), 2 vintage 1953 John deer tractors, a JCB 407 Wheel loader. vintage jeeps, fork trucks, a 2013 Gregoire G8.260 grape harvester/4 row sprayer and specialized vineyard implements such as leaf removal, hedging, mowing and tillage equipment. You should have a passion for keeping equipment in top condition, operationally and visually. While we have a high degree of automation in the vineyard, you should also enjoy working outdoors, using the equipment and also doing seasonal hand work, primarily pruning and tying vines. We offer competitive wages, paid holidays and paid vacation time.

Responsibilities:

Under the direction of senior staff, you will maintain and repair equipment for the farm and winery operations. When not working on equipment, other work in the vineyards will be assigned, such as pruning, tying, cultivation, mowing, fertilization, harvesting, and application of spray material. Other farm tasks will include land preparation for planting, trellis maintenance and occaisionally helping out in the winery for larger tasks like bottling that require more people. Skills that would be helpful are operation of power tools, some knowledge of construction, knowledge of farm machinery use, the ability to maintain and repair farm machinery.

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Proven ability to perform routine maintenance on equipment (lubrication, operational checks, belt/filter changes) including record keeping.
• Mechanical aptitude and ability to diagnose and troubleshoot problems with equipment.
• Electrical troiubleshooting to find wiring problems with things like tractor lights. Familiarity with use of a multi meter.
• Valid driver’s license, clean driving record, and able to operate a vehicle with a manual transmission.
• Detail-oriented work habits and strong organization skills.
• Ability to keep and update records.
• Good communications skills
• Physical ability to lift 50 pounds, and 35 pounds repeatedly
• Ability to use a PC with proficiency in Windows Outlook, Word, Excel, and web based research.
• Proven problem solver.
• Ability to operate Fork Lift and Tractors.
• Ability to weld steel. Stainless steel is a plus.
• Creative abilities to modify and make improvements to equipment is a plus

Our farm is a smoke-free property.

About our Winery
Arrowhead Spring Vineyards is a certified sustainable farm winery located on the Niagara Escarpment AVA between Niagara Falls and Lockport, NY. The climate is the second warmest in NY State, moderated by Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment with plenty of long sunny summer days to ripen fruit. Soils are limestone based and ideal for vinifera grapes. Arrowhead Spring Vineyards is on the West Coast of NY State, 450 miles from NY City (essentially the opposite end of the state) and 45 miles southeast of Toronto, Canada. The City of Buffalo, NY is a 35-minute drive, we are 25 minutes east of Niagara Falls, which is a source of tourism visits (8 million people visit Niagara Falls each year ). We have been making and selling wine for more than 19 years and completed a new 14,000 sq-ft wine-making facility in 2019. The facility dedicates 3,000 sq-ft to barrels with a 4,000 sq-ft processing and storage area.

We maintain the philosophy that great wine starts in the vineyards. Mechanical under-vine tillage, leaf removal, shoot thinning and balanced pruning all lead to grapes that are flavorful, balanced and optimized for winemaking. Traditional wine making methods and a 2-year barrel aging program are employed to create wine reflective of our cool terroir, with minimal intervention. We produce wines from our 38-acre estate vineyard Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Chardonnay, as well as grapes purchased from local growers. Our wines reflect the terroir of the region with its limestone-based soils and long summer days.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $16.00 - $26.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule
• Paid time off

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

Application Question(s):

• Are you able to work 40 hours per week?

Experience:

• craft beverage: 1 year (Preferred)
• Farming: 5 years (Preferred)

Shift availability:

• Day Shift (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Lockport, NY 14094: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person