POSITION: Meadmaker (FULL -TIME) – SAN DIEGO, CA

Lost Cause Meadery, the world’s most awarded meadery 2019-2020, is looking for our next Meadmaker.

This is a unique opportunity to join a small and rapidly growing company with a proven commitment to producing world-class beverages while getting creative with meads, wines, ciders, piquettes, jerkums, and more. We expect to continue pushing boundaries, blending categories and ignoring dogma, all in the name of making the best liquid we can possibly make.

Commercial mead making experience not necessary, you’ll be learning directly from the owner and eventually taking over the production team.

POSITION DESCRIPTION: This position will lead all aspects of production and report directly to the owner. General responsibilities include mead/wine must creation and handling, fermentation management, fruit pressing, product transfer and packaging, adjunct additions, barrel management, ingredient sourcing and recipe creation.

You will be responsible for growing and leading a production team; at times you will also be a team of one, and responsible for every aspect of maintaining a spotlessly clean production facility including cleaning all tanks and equipment and general organization and cleanliness of facility. Additional details below:

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES: • Fermentation management • Packaging line operation • Tank CIP and sanitization • Fruit press operation • Barrel preparation, filling and maintenance • Product transfer and packaging • Managing adjunct additions • Recipe creation • Maintaining clean tap lines at multiple tasting rooms • Performs cellar QC and basic lab analysis including pH, gravity, Cell Counts, Pitch Rates, dissolved carbon dioxide, dissolved oxygen, and product stability • Create SOPs for all production activities, tracking and maintaining production data • Create action plans or bench trials based on analysis and tasting • Build and maintain relationships with local farms, beekeepers, and other ingredient suppliers • Formulates and executes current and long-range production objectives • Directs technical and research programs including but not limited to product development and product quality programs • Coordinate production schedule and assign tasks to production team on a daily, weekly and monthly basis • Maintains inventory of ingredients, chemicals, parts, etc. appropriate to production schedule • Represents meadery at functions as needed

QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS • 2+ years production winery or brewery experience • Advanced understanding of fermentation and yeast management • Experience with analytical testing including pH, gravity, SO2, dissolved CO2, dissolved O2, ABV, and shelf-life. • Good organoleptic senses and a strong desire to learn • Ability to work independently as well as in collaboration with others • Willing to work with a flexible schedule and extended hours when needed • Ability to work unsupervised while maintaining quality and safety standards • Must be able to meet the physical requirements of safely lifting pallets, full kegs, cases of mead, fruit pomace, etc. • Intense attention to detail • Uncompromising focus on ingredient quality • Passion for creative fermentations and industry trends • Must have good taste in music

Compensation based on experience, qualification and skills.

Lost Cause Meadery is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to workforce diversity.