Warehouse Manager - Cellarmaster
(Wine Jobs:
Management & Administration)
Full Time
Etobicoke,
Ontario
Warehouse Manager - Cellarmaster
About the Company
The Fine Wine Reserve is the GTA’s pre-eminent wine storage provider, first-to-market, and a fixture of the local wine community since 2003. Caring for 300,000 bottles of fine wine for 500+ clients, at two GTA locations, the Fine Wine Reserve provides discerning collectors with industry-leading standards of fine wine storage and related services. We are a small hard-working team of five persons who share in the understanding that integrity, authenticity, reliability and focus is the key to the company’s success.
About the Role
We are searching for an enthusiastic, reliable and organized professional to join the Fine Wine Reserve team in the warehouse as Cellarmaster. Reporting to the CEO, the Cellarmaster will oversee the inventory in the wine cellar at our 20,000 square foot facility in Etobicoke (FWR II). From this location, you and your teammates will provide Case Storage wine storage services for 100’s of individual collectors and enthusiasts.
As Cellarmaster of a large offsite cellaring facility, you are first and foremost a warehouse professional. With support from Logistics, most of your day will be spent in the cellar processing new deposits and pulling cases and bottles for withdrawal. But you also become our lead Wine Inventory Specialist, tasked with maintaining an accurate record of the 125,000 bottles moving in and out of the cellar annually. While knowledge of wine would be a useful asset, it is not a pre-requisite. But you must be motivated to learn about wines and agree to attend classes on your own time at our expense.
As lead Wine Inventory Specialist, you must be willing and able to perform what some would consider quite repetitive and routine inventorying duties for a large part of your day - and to do so without losing focus. Only candidates with a strong commitment to quality, and a work ethos that can be best described as patient, meticulous and detail-oriented will excel at this job.
You must be physically strong, fit and meet the physical requirements of the position including being able to lift up to 50 lbs (23 kg) regularly. And to bend, reach, stand for long periods of time. To load and unload trucks, navigate rolling ladders, work at heights, and work all day in a 12°C (55°F) environment.
The candidate must be experienced using Microsoft Excel and comfortable handling multiple lists, and large amounts of data and data entry. You are meticulous, pay careful attention to detail, and you have a logical mind that enjoys reconciling data and finding and resolving discrepancies.
Offsite work will be required a few days a month. Working at either our downtown location, or in client cellars in and around the GTA. While Logistics will handle most of the offsite work, you and other members of the team will join together to process the larger home cellar inventories and relocations. This work involves packing up wines, carrying heavy boxes of wine up and down stairs, and to and from the truck. To be clear, it is hard work.
The Cellarmaster will be asked to cover Logistics from time to time. This means you must be comfortable driving a van, SUV or small truck to pick up and deliver client wines. Everyone at FWR contributes to housekeeping and maintenance.
Immersed in fine and rare wines every day, and the gatekeeper to the cellar, the Cellarmaster tends to be the most popular person with our clients. As such, you will need to use your supreme customer service skills to effectively liaise with our elite clientele. To respond to their questions and special requests as it relates to their treasured collections and their overall love of wine.
Finally, there may be some opportunity for you to assist with business development, marketing and/or event management, to the degree that your interest and workload permits.
Things You Will Do
- Oversee/manage the inventory in the wine cellar at FWR II
- Track and record cases/bottles entering and exiting the cellar using an in-house WMS
- Identify and inventory cases and bottles using web-based wine inventory software
- Prepare monthly reports for management
- Shipping and Receiving
- Packing, repacking and unpacking wines
- Labeling pallets, cases, and bottles
- Load and unload cases and pallets from trucks and cars
- Carry cases of wine up and down stairs (in client’s homes)
- Organize cases onto pallet racks, retrieve cases and bottles from pallet racks
- Supervise and train cellar and logistics staff
- Write emails, memos, letters and documents for staff and clients
- Liaison (primary) with clients to answer questions/queries about their wines and inventory
- Liaison (secondary) with wine agent partners and other wine transport entities
- Data entry - compile, enter, check, reconcile and analyze data
- Prepare and create Excel spreadsheets, analyze data, present results
- Occasional deep cleaning of the cellar at FWR I and FWR II (shared with Logistics)
- Maintenance and repair duties at both FWR I and FWR II
- Light housekeeping of office, staff kitchen, W/C's (shared with others)
- Wine tasting room clean up duties (back-up role)
- Propose and implement logistical, process and procedural improvements
- Track and order supplies
General Qualifications & Skills
- Minimum 6+ years experience in a warehouse, office or retail environment - in a operations, management, administrative or coordinator capacity
- Completion of a post-secondary degree or diploma
- Highly proficient in Microsoft Excel and Outlook
- Excellent data entry skills
- Meticulous, with superior attention to detail
- Effective oral and written communication skills in English
- Ability to lift up to 50lbs (23kg), multiple times per day
- Comfortable working in 12°C (55°F) conditions all day
- A Class G driver’s license, clean driving record, and near full time use of a vehicle
- Ability to provide three reasonably recent, qualified employment references who will be contacted should you be shortlisted for further review
- Knowledge of wine, or a strong willingness to learn
- Must pass a criminal background check, and be bondable
Why You Will Love Working For Us
- Flexible work hours a possibility, for improved work/life/family balance
- Generous paid vacation benefits (3 weeks to start)
- Support for ongoing professional development
- Wine storage and Tasting Room discounts
- Invitations to wine tastings and events
- Free onsite parking
- Casual dress
- Bonus pay
- Wine! Learn, study and sample
Type of Position
Full time employment with a three (3) month probationary period. Reporting to the CEO
Working Hours
Generally 10AM to 6PM Tuesday through Friday, with fixed or alternating Mondays and Saturdays. Some flexibility with the general routine exists. Applicant must possess the flexibility to accommodate other hours and days from time to time.
Starting Salary
$50,000 to $65,000
We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.
$50,000 to $65,000 annually
