Technical Manager - Wine

Job description

In a nutshell

The role of a Wine Technical Manager is to manage the delivery of all aspects of the Sainsbury's Brand product and technical plans for their product area with emphasis on quality, safety, legality and supplier performance. The role works with the suppliers, our Sainsbury's brand support team, product developers, trading, supply chain and retail teams to deliver great quality products that are consistently produced to the correct quality standard and meet Sainsbury's standards and policies. A Wine Technical Manager drives the winemaking, quality and technical agenda for their product area, which includes responsibility for delivering Corporate Responsibility 20x20 targets and keeping the customer at the heart of all decisions.

What I need to do

· Winemaking and technical responsibility for an area of Sainsbury's Brand wine.
· Is a wine technical expert with a detailed understanding of the winemaking, wine supply base and technical requirements to deliver best in class wine quality specifications and quality consistency.
· Responsible for blending, tasting and approving all Sainsbury's Brand wines at each vintage change.
· Initiates and drives step changes in the technical performance of product area.
· Is a custodian of quality and Sainsbury's Brand reputation by adopting a zero tolerance approach to all failings of quality, safety and legality.
· Sets best in class benchmarks for all products and implements an annual risk assessed benchmarking and sampling plan. Results are clearly documented and any benchmarking losses or out of specification results are followed up in a timely manner with a clear action plan. Benchmarking and customer panel results are used in conjunction with taste complaints to build quality plan for each vintage change.
· Builds high level of knowledge for each sourcing country and utilises pre-vintage meetings to identify areas for change and improvement.
· Initiates and communicates agreed wine making methods. Understands sourcing models fully and the quality measurement required to deliver quality consistency for bulk shipping v UK packed, bulk brought in v blended to style v CoOp system v Estate made.
· Holds and maintains accurate product information for all Sainsbury's Brand products (including additions/finings).
· Manages quality at bottling by setting up bottling specifications, expectations, and being fully aware of the oxygen pick up of each line and gas management before bottling.
· Creates and maintains accurate records of blends, including tanks and volumes, so that traceability of the blend can be performed.
· Responsible for the management and delivery of technical KPI's in product area. Including responsibility for ensuring compliance to the Sainsbury's Ethical Trade Code of Practice.
· Accountable for the accuracy and completion of all product specification and artworks.
· Responsible for setting technical specifications and delivering an analytical testing programme to verify and monitor compliance.
· Creates and delivers on stretching complaints reduction action plans for product area with all suppliers.

· Is the wine, technical and quality expert within the category team and builds/delivers plans for suppliers, products and initiatives that will meet our customer's needs and deliver the Sainsbury's brand strategy.
· Is an integral part of the product development process delivering all the winemaking and technical aspects on time. Responsible for approving all new sites and suppliers through the supplier approval process.
· Proactively manages and engages with the supply base to drive the technical agenda and holds regular review meetings. Sets suppliers KPI's and technical targets.
· Responsible for ensuring all sites and suppliers are compliant to technical KPI's and Wine Code of Practice. Ensures that the Wine code of Practice is kept up to date and that the required standards continue to drive technical excellence in the supply base.
· Creates and implements a risk assessed visit plan to verify technical due diligence and compliance to brand standards and codes of practice. Annual risk assessed visit plan to include winemaker visits and be utilised to build relationships with winemakers at our suppliers.
· Leads the incident management process and follow up in the event of a quality, safety or legal issue with Sainsbury's Brand wine.
· Delivers projects to drive the profitability, quality and 2020 agenda for the biggest selling lines within product area.
· Delivers technical aspects of category 2020 plan. Involved in setting the 2020 plans for product area.
· Works with industry experts to drive the technical innovation agenda by identifying and delivering new technologies and research and development opportunities to deliver new packaging, product or winemaking solutions that is differentiated from our competitors and noticed by our customers.
· Defines and implements supplier strategy through the category planning process for product area.
· Coaches and trains new colleagues/graduates/placement students to technical excellence in respect of skill sets and product knowledge.
· Build technical excellence with respect to wine technical knowledge, industry know how and ensuring continuous professional development so that you are up to date and well informed and share this knowledge with other colleagues.
· Works with PR team to support the delivery of press tastings and events and responding to journalist, customer and internal queries.

How I will succeed

· Good judgement, drive and influence and a clear targeted personal development plan to enhance these areas
· Delivery of KPI's and Sainsbury's brand strategy targets as defined within personal development review targets. Targets completed within set timescales for product area
· Be a role model for accuracy and right first time in all aspects of product and packaging
· Deliver technical excellence and attention to detail in all tasks
· Effective due diligence management
· Effective planning and prioritisation
· Excellent self awareness and communication

What I need to know

· Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) Diploma qualification
· Degree or equivalent in relevant food, product related or relevant scientific subject
· Proven track record of delivering results in a technical or winemaking role
· At least 3-5 years' experience of a technical role within the supply base or retail
· Auditing experience and understanding of technical requirements e.g. HACCP and BRC
· Computer literate
· Commercial awareness
· The role will require travel within the UK and overseas (depending on product area and supply base location)

What I need to show

The colleague values should underpin all our roles. Some examples below for how you could demonstrate these values within the role:

·  We are trusting each other, working together : Works collaboratively with supply base and Sainsbury's team to deliver technical plans and drive quality standards within product area.
·  We are making it simpler : Identifies opportunities to improve technical performance of product area through simplified ways of working.
·  We are delivering great service, driving sales : Delivering the technical aspects of the product plan in product area on time to a high technical standard prioritising activity that will have the greatest impact on our customers.
·  We are making it happen: Delivers targets to agreed timescales. Initiates and drives delivery of quality step changes within product area.
·  We are treating every pound as our own : Identifies and delivers projects that will drive the quality, profitability and 20x20 performance of top selling lines.
·  We are cheering on our progress : Recognises and give feedback on colleague performance and celebrates achievements along the way as well as the end goal.

Resources available to me

· Sainsbury's Brand team support functions
· Sainsbury's Brand finance
· Relevant resources to deliver Research and Development projects
· Performance development reviews and a personal development plan
· My Sainsbury's Learning- Sainsbury's Brand Technical Training Courses and Store Support Centre behavioural personal development courses.

What decisions I can make

· Wine blending and vintage approvals
· Benchmarks for all products and action follow up
· Quality standards and product decisions
· Site auditing and grading
· Incident management
· Driving complaints action plans
· Supplier management and sourcing strategy

*LI-AK