Careers

Devonian Coast Wineries owns and operates three distinctly different award winning wineries in Nova Scotia, Canada with total production of well over 100,000 cases per year. Jost Vineyards produces world-class wines from some of the most distinctive premium-quality grapes in North America.

We have an immediate opening for a Quality Assurance Technician at our Jost Vineyards location on the beautiful Northumberland shores of Nova Scotia. 

Position: Quality Assurance Technician

Place: Jost Vineyards

Start Date: Immediately

Wage Rate: Dependent on experience

Working Hours: Typically regular, full time hours, but during our busy harvest season (Late September to November), the hours can extend into late evenings and weekends.

Reports to: Head Winemaker & Cellar Master

Special Note: Ability to live in and/or commute to North Shore, Nova Scotia, required.

Job Purpose:

This is an exciting career opportunity for a Quality Assurance Technician who has preferably worked in a winery lab and cellar environment and/or received a diploma related to winery lab, food science and/or wine cellar training. The successful candidate will work directly with the Winemaker and Cellar Master. The job will involve the full range of Quality Control activities.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Perform all analyses in a timely and accurate manner
• Make sure all solutions are accurate and equipment is maintained/calibrated routinely
• Organize tastings required for new blends and prepare required reports
• Maintain an accurate lab products inventory and order new products as required for the cellar
• Perform quality control on all grapes, bottled wines, packaging, and at the bottling/canning line
• Daily input of Work Orders into our Wine Management Software
• Completion of Work Orders related to analysis
• Work with Microsoft Suite of products
• Train cellar staff as required
• Wine library maintenance and inventory
• Assist the cellar team when needed
• Have the ability to lift 50 lbs
• Contribute input to new product development

Interested applicants may apply by submitting a cover letter and resumé in confidence to our Head Winemaker, Gina Haverstock: opportunity@devoniancoast.ca with a subject title of Quality Assurance Technician

We are currently recruiting for a cellar worker to support our team in Malagash, located in Northern Nova Scotia. A cellar worker is responsible for general winery work that includes sanitizing tanks, hoses and other general cleaning.  Work assignments can include pumping wine, tank additions, barrel work and other wine related tasks.

We are seeking enthusiastic individuals that will work closely with our cellar team and report to our winemaker. This position is a full-time, year round, permanent position.

Position: Cellar Worker

Place: Jost Vineyards

Start Date: Immediately

Wage Rate: Dependent on experience

Working Hours: Full-time, year round, permanent position

Reports to: Winemaker

Special Note: Ability to live in and/or commute to North Shore, Nova Scotia, required.

Job Purpose:

The successful candidate will have a desire to work in an efficient and safe manner.  An interest in wine or agriculture is desirable.  Ability to live in rural, Nova Scotia or in commuting is necessary. Practical experience working in a wine cellar, food production, or manufacturing environment is desirable but not necessary; we will train suitable candidates.

Qualifications:

• Highly motivated and have a strong work ethic.
• Able to multitask and can work well in a team.
• Motivated and passionate about making high quality wine.
• Able to perform physical-demanding work on a regular basis.
• Able to lift 50 lbs. and are able to work at heights.
• Willing to work long hours, may include weekends, often>60 hours/week during harvest.
• Supervisory experience would be considered an asset
• WHMIS training, a forklift certificate and confined space training is an asset but not mandatory-successful candidates will be trained.

Job descriptions and responsibilities:

Daily/year-round tasks

• Ability to work within the standard operating procedures established in our cellar, crush pad and bottling line
• Follow a written list of cellar tasks accurately and complete in a time- effective manner.
• Clean/sanitize and sterilize winery equipment and tanks.
• Maintain an organized, clean and safe cellar environment.
• Perform wine movements such as racking with different types of pumps
• Filter wines with various types of filters (plate and frame, Cross flow, DE).

Harvest tasks

• Work on the crush pad when grapes are received. Tasks include weighing bins of grapes, running crusher/de-stemmer, grape elevator and operating the presses.
• Fill, empty and thoroughly clean presses (Membrane presses).
• Clean grape bins, crush pad and all grape processing equipment on a regular basis
• Perform pump-overs/punch-downs, red fermentation tank dig outs and racking.
• Perform sugar and other additions to juice/wine
• Prepare yeast and inoculate juice
• Add nutrients to juice/fermenting tanks
• Work bottling line.

Interested applicants may apply by submitting a cover letter and resumé in confidence to our Head Winemaker, Gina Haverstock: opportunity@devoniancoast.ca with a subject title of Cellar Worker