Job Description

Union Grove Farm, an innovative and certified regenerative table grape vineyard in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, is seeking a dedicated and experienced Vineyard Manager. This is a unique opportunity to play a crucial role in the expansion of our vineyard, which specializes in world-first varieties of seedless muscadine grapes, known for their exceptional antioxidant and nutrient content. As we grow from 100 acres in 2025 to a projected 350 acres in five years, we are looking for a skilled individual to lead our vineyard operations and develop into a Director role overseeing multiple sites.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Soil Health & Vine Nutrition:  Implement and manage regenerative soil health practices, vine nutrition management, and grazing strategies.
• Vineyard Operations:  Oversee tasks including pruning, canopy management, harvesting, and post-harvest handling, ensuring adherence to regenerative principles and minimal environmental impact.
• Integrated Pest Management (IPM):  Employ IPM strategies focusing on biological and cultural control methods over synthetic pesticides.
• Coordination:  Coordinate planting, maintenance, and spraying activities with vineyard staff.
• Irrigation Practices:  Implement efficient irrigation systems and practices to conserve water resources.
• Data Management:  Enhance data collection and record-keeping processes to monitor vineyard practices and inform decision-making.
• Expansion Planning:  Lead the planning and development of vineyard expansion across multiple sites.
• Leadership & Staff Management:  Supervise, train, and promote a culture of sustainability among vineyard staff, ensuring compliance with regulations.
• Financial Oversight:  Oversee the profit and loss (P&L) aspects of vineyard operations.

Essential Background Requirements:

• Education:  Bachelor’s degree in viticulture, agriculture, horticulture, or a related field preferred; extensive practical experience may be considered as a substitute.
• Experience:  8-10 years of vineyard management experience.
• Preferred Regenerative Agriculture Knowledge:  Understanding of soil health, integrated pest management, water conservation, and biodiversity.
• Business Acumen:  Strong leadership, decision-making, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Continuous Learning:  Commitment to ongoing education in regenerative agriculture practices, research, and technologies.
• Technical Skills:  Proficiency in grapevine pruning and training techniques for table or wine grapes.
• AgTech Interest:  Experience with or interest in vineyard AgTech support technologies, AI, and automation.
• Grazing Knowledge:  Familiarity with holistic, intensive rotational, and adaptive sheep grazing.
• Software Proficiency:  Working knowledge of agricultural databases, farm software, and mapping platforms is advantageous.
• Organizational Skills:  Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, along with excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Job Tags

Similar Jobs