Job Description
Job Description
The Cal Alumni Association (CAA) provides all Cal graduates with rewarding connections to the university, to fellow alums, and to current students. Founded by the original graduates of the University of California in 1872, the Cal Alumni Association today represents more than half a million alums living throughout the world.
Our mission is to cultivate a lifelong relationship with our alma mater by connecting and inspiring alums, students, and the campus community through meaningful and inclusive opportunities. We foster a culture that celebrates diversity, creates a sense of belonging, and advances equity.
Position Summary
The Wine Club Program Manager is responsible for the end-to-end ownership, growth, and operational execution of a curated wine club program, including oversight of agricultural, vineyard, and winery management initiatives aligned with the program's brand and long-term strategy.
This role owns program performance, including membership growth, revenue goals, customer experience, events, and operational excellence. The Program Manager oversees vendor and grower relationships, production planning, inventory coordination, fulfillment logistics, customer service, and financial performance to ensure a high-quality, sustainable, and scalable program.
The Program Manager serves as the central point of coordination between vineyards, wineries, distributors, agricultural partners, fulfillment vendors, marketing, and leadership—ensuring alignment between production realities, business goals, and an exceptional member experience.
Key Responsibilities
Program Ownership, Growth & Goal Management
- Own the overall success of the wine club, including membership growth, retention, revenue, and margin goals
- Develop annual and multi-year program goals and growth strategies
- Track performance against targets and recommend adjustments to pricing, offerings, cadence, or experience
- Identify new opportunities for expansion, special releases, partnerships, and events
Program Management & Operations
- Manage day-to-day operations of the wine club, including shipment cycles, timelines, and deliverables
- Coordinate wine selection, pricing, and allocations with vineyard and winery partners
- Oversee order fulfillment, shipping logistics, and operational workflows
- Maintain accurate records of inventory, production schedules, memberships, and transactions
Agriculture, Vineyard & Winery Program
- Support the development and oversight of vineyard, agricultural, and winery management programs aligned with wine club needs and brand standards
- Coordinate with growers, vineyard managers, and winemakers on harvest planning, production timelines, and allocation strategy
- Monitor agricultural practices, sustainability goals, and quality standards
- Support long-term vineyard and winery planning, including varietal strategy, yield considerations, and future product development
- Serve as the bridge between agricultural operations and commercial demand
Customer Service & Member Experience
- Own the end-to-end customer experience for wine club members
- Serve as escalation point for member inquiries, issues, and service recovery
- Ensure timely, accurate, and thoughtful communications related to shipments, delays, releases, and events
- Use feedback and data to continuously improve service, satisfaction, and retention
- Establish and maintain customer service standards that reflect a premium, relationship-driven experience
Events & Experiential Programming
- Plan and oversee wine club–related events, including tastings, release events, vineyard experiences, winemaker dinners, and member gatherings
- Coordinate event logistics, partners, budgets, and staffing
- Collaborate with Marketing & Communications on promotion and storytelling around events
- Ensure events deepen member engagement and support growth and retention goals
Vendor, Grower & Partner Relations
- Build and manage relationships with vineyard owners, winery partners, distributors, and fulfillment vendors
- Negotiate pricing, allocations, and program terms to support quality, margins, and member value
- Ensure partners meet quality, sustainability, service, and compliance expectations
Marketing & Growth (In Collaboration with MarCom)
- Partner with Marketing & Communications to execute acquisition and retention campaigns
- Support content and storytelling that highlights vineyards, agricultural practices, winemakers, and events
- Coordinate launch timelines for new vintages, seasonal releases, and special editions
- Contribute to strategies that increase member lifetime value
Financial Oversight & Reporting
- Own program-level financial performance, including revenue, costs, margins, and forecasts
- Track agricultural and production inputs alongside commercial outcomes
- Prepare regular performance updates for leadership
- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, profitability, and sustainability
Compliance & Risk Management
- Ensure compliance with alcohol sales, shipping, agricultural, and tax regulations
- Maintain documentation related to licenses, vineyard agreements, contracts, and vendors
- Proactively identify and escalate regulatory, operational, or reputational risks
Qualifications
Required
- Experience owning or managing a consumer-facing program, subscription service, or product-based business
- Demonstrated responsibility for growth targets, revenue, or performance goals
- Strong customer service orientation and issue-resolution experience
- Experience coordinating with external partners, vendors, or producers
- Strong organizational and project management skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Preferred
- Experience in wine, viticulture, agriculture, winery operations, or hospitality
- Familiarity with vineyard management, harvest cycles, and production planning
- Knowledge of alcohol compliance and direct-to-consumer shipping regulations
- Experience producing or managing events
- Comfort operating in entrepreneurial or evolving program environments
Pay and Benefits:
This position is classified as an at-will, full-time, exempt position. Pay range is $85,000-105,000 annualized. This position is eligible to participate in healthcare benefits, and a retirement plan with company match. We offer great work-life balance opportunities with generous vacation and holiday time-off benefits. CAA staff, while not University of California employees, are eligible for many UC Berkeley staff programs, professional development and networking opportunities, and discounts on campus. We have a friendly and professional environment, and we pride ourselves on our team approach.
BenefitsFor Our Full-time Employees:
CAA offers an excellent health care and supplemental benefits packages, 403(b), a generous paid time-off benefit, and more. We have a friendly, relaxed but professional environment, and we pride ourselves on our team approach.
Health Care Benefits:
- CAA employees are required to contribute 10% of their total medical premium for the employee and 20% for any eligible dependents.
- CAA pays 100% of the premiums for Dental and Vision benefits for the employee and any eligible dependents.
Paid Time Off Benefits:
- Vacation: 16 days/year for first 2 years of service, 18 days/year after completing 2 years of service, 21 days/year after completing 5 years of service.
- Sick time: 12 days/year
- Holidays: 11 total per year
- Paid time off between Dec 26 and Dec 31
- Birthday Holiday: 1 Day off
Professional Development:
- As affiliates to UC Berkeley, CAA employees are eligible to participate in many of the on-campus professional development workshops, seminars and professional networks available to UCB employees. Please note that this does not include undergraduate or graduate courses offered to students.
- CAA has a partnership with UC Berkeley Extension that offers our employees a discount on enrollment fees.
Financial Benefits:
- 403(b) retirement savings plan with a company match
- Supplemental Insurance with 100% of premiums paid by CAA:
- Life Insurance
- AD&D Insurance
- LTD Insurance
- Option to purchase supplemental insurance plans from AFLAC
Commuting and Parking:
- If you're a commuter, consider taking advantage our pre-tax public transit commuter benefit. You can load your Clipper Card or pay public transit fare with pre-tax dollars.
- Cal Bear Pass: Take advantage of UCB's partnership with AC Transit. The partnership offers a cost savings of up to 70% off the standard monthly bus pass rate! CAA employees are eligible to purchase an AC transit pass at the faculty/staff discount rate with pre-tax payroll deductions.
- UCB Campus Parking Permit: As affiliates to UCB, our CAA employees are eligible to purchase a campus parking permit at the faculty/staff discount rate with pre-tax payroll deductions.
Access to Campus Programs and Discounts:
- Eligible to join the Recreational Sports Facility (RSF) at the Faculty/Staff discount rate
- Special campus events
- Free admission to the University Art Museum
- Discount tickets for Cal Performances, Pacific Film Archive, and Hertz Hall
- AirBears: wireless internet access on campus