Tasting Room Manager (Wine Jobs: Wine Retail & Sommelier)

  Fort Berens Estate Winery Ltd (http://www.fortberens.ca)

  Lillooet, British Columbia

Fort Berens Estate Winery is looking for a

Full-Time Tasting Room Manager

Fort Berens Estate Winery is Lillooet’s first winery and is growing rapidly. We have created a destination winery, where people come to enjoy lunch and a glass of wine on the patio, and sample our award-winning wines in the tasting room while enjoying the stunning view. Our personable and friendly staff provide our guests with information about the wine, our wine club, the region, things to do while visiting the area, and more. The tasting room is open year-round.

We are looking for an outstanding person to join us and lead our tasting room team. The ideal candidate has excellent customer service skills, retail knowledge, administrative skills, and a passion for wine.  The Tasting Room Manager is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the tasting room and guest experiences. The candidate must be comfortable working both as a part of a team and as a leader of a team. Within the company, the candidate will work collaboratively with the other team leaders to meet company objectives. As a leader of the tasting room team, the candidate will be responsible for recruitment, training and coaching of staff members.  

The responsibilities of this position include among other things:

• Understand and adhere to budgets: achieve monthly and annual tasting room wine sales and revenue objectives, build wine club memberships, ensure positive guest feedback; control inventory, manage payroll and other expenses; think like an entrepreneur with the skill to adjust programs in order to achieve these goals
• Accountability for executing all tasting room operations including opening/closing procedures, inventory management (order, stock, and maintain all inventory), maintain a friendly, warm and clean tasting room environment inside and outside at all times
• Provide leadership to a team of tasting room staff, including hiring, scheduling, training, health & safety, supervision and termination
• Assist tasting room staff in their duties when needed; work in the tasting room alongside team; model the behaviour that is expected from tasting room staff; other duties as necessary to be an active team member, doing what is necessary to help the business run smoothly and efficiently
• Ability to create and maintain a warm, friendly and highly productive team ‘culture’ that is focused on providing an exemplary tasting room guest experience that builds lasting customer relationships
• Working collaboratively with the owners, the culinary team, the winemaking team, and the Discovery Club and Marketing team to meet company objectives

The ideal candidate will possess natural leadership abilities, will work well under high-pressure situations, has the ability to multi-task, takes initiative and is decisive, and has a positive, outgoing and approachable personality. Applicants should have a minimum of 10 years retail or hospitality experience with at least 3 years in a supervisory role.  We are looking for a proven track record of success and the ability to ensure a smooth-running operation that maximizes sales while managing costs, with the ability to motivate staff as a competent leader to ensure profitability through teamwork. 

In addition, the candidate must have:

• Previous supervisory experience, ideally in a luxury goods or high-end hospitality environment
• Minimum of 8 years of experience in (wine) retail sales or hospitality
• Ability to build and lead a successful team
• Demonstrated ability to provide outstanding customer service
• A warm and outgoing personality
• Passion for wine, with formal training considered an asset (ISG, WSET, etc)
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to multi-task
• Must be willing to work weekends and evenings
• Working knowledge of computer programs, such as Word, Excel and email. Experience with WineDirect is an asset
• Serving It Right certificate & driver’s license
• Candidates must be in good health and be able to carry 16kg repeatedly

 Compensation:

• Full-time, year-round permanent position with a competitive salary, bonus and benefit package