Manager, Visitor Experience - Sumac Ridge Estate Winery (Wine Jobs: Management & Administration)

  Arterra Wines Canada

  Summerland, British Columbia

Job Description:

Sumac Ridge Estate Winery is BC’s first premiere estate winery with nearly 40 years of history and firsts in the Okanagan Wine Industry. Sumac Ridge is the winery that helped to pioneer VQA in BC and the entire wine movement. The winery experiences for consumers and customers builds on the ground-breaking achievements of this winery and explores the three unique wine brands that emerged; Sumac Ridge, Steller’s Jay Sparkling and Black Sage Vineyard. The winery is part of the Great Estates Okanagan, a collection of 8 VQA wine brands (including See Ya Later Ranch, Inniskillin and NKMIP Cellars).  Owned by Arterra Wines Canada, we offer extensive training and development programs.

We are currently recruiting for an energetic, detail orientated, team player who is self-motivated and possesses an ability to lead a team to fill the position for our retiring Visitor Experience Manager.

The Role:

As the Visitor Experience Manager you will be responsible to lead a team toward achieving goals and objectives by delivering experiences that build brand loyalty while driving sustainable profitability. Reporting directly to the Regional Visitor Experience Manager you will work in partnership ensuring programs and initiatives are aligned with winery estate strategy. Key functions of the role are:

• Selling
  • Leverage retail store and tasting bar to drive sales and achieve or exceed required results.
  • Identify and recommend margin enhancing retail sales opportunities
  • Develop recommendations for programming to offer exciting, brand-aligned, winery differentiating experiences
  • Work with Direct to Consumer team to develop and execute strategies to garner and utilize database and social mediums to achieve incremental sales while communicating regularly with guests.
  • Develop strategies that will continue to target our key demographics, leveraging partnerships with accommodators, tour operators and other local business and regional associations.
  • Willingness and ability to work behind the tasting bar as needed to support the team

• Staff Management
  • Develop an integrated, motivated, positive work environment driving required results.
  • Hire and train service/retail oriented staff for sales, tours and events including patio restaurant.
  • Timely completion of payroll and other administrative duties.
  • Maintaining and enhancing a strong “wine culture” and quality image
  • Monitoring of  our Secret Shopper Scores to ensure our service levels are aligned with our vision for hospitality
  • Ongoing development of key staff/positions (coaching, mentoring)

• Administration Management
  • Account for all onsite sales/wine inventory on a daily, weekly and monthly basis
  • Daily, weekly and monthly reporting of sales and reconciliations.
  • Manage expenses to budget

• Special Event Management
  • Work with Manager to plan, market and execute all on-site special events
  • Manage all execution of all on-site culinary (seasonal patio), wine tasting and tour experiences.

Job Requirements:

• Previous Management Experience in the Wine or Hospitality industry (Minimum 2 Years)
• Related training and/or College/University education an asset
• WSET Certification
• Ability to recognize sales opportunities
• Demonstrated team player with the ability to work under high pressure situations
• Good understanding of business and accounting practices/inventory/cost controls
• Must possess a passion of wine and wine industry
• Computer knowledge of WORD, Excel and Outlook Calendar Management
• Ability to Motivate and Coach a Team of Individuals
• Strong Communication Skills both Verbally and in Writing
• Demonstrated Ability to Strategically Plan and Execute
• Experience with Recruitment and Hiring of a Seasonal Team
• Excellent organizational, time management, interpersonal & communications skills.