Cellar Door Manager
(Wine Jobs:
Vineyards & Cellars )
Full Time
Clyde, Central Otago,
Otago
Type: Full time, permanent position
Start date: 18 September 2023 (approx.)
The Opportunity:
As a new wine brand coming to market later this year, this is a rare and exciting opportunity to manage our Cellar Door, starting from the ground up. As part of Central Otago’s newest premium winery, you’ll get to bring all of your previous knowledge, leadership skills and service excellence to this new role.
A key member of our small team, you will help to establish and oversee the guest experience and wine tasting programme in our Cellar Door. Working closely with senior leadership, you will also play an important part in the overall development and growth of the hospitality, sales, and marketing programmes.
From day one, you will need to be comfortable wearing many hats as we tackle numerous projects in the lead-up to our grand opening. We require a motivated, self-starter, who can prioritise tasks and who isn’t afraid to jump in and help where needed.
Once our doors are open, the Cellar Door Manager will be leading the team on the floor, hosting wine tastings, private bookings, and educational winery tours. In addition, you’ll oversee the administrative duties associated with daily operations, sales and customer service alongside the Hospitality Operations Manager and the Director of Marketing and Consumer Sales.
This position offers a wonderful opportunity for professional growth and development, with the opening of a second cellar door in a nearby location in our future plans.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
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As a natural people-person with exceptional service skills, you’ll thrive in a busy environment and will strive to provide an unforgettable guest experience
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A gracious host, you will set the tone for our Cellar Door, welcoming our guests and conducting wine tastings, tours and private tasting groups on a daily basis
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Ensure that the Cellar Door is prepared for daily opening; execute both opening and closing duties, including reconciliation of daily cash and numbers
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Provide leadership, on-going training and education of the Cellar Door and Hospitality staff; working with our winemaker and viticulturist for training about the wines and the vineyards
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Work alongside Hospitality Operations Manager to coordinate staff rosters, bookings for private tastings and tours, large groups and work with tourism partners
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Administrative proficiency to track and manage cellar door supplies, record-keeping, reporting, and development of SOPs
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Maintain and track inventory requirements for wine & retail items; ensure stock levels support upcoming bookings, events, new releases and wine club shipments
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Work closely with Director of Marketing & Consumer Sales to develop and execute sales & promotion strategies, team goal setting, wine club acquisition and retention, and reporting & planning
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Assist with organising, processing and managing wine club shipments; communicating with club members on the phone and via email
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Assist in event planning, management and execution as needed on-site, and occasionally represent Monte Christo Winery at off-site events or tastings
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Assist with the management and bookings of our villa accommodation
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Carry out various administrative tasks as required, including order processing, entering and updating customer data, assisting with customer enquiries and sales via phone and email
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Act as main point of contact for the property in the absence of our Hospitality Operations Manager
Desired Skills & Knowledge
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Previous experience in a Cellar Door required
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A passion for and sound knowledge of the wine industry
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Strong interpersonal skills that build rapport and inspire trust with customers and the wider team; setting a professional standard for staff
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Computer literacy to include Microsoft Office products, with previous POS & CRM experience
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Possess a strong work ethic with the availability to work weekends and occasional evenings for events
Be in possession of, or able to obtain, a Duty Manager’s Certificate
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Previous wine education such as WSET or CSW desirable
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Ability to lift and handle materials weighing up to 18 kgs; Pack and prepare wine orders & shipping consignments as needed
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Capable of dealing with conflict in a professional manner with both staff and guests
You will report directly to: Hospitality Operations Manager
You will indirectly report to: Director of Marketing & Consumer Sales, Company Directors
What is in it for you: A competitive salary and benefits, and the rare opportunity to help define and shape the customer experience at Monte Christo Winery from the ground up.
Founded in 1864 by Jean Désiré Féruad, Monte Christo is the birthplace of Central Otago wine. Located in Clyde, we are family owned and operated, focused on producing high-quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from organic vineyards.
Our current development includes the adaptative reuse of the original 1864 Feraud Winery building into a cellar door, with indoor/outdoor wine tasting and dining areas. There will be three holiday accommodations, a small prep kitchen for food service, storage, and a staff office, along with other ancillary elements. Additionally, there will be a 200-ton production winery, barrel hall & dining space, wine education and tasting area.
If this opportunity sounds like a good fit, we would love to hear from you. Please submit your CV along with a brief personal introduction. We anticipate there will be a lot of interest for this new role, so we appreciate your patience as we conduct our search. We will endeavour to reply to all applicants.
You must have unrestricted work rights in New Zealand to apply.
How To Apply
Phillip Stuart
0225731722
