Director of Taproom Operations

Position: Lazarus Brewing Co. is looking for an experienced Director of Taproom Operations who is ready to spread their wings and make a mark in one of the 7 best beer cities in America.

Location: Austin, Texas.

Who We Are: Lazarus Brewing Co. is one of Texas' highest volume brewpubs, located in the heart of Austin. Founded on Christmas Eve, 2016, we are a world class neighborhood brewery that brings people together around coffee, beer, tacos, and Joy! We believe in Story and Adventure, and we've got both in spades over the past 7 years, we've won 5 gold medals at the Great American Beer Fest and World Beer Cup (2017, 2022, 2023); we opened a second location (2022); we were named Best Brewery in Austin by CultureMap (2023). Now we're focusing on what comes next... Maybe you can help us get there?

Who We're Looking For: This is a rare opportunity, for a very special person. The ideal candidate will have 5 years of senior level managerial experience (across both FOH & BOH), with a proven ability to build teams, hit metrics, and create culture across multiple locations. You are the bridge between ownership and operations. You care about people and know how to run a profitable business. Equal parts Coach and Quarterback, you are a self-starter who gets things done by bringing out the best in those around you. You re a Learner, a Teacher, a Team Captain who can get folks to follow (even when it s tough sledding). You know how to steer the ship, manage personalities, stay cool under pressure and deliver exceptional customer experiences. You are honest, reliable, humble, competent. Not afraid to get your hands dirty.

Key Traits:

1. Cultural Leadership - Lazarus is a potent brand; it's your responsibility to steward and curate it. As such, you will need a deep understanding of who we are (and aren't) in order to winsomely embody our mission, values, and character within our community. Your role is to build a team and create a culture that genuinely cares for people, delivers exceptional hospitality (day in and day out), all without ever forgetting that our business must remain profitable in order to survive and grow. Your job is to do this across two (or more) high-volume locations. You will report directly to the Founder and CEO.
   
   
2. Operational Expertise - As Dir of Taproom Ops, you will oversee hiring, training, supervising, and motivating all FOH and BOH staff. All Taproom / Kitchen Managers report directly to you. In addition, you will work closely with other teams (Brewing, Community & Culture, etc.) to facilitate smooth interactions between departments. You ensure all taprooms run smoothly.
   
   
3. Shared Passions - As the person who steers the ship (operationally), you must have a deep knowledge of and passion for coffee, beer, wine, food. These are our loves, the things that got us into this industry. You must love them as much as we do. More importantly, you must share our passion for people for our customers (hospitality and friendship); for our staff (leadership and development); and for ownership (stewarding their investment).
   
   
4. Fiscal Responsibility - As an experienced Dir of Taproom Ops, you must be able to demonstrate a proven track record of creating culture while controlling costs and maximizing efficiency (COGS, discounts, payroll). Over the past 7 years, Lazarus has proven itself to be a profitable business; it's your job to keep Operations profitable going forward.
   
   
5. Authenticity - As an ambassador of Lazarus, you must be great with people: customers, staff, peers, owners, investors. You should be an excellent communicator (both written and verbal). You should be the kind of person people want to work for and with. Most importantly, you must exhibit tremendous personal integrity. (Honest, trustworthy, reliable.)
   

• Hire, train, supervise, and motivate the management team (Taproom / Kitchen Mgrs) that oversee all FOH and BOH (Foodrunner, Bartender / Barista, Prep Cooks, Line Cooks, etc).
  
• Create a culture of hard work, accountability, mutual respect and direct communication.
  
• Design, maintain, improve, and ensure compliance with SOP's for both FOH and BOH
  
• Ensure all training materials are regularly updated with changes to beverage, food and policies
  
• Conduct performance reviews, create personal development plans, and actively coach managers
  
• Work with Taproom / Kitchen Mgrs to oversee weekly scheduling for both FOH and BOH
  
• Work with Kitchen Mgrs to develop specials, new menu items, review pricing, etc.
  
• Work with Taproom Mgrs to oversee ordering, inventory management, and vendor relations for FOH
  
• Meet regularly with Taproom / Kitchen Mgrs to review operations, address challenges, prioritize needs, and implement action plans.
  
• Meet regularly with CEO and Upper Management Team to track performance, analyze progress, identify areas for improvement, and implement strategic initiatives.
  
• Ensure financial profitability of taprooms by regularly monitoring cash management, credit card expenses, invoice tracking, costing, payroll, labor, and sales.
  
• Regularly review / analyze key financial metrics (P&L, Balance Sheet, Payroll, Cash Flow, etc.) to reveal trends, quantify progress, and identify areas that need attention.
  
• Ensure employee culture and guest experience consistently align with the Lazarus Brand.
  
• Exhibit mastery of key FOH product areas: Coffee (coffee equipment, grinders), Beer (style notes, draft systems, crowler machines), Wine (selection, Frozens), Food (ingredients, allergies, pairings).
  
• Exhibit mastery of key technologies: POS (Toast), Payroll (Gusto), Reporting (Excel, PowerBI).
  
• Oversee all pricing, specials, and Menu updates (Adobe InDesign).
  
• Maximize control of costs through training, monitoring, inventory and correct pricing structures.
  
• Ensure accuracy of all payroll, financial and administrative data (across all locations).
  
• Work with Brewing team to plan liquid schedule, sensory training, special releases (across all locations).
  
• Work with Invoicing team to accurately track / bill all product transfers (between locations).
  
• Work with PR / social media team to promote engagement (across all locations).
  
• Work with programming / event booking teams to maximize utilization (across all locations).
  
• Oversee onsite execution of programming / private rentals / special events (across all locations).
  
• Ensure exceptional quality of experience coffee, beer, food, and hospitality (across all locations).
  

• At least 5 years of senior leadership experience in the hospitality industry (restaurant/brewpub) managing multiple, high-volume locations (Net Sales of $3M per location).
  
• Organization, attention to detail, and enthusiasm for Lazarus (as a brand) and hospitality (as a career) are a must.
  
• Must have excellent communication skills (both written and verbal).
  
• Takes ownership, accepts responsibility, achieves high quality results, stays on-time and in-budget.
  
• Able to represent the Lazarus brand (and interests) in a wide variety of public settings.
  
• Able to keep total payroll < 30% of Net Sales while providing exceptional customer service.
  
• Able to build strong working relationships based on shared values, cooperation, and mutual respect.
  
• Should have a keen eye for design, photography, merch (and culture).
  
• Loves coffee, beer, tacos, and people!
  

Additional Notes:

• Cicerone certification a plus.
  
• Fluency in Spanish an even stronger plus.
  
• Able to work flexible hours including nights, weekends, and holidays.
  
• Ability to lift 55 lbs.
  

Salary commensurate with experience. Benefits include health insurance and paid time off. Profit sharing based on performance. We are prepared to offer a very competitive package to the appropriate candidate. To apply, please submit resume and cover letter explaining why you are the ideal candidate for this role. We hope to fill this position by March 15, 2024.

About the Company:
Lazarus Brewing Co. (Austin, TX)

Salary : $3