Director of Hospitality - Ancient Peaks Winery

Company Profile:

Ancient Peaks (hereafter “Company”) is a family-owned winery, showcasing estate varietals from the Margarita Vineyard, which is the only commercial vineyard in the Santa Margarita Ranch AVA of Paso Robles, CA.  It is distinguished by 1 of the coolest, longest growing seasons in the region, together with very unique calcium-infused soil composition created by fossils, which is coveted by winemakers worldwide.  The property is owned by 3 long-time local wine growing and ranching families; the Filipponis, Rossis and Wittstroms.  The wines are crafted under the guidance of Mike Sinor & Stewart Cameron, two highly-rated winemaking veterans, who produces critically acclaimed, gold medal winning wines, which are embraced nationwide by leading retailers and on-premise accounts.  The Company has consistently generated double digit sales growth for more than 15 consecutive years and is considered a thought leader within the industry.  It was notably featured on the cover of Wine Enthusiast magazine in 2019 and highly recognized for its innovation within the industry and philanthropic endeavors within the community and industry, which is a testament to the quality of its wines, strength of its brand and performance of its team. 

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Executive Vice President / General Manager, the Director of Hospitality is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the winery’s customer service experience and operations for the wine club, tasting room, café culinary program as well as internal VIP events and other related operations.  The ideal candidate will provide financial oversight, and the implementation of strategies, programs, systems and processes related to these business units, while ensuring seamless operations and maintaining the highest standards of service and guest satisfaction.

Duties / Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership:

Develop and implement a strategic vision for hospitality services that aligns with the winery’s goals and brand identity. 

Operational Oversight:

Manage daily hospitality operations, ensuring efficiency, profitability and high standards of service across all departments, including tasting room operations, wine club, culinary programs, event management, and customer service. 

Guest Experience:

Oversee and enhance the guest experience through efficient systems and memorable, brand-aligned interactions, building guest loyalty.  Ensure exceptional guest experiences by establishing service quality standards, evaluating guest feedback and making necessary adjustments to improve service delivery. 

Operations Management:

Oversee all tasting room operations, internal and VIP events as well as outside pourings.

Staff Management:

Recruit, train, supervise and motivate hospitality staff, while promoting a culture of excellence, teamwork and continuous improvement. 

Financial Management:

Develop, prepare and manage budgets for hospitality operations, track revenue and expenses, implement cost-control measures to enhance profitability and contribute to financial planning. 

Collaboration:

Work closely with other departments, including marketing, sales and human resources, to promote services, enhance guest engagement and drive revenue growth. 

Market Analysis:

Stay abreast of industry trends, competitor activities and customer preferences, to identify opportunities for innovation and improvement. 

Compliance and Standards:

Ensure all operations comply with health and safety regulations, licensing laws, alcohol sales and transportation and company policies.

Wine Knowledge:

Maintain a thorough knowledge of the winery's wines and brands to educate guests and staff.  

Sales:

Contribute to wine sales by educating guests in connection with the winery's offerings and guiding them towards purchases. 

Event Management:

Oversee wine club and VIP events, including tours, tastings and special occasions.

Training and Development:

Develop and implement training programs for hospitality staff to ensure they are well-versed in wine knowledge, customer service and sales techniques. 

Marketing and Promotion:

Collaborate with the marketing team to promote the winery's hospitality offerings and attract new customers. 

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Business, or related discipline, preferred;

3 – 5 years of current relevant experience in a similar position;

Experience in managing budgets, financial performance and financial acumen;

Strong leadership and management skills, with experience in building, mentoring, coaching and motivating and developing high-performing teams;

A passion for wine and a thorough understanding of winemaking and the wine industry;

In-depth knowledge of hospitality industry trends, customer service standards and best practices;

Proficiency with the MS Office suite of products and wine related software (Commerce 7 super user preferred)

Exceptional oral and written communication and interpersonal skills;

Exemplary time management, organizational, problem-solving, attention to detail, multi-tasking, decision-making, critical thinking and customer service skills;

Ability to work effectively alone and within a fast-paced team environment

Flexibility to work a varied schedule, including evenings and weekends.

Compensation:

$80,000 - $90,000 annual base salary, DOE, for this full-time, exempt position

Annual Eligible Bonus Program

Benefits:

40 hours paid vacation 1^st year, 80 hours year 2-7 with a 160-hour cap, on an accrual basis;

48 hours of standard CA paid sick time, on an accrual basis

Medical, dental, vision, life insurance coverage

Medical – employee pays $100 company covers up to $900 of dependent cost

Dental & Vision are offered at employee expense

401(k) offered after 1 year of employment

Life Insurance – company pays for $25,000 in coverage and employee can purchase additional for employee and dependents

Location:

Santa Margarita, CA – onsite position.

Salary : $80,000 - $90,000