Tasting Room Manager

About our Company:

Adirondack Winery is looking for an experienced Manager to assist our small family-owned business in growth to the next level. We are working on growing our customer base, expanding our locations, and broadening our markets. We need a dedicated, hard-working, smart individual who wants to have a direct impact on our growth and success for years to come.

With 2 locations and approaching 15 years in business, Adirondack Winery has experienced 200% growth over the last 5 years and in May of 2022 Adirondack Winery opened the doors to our biggest endeavor yet! At 395 Big Bay Road in Queensbury sits our brand-new Winemaking Facility, Tasting Room, and Event Space! This new building gives us the ability to produce 3x the amount of wine we currently produce; more wine means more fun for everyone! Adirondack Winery is a perfect place for someone who wants to work for a well-respected local business with countless career opportunities on the horizon!

Career Summary: Tasting Room Manager

The Tasting Room Manager oversees either our Lake George Tasting Room or Queensbury Tasting Room, under the direction of our General Manager; with the goal of creating a sales culture to build productivity and develop Tasting Room Staff for future growth through hiring and developing great people. Provide leadership to achieve or exceed budgeted sales and controllable expense goals. Effectively manage store operations, maintain appropriate inventory levels, and visual merchandising standards. Ensure all internal and external customers receive exemplary customer service and receive a positive Tasting Room and brand experience. Ensure Tasting Room Associates build relationships with customers.

The Tasting Room Manager’s responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Meet & Exceed Sales & Operational Goals:

• Ensure Tasting Rooms meet or exceed sales and payroll goals, utilizing effective communication, organization, and leadership skills.
• Prioritize, plan, and adjust schedules and daily agendas to meet business goals. Problem-solve complex issues and manage time to execute multiple tasks and changing priorities.

Personnel Management:

• Hold a team of sales associates accountable to training initiatives, achieving goals, developing their knowledge of Company products, services, and programs, and ensure they are following policies and procedures.
• Recruit, interview, and select qualified candidates to build a talent pipeline to achieve current and future business goals.
• Train and motivate all associates through on-going programs in sales, customer service and product knowledge, developing them to assume increased levels of responsibility.
• Assess performance and provide on-going feedback; Complete and deliver performance appraisals and development plans.
• Act as a key example for associates, motivating and influencing them by example and actions to provide excellent customer service and deliver comprehensive knowledge of company products, services, and policies. Ensure team of Associates provide the same experience, in accordance with our brand and core values.

Create and maintain an environment where all staff are treated with dignity and respect, fostering a spirit of teamwork and cooperation.

Operations Management:

• Maintain a safe and healthy work environment and ensure ongoing safety and cleanliness training and awareness.
• Manage store-operating procedures in accordance with company guidelines, ensuring accurate inventory procedures and levels, opening, and closing procedures, money handling and cash control procedures, tracking and reporting of tasting room expenditures, etc.
• Ensure store standards are met and maintained, i.e., visuals, cleanliness, signage, safety, etc.
• Manage retail merchandise – including maintaining accurate and sufficient inventories, cost control, developing vendor relationships.
• Manage the preparation and service of food samples in accordance with health and cleanliness policies, maintaining food and supply inventories, ensuring cost control, etc.

Marketing Objectives:

• Develop relationships in the local business community and tourism industry to achieve sales goals.
• Create effective retail merchandise displays, etc - all with the goal of maximizing sales and achieving marketing initiatives.
• Work seamlessly with the Marketing department to ensure that Tasting Room staff are effectively delivering marketing initiatives and working to achieve goals, promote and execute events to expectations, and assist the marketing department in garnering content, and more.

Customer Service Objectives:

• Ensure that sales associate effectively, appropriately, and accurately carry out the Company’s Customer Service policies and procedures.
• Procuring customer information and ensuring accuracy of that data is of utmost importance.
• Communicating with customers via phone and email to process reservations, orders and resolve issues is frequently required and the Tasting Room Manager must serve as a best example of Customer Service.
• Command a thorough understanding of the Company’s Wine and Case Club programs. Ensure associates sell these programs effectively and procure club information accurately. Adirondack Winery’s Club customers must be treated with the utmost care and respect and the Tasting Room Manager should foster these relationships with customers.

Technology:

• Develop complete knowledge of Wine Direct POS to execute all functions on the POS as needed, in accordance with company policies and procedures.
• Effectively and efficiently utilize company software, computers, and technology as a tool to achieve company goals and adherence to procedures; analyze and track performance, etc. Develop technology troubleshooting skills and share that knowledge with all tasting room staff.
• Frequent use of Microsoft Excel is required for reporting of store metrics (KPIs), sales goals, inventory, ordering and more.

Team Player:

• Facilitate effective communication between General Manager, Tasting Room Staff, Headquarters staff, customers, and suppliers to achieve company marketing initiatives, adherence to company policies and procedures, and communication of customer service and operational issues.
• Must be prepared to work at the tasting room in a pinch when Tasting Room Associates fail to show up to work, or the Tasting Room is busier than expected.
• Adirondack Winery is a small business and as such, all employees must be prepared to jump in as needed on a variety of tasks with the well-being of the company as the goal.

Physical demands:

• The ability to frequently lift, move and load cases of wine (approx. 35lbs), Must be able to remain in a stationary position for 50% of the time, sitting or standing. Constantly operate a computer and other office types of machinery such as calculator, copier, and printer.

Working conditions:

• The ability to work in a retail setting with multiple people and/or distractions, with many customers and employees.?THIS IS NOT A REMOTE POSITION. Must be able to maintain reliable transportation to get to and from work sites.

Work Schedule:

• A minimum of 40 hours per week is required, but more time will frequently be required to meet Company goals.
• We are open 7 days per week and 12 hours per day at peak season, so shift times will vary: covering weekends, nights, days, swing shifts, etc.
• Covering for staff members who “call out” on short notice is also required.
• Vacations longer than 5 days will be prohibited from June through September.

Work Location: (1 of these locations will be the primary location)

• Adirondack Winery’s Lake George Tasting Room at 285 Canada Street.
• Adirondack Winery’s Queensbury Tasting Room at 395 Big Bay Road.

Pay: Salaried, From $55K per year plus Bonus Pay based on sales performance.

PERKS:?Employee discounts including 1 free bottle of wine a week (worth $1000+ annually!); Reciprocal benefits at other major attractions in the area, free coffee, work outings and more!

BENEFITS:?Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance after 30 days of employment, 401K with employer match eligibility after 6 months of employment, Paid Time Off, employee referral program, and employee discount!

Disclaimer: Nothing in this job description restricts management rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. This job description is subject to change at any time.