DTC Operations Manager (updated role)

About Williams Selyem: Founded in 1978, Williams Selyem is known for vineyard-designate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Zinfandel from some of California’s most distinctive vineyards. Our direct-to-consumer business is built around the Williams Selyem List and a longstanding commitment to personal service. From allocation releases to visits at our Russian River Valley estate, we aim to make every interaction thoughtful, accurate, and welcoming.

Position Summary: The DTC Operations Manager oversees the daily systems, people, and processes that support Williams Selyem’s direct-to-consumer business. This is a hands-on role responsible for executing allocation releases, maintaining accurate customer and inventory records, coordinating fulfillment, and supporting a high standard of customer service. Working closely with Sales & Marketing, Finance, Hospitality, Production, and external partners, the manager helps turn release plans into a smooth experience for customers and a reliable operation for the winery. The role supervises DTC operations staff and is well suited to someone who enjoys solving practical problems, improving processes, analyzing results, and following details through to completion.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Allocation Releases and E-commerce
•  Coordinate the operational calendar for allocation releases, general offers, and other DTC sales programs.
•  Set up and test products, pricing, customer access, allocations, shipping options, and promotions in Commerce7.
•  Prepare order batches, monitor orders throughout each release, and resolve issues with customer access, payments, inventory, or fulfillment.
•  Work with Sales & Marketing to implement customer segments and offers, and provide reporting on participation, sales, and sell-through.
•  Document release procedures and recommend improvements based on customer feedback and operational results.
Customer Service and List Administration
•  Support and supervise the customer service team, helping ensure timely, accurate, and warm responses to member inquiries.
•  Resolve escalated order, account, shipping, and allocation issues with sound judgment and appropriate follow-through.
•  Maintain accurate customer records, including contact information, preferences, communication status, and service notes.
•  Partner with Marketing and Hospitality on new-member onboarding, re-engagement efforts, and customer outreach.
•  Help the team uphold Williams Selyem’s “Hug Your Customer” approach through attentive, personal service.
Inventory, Shipping, and Fulfillment
•  Coordinate finished-goods inventory for DTC releases, estate sales, hospitality needs, events, and other approved uses.
•  Maintain accurate product and SKU information across Commerce7, inventory records, and fulfillment systems.
•  Serve as the day-to-day contact for fulfillment, shipping, and logistics partners.
•  Manage shipping schedules, compliance checks, order batching, pickup orders, weather holds, delivery exceptions, returns, damages, and reships.
•  Coordinate inventory movements and support cycle counts, physical counts, and discrepancy resolution with Finance, Production, Hospitality, and warehouse partners.
•  Monitor order accuracy, delivery performance, and inventory issues, escalating risks and recommending practical solutions. Conduct analyses of systems and performance to continually improve operations.
Reporting, Reconciliation, and Team Support
•  Reconcile DTC orders, payments, refunds, and other transactions with Finance, investigating discrepancies promptly.
•  Prepare regular reports on sales, orders, inventory, fulfillment, and customer service activity, along with analyses of trends vs. market.
•  Supervise, train, and support DTC operations staff, including temporary staff during busy release periods.
•  Maintain clear procedures and cross-training so the team can work accurately and consistently.
•  Coordinate with colleagues across the winery to keep customer communications, inventory availability, and fulfillment plans aligned.

Qualifications
•  Three or more years of experience in DTC operations, e-commerce, customer service, inventory, fulfillment, or a related role. Wine industry experience is preferred.
•  Experience coordinating complex, detail-sensitive work across teams and outside vendors.
•  Experience supervising or training employees is preferred.
•  Familiarity with an e-commerce or CRM platform; Commerce7 experience is a plus.
•  Working knowledge of inventory controls, order processing, shipping, and reconciliation.
•  College degree preferred, with MBA a plus.
•  Strong Excel skills and competency learning new systems.
•  Clear written and verbal communication, good judgment, and a commitment to excellent customer service.
•  Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, particularly during high-volume periods.

The right candidate is comfortable moving between systems, spreadsheets, colleagues, and customers throughout the day. They take ownership of the details, communicate early when something needs attention, and find satisfaction in helping a complex operation run well.