Seeking leadership for a prominent Santa Ynez Valley winery.

Job Summary:
The Retail Sales Manager is responsible for managing and leading the daily operations and performance of the winery’s tasting room locations. This role oversees staff scheduling and training, actively develops sales promotions and strategies, and sets sales goals aligned with business objectives. The Manager tracks and reports key performance metrics to drive continual improvement and ensure a high standard of guest experience through a high-performing team. A successful candidate will combine hospitality excellence with strong leadership, clear expectations, sales acumen, and attention to operational detail. The ideal candidate will have an ownership mentality with a view to continuous improvement, solution-oriented mindset, and identification of opportunities and overcoming challenges.

Responsibilities:

Sales and Promotion: Proactively drive wine sales and promote wine club memberships, events, and special offers to both existing and prospective customers. Stay attuned to local events, holidays, and seasonal trends to anticipate sales opportunities and develop targeted promotions that increase traffic and conversions at our physical locations. Collaborate closely with the marketing team to ensure alignment on promotional strategies, brand messaging, and supporting collateral for a cohesive and impactful customer experience.

Sales Targets and Reporting: Establish clear expectations and sales targets for the staff and communicate them to the team in a timely manner. Track goals and shortcomings to address with the team and report results to management, including action plans for improvement. Perform regular documented reviews with team members to aid growth, training and identify areas for improvement with a coaching mindset. Monitor and manage the sales budget, including sales targets, expenses, and financial reports.

Staff Leadership and Training: Collaborate with the Wine Club Manager and experienced sales leads to shape and deliver a luxury experience, ensuring every guest receives a personalized, high-quality journey that reflects our brand’s dedication to excellence. Train, develop, and oversee tasting room staff to uphold the highest standards of hospitality. Responsible for training development which includes storytelling, sales techniques, role playing, staff testing. Regularly observe customer interactions to provide feedback and coaching that supports ongoing growth. You will also manage staffing schedules to ensure all tasting locations and events are properly supported. Lead sales team training on wine knowledge, tasting techniques, and exceptional customer service.

Inventory Management and Menu Planning: Oversee and manage the inventory of wines and merchandise, ensuring optimal stock levels are maintained. Curating and adjusting the tasting room menu's based on inventory levels and seasonal trends. This includes highlighting wines with higher stock to support inventory turnover goals, incorporating seasonal selections to enhance guest experience, and ensuring offerings align with overall sales strategy. Execute weekly reorders for tasting room locations to ensure uninterrupted availability of products. Lead and coordinate inventory counts, ensuring accurate tracking and secure handling of all inventory items. Collaborate with the production and inventory teams to manage product availability and avoid overstock or shortages.

Customer Feedback: Engage in customer feedback to ensure we are facilitating the most enjoyable experience for every customer. Alongside management, monitor and respond to online review sites such as Google, Yelp, etc. to address concerns that may surface.

Facility Oversight: Oversee the cleanliness and maintenance of the tasting room locations, ensuring a welcoming and attractive environment for guests.

Qualifications:
Experience: Minimum of five years of successful management experience leading a high energy team, ideally within the wine or hospitality industry.

Wine Knowledge and Passion: Extensive knowledge of wine production, regions, and varieties and a genuine passion to share that with others in an inviting way.

Customer Service: Exceptional customer service and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage guests and create memorable experiences.

Leadership: Strong leadership and team management abilities, fostering a collaborative and positive work environment.

Communication: Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.

Point-of-Sale Experience: Proficiency with Point of Sale (POS) systems and computer applications; familiarity with wine industry-specific software is a plus.

Flexible Schedule: Ability to work a flexible retail industry schedule, including weekends, holidays, and evenings, as required by winery events and peak seasons.

Adaptability: Capacity to adapt to a dynamic environment and handle multiple tasks efficiently.