Director of Marketing and Communications

Are you looking to be part of an industry and company that values employees, specializes in making a fun and high-quality product and appreciates work/life balance? If so, Cakebread Cellars has an open position for you. Our story begins in 1973 with a piece of land, a family passionate about wine, and a community of friends and partners who helped bring Cakebread Cellars to life. Cakebread Cellars' wines don't just reflect the personalities of the vineyards, they also reflect the spirit of all our employees who make our wines and winery remarkable.

Job Summary:
Reporting to the VP of Sales, Marketing & DTC, the Director of Marketing and Communications leads communications strategy, public relations, and brand marketing for Cakebread Cellars and Bezel Wines. This role is responsible for building and protecting brand reputation through earned media, trade and consumer public relations, influencer and partnership strategies, thought leadership, scores and accolades, and industry engagement. The role also leads brand marketing across wholesale and direct-to-consumer channels, ensuring that storytelling, campaign strategy, email marketing, social media, website content, events, and sales-support materials work together to strengthen brand awareness, support revenue growth, and deepen consumer and trade engagement.

About us:
•  We are a family-owned winery with an established reputation for producing world-class wines
•  Our success is built on quality, consistency, and continuity - characteristics we apply equally to the people, grapes, and operations of the winery
•  We are all about our company culture so much so, that it’s our #1 priority
•  We believe in the good life. With 90 employees, there are enough resources to go around so you can enjoy life and all the benefits we have to offer
•  We value sustainability in all aspects of our business. We respect the land and our management of it – treating the soil, water and climate with care and respect with regard to the next generation

What we will ask you to do:
•  Develop and lead the public relations strategy for Cakebread Cellars and Bezel Wines, with a focus on elevating brand perception, expanding awareness, supporting business priorities, and strengthening credibility with consumer, trade, business, lifestyle, travel, food, wine, and luxury media.
•  Build and maintain relationships with key journalists, influencers, trade partners, and industry stakeholders; identify timely opportunities to place stories, secure coverage, and position company leaders and winemaking voices as credible representatives of the brands.
•  Manage external social media, creative, and other agency partners, ensuring programs are strategically aligned, executed on time and on budget, and measured against business and brand objectives.
•  Define and maintain clear brand voice, messaging, and narrative architecture for Cakebread Cellars and Bezel across wholesale, DTC, hospitality, ecommerce, media, social, events, and internal communications.
•  Own the editorial and content calendar, ensuring stories, campaigns, releases, events, email communications, social media, website content, and sales materials are coordinated, strategically sequenced, and aligned with business priorities.
•  Partner with the VP Sales, Marketing & DTC and Kobrand to ensure brand marketing and communications strategies support annual and long-term wholesale priorities, market visibility, distributor engagement, and account activation.
•  Work closely with DTC, Hospitality, Ecommerce, Events, and Wine Club teams to ensure marketing programs support revenue goals, conversion, retention, consumer acquisition, tourism, and guest engagement.

Physical Requirements:
•  Ability to work in standing position for extended periods of time.
•  Ability to stoop, lift and carry 40 lb. cases of wine.
•  Ability to stand; walk; sit; use tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; climb stairs; balance, kneel; talk or hear; taste or smell. Sufficient digital manipulation skills to utilize a computer keyboard.

What you should bring to the table:
•  7-10 years of hands-on experience in public relations, communications, brand marketing, content strategy, or related functions, preferably with wine, luxury consumer goods, hospitality, travel, lifestyle, or premium retail brands.
•  Proven track record developing and executing public relations, influencer marketing, media relations, brand campaigns, email marketing, social media, events, and content programs with measurable business impact.
•  Strong understanding of the wine industry, luxury consumer behavior, the three-tier distribution system, wholesale and DTC sales channels, hospitality/tourism dynamics, competitive landscape, and market trends.
•  Strong business and financial acumen, with the ability to connect communications and marketing work to revenue, awareness, engagement, tourism, consumer acquisition, and brand-health outcomes.

What we will bring to the table:
•  Competitive salary including profit sharing
•  Employee focused culture
•  Health care benefit offerings including medical, dental, and vision
•  401(k) plan with company match
•  Vacation, Sick, Volunteer and Holiday pay
•  Employee discounts
•  Leadership development opportunities

Pay Transparency Notice: The salary range offered for this position is $125,000.00-$140,000.00. This salary range represents what we anticipate to pay for this position. However, actual compensation will be determined based on a variety of job-related factors, including but not limited to qualifications, skills, experience, and education. The Company reserves the right to modify this salary range at any time.