PLEASE NOTE: This is strictly an on-site role located exclusively at our property in Young Harris, GA. This is not a remote or traveling position. Relocation assistance is provided.
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Crane Creek Vineyards is seeking to fill a top-tier leadership role, managing the day-to-day operations of a dynamic, multi-faceted organization with multiple profit centers. In this position, you will work directly alongside the business owner to drive operational excellence.
The successful candidate must be assertive, confident, and possess a proactive, "can-do" attitude. This role requires an individual who is equally capable of high-level strategic planning while effectively triaging the short-term, daily needs of the business. As a core requirement, the candidate must be highly adaptable - willing to master and maintain the diverse skills needed to step into any role at CCV. This exciting and dynamic role offers both a challenging and rewarding environment for the right candidate, along with substantial opportunities for professional growth.
Key Responsibilities
Operations and Hospitality
- Tasting Room Floor Operations (Tuesday–Sunday): Manage daily operations to ensure CCV continues to deliver exceptional hospitality and that staff maintains strict adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Ensure all equipment is properly maintained and in good working order.
- Tasting Room and Vacation Rental SOPs: Continuously create, review, and refine SOPs, opening/closing checklists, and side-work duties in order to ensure the continuous cleanliness and functionality of all tasting rooms and vacation rental properties
- Customer Service: Ensure an exceptional experience for every guest by monitoring staff interactions, resolving customer disputes, and managing email correspondence.
- Procurement and Inventory Management: Maintain and manage all non-wine retail inventory, including expendable supplies for the tasting rooms and the Farmhouse Coffee Shop. Responsibilities include ordering, overseeing merchandising, and adjusting prices as needed.
- Operational Back-up: Personally step in as a back-up for any position at CCV as needed.
- Cross-Departmental Liaison: Collaborate with the events team to maximize venue utilization while ensuring zero disruption to tasting room guests. Provide mediation, coordination, and conflict resolution across the tasting room, event staff, and estate staff when necessary.
Staffing and Scheduling
- Scheduling: Maintain the staff schedule at least four weeks in advance, optimizing labor levels based on seasonality and anticipated estate traffic. Train keyholders to manage labor costs by adjusting real-time staffing levels as needed.
- Leadership: Provide continuous, high-level oversight to ensure staff has a reliable point of contact and assistance for time-critical needs across all company departments.
- Culture and Team Development: Foster strong teamwork and collaboration among the staff, optimizing real-time team dynamics.
- Full-Cycle Recruitment: Interview, hire, and assist with training for all Tasting Room staff. Strategically promote high-performing team members in alignment with budget requirements.
- Staff Handbook: Maintain and update the employee handbook as needed. Ensure all staff members sign off to acknowledge they understand all aspects of their employment.
Wine Club Management
- Strategic Planning & Execution: Plan, organize, and facilitate end-to-end quarterly wine club releases and events, including the coordination of quarterly shipments.
- Event Coordination: Design and execute exclusive wine club events, including pick-up parties, ensuring a premium and highly engaging experience for members.
- Member Communications: Manage all club-related email correspondence, promptly addressing inquiries, updates, and specific member needs.
- Collateral Design: Work alongside contractors to create print materials supporting club releases, special events, and membership drives.
- Growth & Administration: Monitor new club sign-ups, track membership growth, and accurately calculate and disperse staff commissions for new acquisitions.
Vacation Rental Management
- Guest Hospitality: Provide premium, prompt correspondence, interaction, and support for the vacation rental guests. Actively field guest questions and resolve any issues prior to, during, and post-stay.
- Calendar Management: Strategically manage the booking calendar, aligning rental availability with private weddings, public events, and overarching estate operations.
- Quality Assurance & Turnover: Ensure all properties meet strict cleanliness and brand standards. Coordinate turnover schedules with cleaning staff, and find back-up assistance or personally step in to clean and prepare properties if cleaners are unavailable.
- Property Maintenance: Collaborate proactively with estate management to guarantee SOP adherence for routine property maintenance and complete guest satisfaction.
Event Logistics
- Public Event Logistics (Clusterfest & Others): Work closely with the event team to coordinate schedules and direct both staff and volunteers to ensure smooth operations on the day of major events. Partner closely with the event and estate teams during the planning stages to design day-of logistics, physical layouts, and crowd flow to optimize the guest and vendor experience. Provide day-of logistics with third-party food trucks for Friday evenings.
- Private Event Logistics: Coordinate schedules and direct staff and volunteers to ensure seamless support for private events before, during, and after execution. Collaborate closely during the planning stages with the special events and vineyard divisions.
Marketing and Digital Communications
- Brand Alignment & Accuracy: Coordinate with the owner and social media/marketing contractor to ensure timely content highlighting special events, daily happenings, and estate updates.
- Platform Management: Ensure all operating hours, event details, and operational information remain accurate and current across all digital platforms. Directly manage Google business profile.
Vineyard and Winery Operation Assistance
- Vineyard Function: Ensure the Vineyard Manager is fully supported with necessary resources within budget constraints, leveraging available staff and personal involvement to maintain operational efficiency when needed.
- Vineyard Labor & Knowledge: Develop a strong understanding of the agricultural aspects of the business. This requires side-by-side work with vineyard staff as opportunities arise and includes gaining working knowledge of the estate's grape varietals.
- Winery Production: Ensure the Winemaker is fully supported with necessary resources within budget constraints, leveraging available staff and personal involvement if necessary to maintain operational efficiency.
- Winery Labor & Knowledge: Develop a foundational understanding of the enological aspects of the business, including basic wine knowledge and the specific varietals used for CCV wines.
Budget and Finance
- Budget Development: Work in conjunction with the owner and the bookkeeper to develop an annual budget tailored to the upcoming year's Tasting Room operations.
- Financial Management: Collaborate with the owner and the bookkeeper to monitor budget goals, ensuring financial targets are met and adjusted as needed.
Compensation and Benefits
- Salary: Competitive base salary commensurate with experience
- Commissions: Performance-based incentives derived from both Wine Club subscriptions as well as excellence in hospitality standards.
- Paid Time Off (PTO): 20 days of PTO per fiscal year.
- Holidays: Paid time off for major holidays, including Independence Day (July 4th), Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.
- Benefits: Eligibility for a SIMPLE IRA with company match, alongside employee discounts.
Pay: $70,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Relocation assistance
- Retirement plan
Education:
Experience:
- Hospitality management: 3 years (Required)
- Wine Industry: 1 year (Preferred)
Ability to Relocate:
- Young Harris, GA 30582: Relocate with an employer provided relocation package (Required)
Work Location: In person
