General Manager - Beverage Operations

Job Description

The General Manager for Beverage Operations (GM) provides leadership for production activities and teams, including winery fruit supply chain management, maintaining west coast vineyard and processing facility partnerships, Biltmore's vineyard, cellar/winemaking, barrel program, bottling/packaging, warehousing, inventory control, and distribution for both still and sparkling wine production.

Duties include providing strategic direction for beverage production, quality control, regulatory compliance, capacity management, facility sanitation, and team development. The GM will form a strategic partnership with the VP of Beverage Marketing & Sales to ensure optimal supply/demand inventory balance is maintained.

This position is responsible for developing and executing production goals to optimize efficiency and capacity utilization, increasing capacity as needed, fostering collaboration and innovation, and increasing sustainable value for employees, guests, operations, enterprise, and society, aligned with Biltmore's Value Cycle. In leadership of winemakers, the GM will ensure consistent quality of all Biltmore wine SKU's while maintaining Biltmore's beverage style and taste profile.

Essential Duties

• Facilitate through collaboration the current wine production with employees, leadership, and vendors. Maintains effective strategic partnerships with the executive winemaker and master distiller to ensure quality and sanitation standards are maintained through packaging and distribution processes.
• Maintain working relationships with vendors on bottling-related equipment and materials contracts and long term pricing strategies
• Establish, implement and manage an execution plan for beverage business lines from bottling to distribution.
• Collaborate with all departments involved in planning for the operational side of spirits, and collaborating on guest experience
• Establish, implement and manage a single warehousing strategy/operational plan for wine fulfillment as well as a separate plan for warehousing of spirits meeting all requirements and regulations in North Carolina.
• Establish, implement and manage a plan for the construction of a new wine bottling line, located on the Estate, and requiring additional space, new construction, new equipment and vendors, training of employees, etc.
• Develops, implements, and maintains processes, procedures, and programs to improve the safety, productivity, and profitability of the operation while minimizing its environmental impact. Establish performance standards and learning plan for new bottling line staff.
• Serve as the key liaison for the Beverage Operations group service for other “internal guests” within the company; actively foster cross-departmental cooperation.
• Develop annual revenue and expense budgets; understand and analyze P&L and other financial metrics to make sound operational and business decisions including setting and achieving sales/profit targets.
• Participates in oversight of compliance with environmental regulations for Bottling Operations and Development.
• Collaborates with leadership across all beverage units to create and sustain a consistent guest experience that embodies the Biltmore brand and gracious hospitality philosophy.
• Partners with Beverage team on long-term business development planning and infrastructure to ensure they are conducive to efficient production and support the tour and tasting experiences as needed.
  
  

Qualifications

• Four-year degree preferred. Specialized training, education, or certification(s) helpful, but not required.
• Ten (10) years experience in beverage operations leadership, preferably at a senior level. Previous experience in wine/spirits/beer production helpful.
• Demonstrated commitment to delivery of world class internal/external guest service; proven leadership experience; ability to build/develop/motivate teams.
• Outstanding interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills; develops and proactively seeks positive working relationships internally/externally; effective public speaker.
• Excellent organizational and planning skills; capable of developing and executing plans as well as taking initiative and responsibility for outcomes, and can motivate peers and staff to do the same
• Knowledge of three-tier sales system required.
• Proficiency in Word, Excel; knowledge of PowerPoint helpful; ability to quickly learn Biltmore's history, systems, products/services, protocols, and culture.
• Excellent planning, project/time management skills; creative and highly adaptable; multi-tasks and prioritizes.
• Professional; maintains integrity and high ethical standards; reflects company core values at all times. Exercises good judgment and is proactive.
  
  

Physical Requirements

• The incumbent will work in an office environment requiring manual dexterity, necessary for computer input and use of other business machines and telephones
• The incumbent will be required to lift up to 35 pounds regularly
• Travel will be required, including trips to maintain west coast (CA & WA) vineyard & processing facility partnerships as needed, on the estate, to/from Biltmore’s corporate office, attendance at trade shows, meetings, etc. Valid driver's license required.