DTC Sales and Hospitality Director

The Wine Group • Full-time • Glen Ellen, California, United States • $124k - $186k / year • 3d ago

The Wine Group (TWG) is a leading producer of award-winning wines and alcoholic beverages across 120+ brands. With operations in California, New York and Australia, TWG is an innovator in developing and marketing brands beloved by consumers globally, including Cupcake, Franzia, Benziger, Imagery, Tribute, Chloe, Meiomi, Cooks, 7 Deadly, Cooper & Thief, and more. We produce our products using sustainable practices to create delicious beverages that people can feel good about. Visit us at www.thewinegroup.com.

JOB SUMMARY

The Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Sales and Hospitality Director for The Wine Group, with locations at Benziger and Imagery wineries, oversees and guides DTC wine and non-wine merchandise sales, Wine Club acquisition, and data collection. This role is responsible for delivering best-in-class brand experiences while simultaneously executing sales strategies across Tasting Rooms, Hospitality and Events, and Direct Sales channels, ensuring targets and goals are met.

This role requires leadership, strategic thinking, and data analysis skills, alongside a deep understanding of the wine industry and consumer behavior. The Director of DTC must be a strong communicator, able to work across various teams and business units, and constantly seek ways to innovate and improve guest experience, sales, and operations.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Responsible for the Leadership, performance, and development of the DTC team. Includes channel leaders, and a broader group of full-time, part-time and seasonal employees, overseeing daily operations, guest experience, and ensuring the successful execution of sales activities across all Direct-to-Consumer channels.
Develop both short-term and long-term strategic business plans to enhance outcomes, meet budgeted targets, and ensure that goals for Wine Club acquisition, sales, data collection, and customer engagement are achieved.
Drives team focuses on high-impact activities that deliver results efficiently, while preserving and enhancing brand integrity.
Leverages customer lifecycle insights to develop personalized messaging and strategic initiatives that enhance the customer experience, increase engagement, and improve conversion and retention across all Direct-to-Consumer sales channels.
Leads comprehensive business analysis efforts by leveraging internal and external data resources to identify market trends, current opportunities, and future growth areas, informing decision-making and driving business strategies. Spearheads and measures Direct-to-Consumer Annual Operating Plan (AOP), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), Profit and Loss (P&L), and expense budgets; coordinates monthly Department Expense Reporting (DER) and P&L review process with DTC channel managers and internal finance team.
Manages long-term demand and supply planning, including sales forecasts conjunction with harvest and bottling projections.
Collaborates with Cost Accounting to evaluate pricing and Cost of Goods Sold and provide recommendations for improvement; supports Direct-to-Consumer and Commercial teams with DTC wines pricing and COGS information.
Stays informed about emerging technologies, industry best practices, and regulatory requirements related to Direct-to-Consumer operations.
Supports and collaborates with internal teams (e.g. Winemaking, Operations, Human Resources, Finance, Finance, IT, Compliance, Commercial Sales, Marketing, Digital Marketing and eCommerce) and external partners (e.g., Commerce7, Chatterbox, Wine Shipping, Enolytics).
Performs other duties as assigned, with flexibility to adapt to evolving business needs.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Must be able to lift and carry 40 pounds and be qualified to drive a company vehicle.
Ability to perform tasks requiring bending, stooping, standing, and twisting in an office.
Use of standard office equipment, including computers (keyboarding), phones, and printers.
Limited travel to other facilities in California may be required.

QUALIFICATIONS

Bachelor’s degree or higher, preferably in Business Administration, Hospitality Management, or related field.
Minimum 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in DTC, hospitality, retail sales, or winery operations.
Demonstrated history of achieving business growth, financial targets, and increasing organizational responsibility.
Strategic thinker and effective leader known for cultivating high-performing teams through mentorship, clarity, and accountability.
Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build consensus and foster strong relationships across all levels of the organization.
Strong financial management skills, including budgeting, forecasting, and understanding of key performance indicators (KPIs) tied to business outcomes.
Familiarity with enterprise systems and data-driven decision-making.
Digitally savvy, with a clear understanding of the DTC marketing landscape and tools.
Skilled in juggling multiple priorities and projects with a focus on business impact.
In-depth knowledge of winemaking processes, wine tasting protocols, and viticulture.
Willingness and availability to work weekends, holidays, and evenings as needed.

COMPENSATION

Hiring Salary Range Posted: $124,000 - $186,000 USD.
Actual compensation will be based on factors such as experience, skills, knowledge, and abilities, education, and other position-related factors.

At The Wine Group, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristic protected by law.

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NOTICE TO THIRD PARTY AGENCIES

Please note that we do not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of a signed Recruitment Services Agreement, we will not consider, or agree to, payment of any referral compensation or recruiter fee. In the event that a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without a previously signed agreement, we explicitly reserve the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency.

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