Hospitality Culinary Experience Manager

Oliver Wine Company • Bloomington, IN

2d

About The Position

Oliver Winery is seeking an innovative, hospitality-driven leader to develop and execute food programs that enhance the winery guest experience. The Hospitality Culinary Experience Manager creates memorable food and wine tasting and pairing experiences, supports the winery’s hospitality strategy, contributes to Direct-to-Consumer sales growth, and strengthens customer loyalty. The role calls for a strong understanding of food, wine, and hospitality, together with creativity in designing offerings for a limited-production kitchen. Formal chef experience is not required, but relevant experience in food service, catering, hospitality operations, culinary programming, or event execution is essential.

As a member of the Hospitality Leadership Team, this position reports directly to the Vice President of Hospitality. The manager serves as both a hospitality leader and experience curator, helping lead, develop, and support a hospitality team of approximately 50 part-time team members while contributing to the strategic direction of the tasting room, events, and guest experience. The role balances creative development, operational execution, team leadership, and business performance.

The position develops seasonal menus and food-and-wine experiences, manages food purchasing and costs, supports winery events and tasting-room operations, and collaborates with Winemaking, Marketing, Events, and Hospitality teams. Success is measured by guest satisfaction and engagement, performance of food and pairing offerings, revenue and attachment-rate growth, customer loyalty, team development, operational execution, and contribution to winery hospitality and Direct-to-Consumer objectives.

The typical schedule is five days per week, with a mix of opening and closing shifts and scheduled desk time, totaling 40–45 hours per week. The manager may be asked to cover other management shifts. The position requires working evenings, weekends, and special events as business needs require. It is classified as full-time exempt.

Requirements

• At least three years of experience in hospitality, food service, catering, winery operations, culinary programming, event management, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing food programs, menus, culinary experiences, or hospitality offerings.
• Strong understanding of food and beverage pairing principles.
• Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop team members.
• Strong organizational, planning, and project management skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, and special events as business needs require.
• Ability to stand, walk, lift, and bend for up to 10 hours a day.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 40 pounds while working on the retail floor.
• Ability to sit and work at a computer for up to 8 hours a day on scheduled desk days.
• Ability to manage extended periods of concentration and focus.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in a winery, brewery, tasting room, destination hospitality venue, hotel, catering operation, country club, or specialty food business.
• Wine knowledge and/or wine certification.
• Experience managing food costs, inventory, purchasing, and vendor relationships.
• Experience designing guest experiences that drive engagement and business performance.
• Experience training and developing front-line hospitality teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a strategic food program that complements Oliver Winery wines and enhances the guest experience.
• Create seasonal menus, pairing boards, shareable offerings, and specialty food experiences suitable for a limited-production kitchen.
• Design food offerings that are operationally efficient, scalable, and aligned with the Oliver Winery brand.
• Source ingredients and products, establish vendor relationships, and manage food-related purchasing.
• Monitor food quality, consistency, inventory levels, and food costs.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, sanitation, and health department requirements.
• Evaluate and refine food offerings using guest feedback, sales performance, and operational effectiveness.
• Curate food and wine pairings and develop seasonal tastings, educational programs, Wine Club events, and specialty hospitality offerings.
• Collaborate with Winemaking, Marketing, Events, and Hospitality teams on guest experiences that reinforce the winery brand.
• Create educational content and staff resources about food and wine pairing, and serve as an internal resource for pairing recommendations and experience development.
• Identify hospitality and culinary trends that can be adapted to the winery environment.
• Help lead, coach, and develop a hospitality team of approximately 50 part-time team members.
• Support recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, training, coaching, and performance management.
• Act as Manager-on-Duty during designated business hours, events, and peak visitation periods.
• Model hospitality standards and guest service expectations and partner with hospitality leaders to support team engagement, accountability, and operational excellence.
• Partner with Events and Hospitality teams to develop and execute food components for winery events, festivals, Wine Club programs, and seasonal activations.
• Ensure consistent and efficient culinary execution during high-volume events and support tasting-room operations during peak periods.
• Evaluate event performance and recommend improvements to guest satisfaction and business results.
• Help develop hospitality offerings that drive visitation, loyalty, and guest engagement.
• Manage food-related budgets, purchasing, inventory, and vendor relationships.
• Monitor food costs and margins while maintaining quality standards.
• Develop and execute food and pairing programs that increase engagement, food-and-wine attachment, and Direct-to-Consumer sales.
• Analyze sales trends, guest feedback, and operating metrics to identify improvement opportunities.
• Recommend revenue-generating hospitality experiences and offerings and support departmental goals for sales growth, guest experience, efficiency, and profitability.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health, vision, dental, and supplemental benefit packages.
• Generous paid time off and paid holidays.
• Employer 401(k) matching of up to 6% of annual compensation.
• Paid training and meetings.
• Opportunities for professional development.
• Access to the Live Well wellness program, including fitness reimbursements, charitable giving matches, and education on financial health and physical wellbeing.
• Generous employee discount on wine, food, and merchandise.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed