Wine & Beverage Director – The Oberon Group
Locations: Rucola (Boerum Hill), June Wine Bar (Cobble Hill), Anais (Boerum Hill), Rhodora Wine Bar (Fort Greene), and the soon-to-open restaurant at the New Museum (Lower Manhattan)
Employment: Full-time | Reports to: Chief Operating Officer
About The Oberon Group
The Oberon Group is a Brooklyn-based hospitality company known for neighborhood-driven restaurants and thoughtful, sustainable food & beverage programs. Our portfolio includes Rucola, June Wine Bar, Anais, and Purslane (sustainable catering), with an exciting new opening inside the New Museum.
Role Overview
We’re seeking a strategic, hands-on Beverage Director to lead beverage vision and execution across our venues—overseeing wine, spirits, beer, N/A, and coffee/tea—while building a high-performing service culture. You’ll shape distinctive programs for each concept, drive financial results, mentor our teams, and steward best-in-class guest experiences.
What You’ll Do
Program Leadership & Curation
- Own the holistic beverage strategy across four venues, tailoring lists and pricing to each concept and neighborhood.
- Build and maintain dynamic wine lists (with depth in low-intervention/terroir-driven producers), seasonal cocktails, beer and N/A programs.
Financial & Operational Management
- Works with Management Team to set and hit COGS, margin, and inventory-turn targets; maintain par levels and purchasing cadence.
- Implement standardized SOPs for receiving, storage, cellaring, draft systems, and waste minimization.
- Lead menu engineering and pricing; partner with GMs and Finance on forecasts and P&L reviews.
- Negotiate with distributors/importers; manage allocations and key supplier relationships.
Team Development & Service Excellence
- Train FOH teams—tasting notes, responsible service, pairing, salesmanship, and tableside hospitality.
- Actively attract and recruit talent to build high-performing beverage teams; create clear playbooks, service standards, and pre-shift materials.
- Conduct ongoing education (classes, producer visits, exams support) to cultivate a learning culture.
Openings, Projects & Events
- Drive the New Museum beverage buildout: concepting, equipment specs, glassware, recipes, cellar plan, and pre-opening training.
- Partner with Purslane and venue teams on event beverage packages, costing, staffing, and execution.
- Support marketing with content, features, collaborations, and ticketed tastings.
Compliance & Sustainability
- Ensure SLA/NYC compliance, age verification, incident documentation, and staff certifications.
- Embed Oberon’s sustainability ethos—responsible sourcing, low-waste practices, and thoughtful non-alcoholic options.
What You’ll Bring
- 5–8+ years in progressive beverage leadership (multi-unit or flagship program preferred).
- Deep wine knowledge (old & new world; natural/low-intervention producers), strong spirits and cocktail development chops.
- Proven track record hitting beverage COGS and driving revenue/mix through pricing, training, and programming.
- Experienced educator and culture-builder; clear communicator who shares a passion for both service and management
- Operational rigor: inventory systems, scheduling inputs, vendor management, and opening experience.
- Working knowledge of NYC SLA rules and responsible service standards.
- Certifications (WSET, CMS, BAR, or equivalent) a plus.
Schedule & Location
- Based in NYC with frequent time on the floor at all venues; evenings/weekends as business demands.
- Periodic travel for producer visits and events.
Compensation & Benefits
- Salary range (NYC required): $110,000–$120,000, base, commensurate with experience.
- Performance bonus tied to beverage KPIs (COGS, mix, training completion, guest metrics).
