Wine and Beverage Director - Union Square Hospitality Group : Job Details

Description : Ci Siamo is a restaurant from Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality Group and James Beard semifinalist Chef Hillary Sterling. Located at Manhattan West, this NYT Top 100 restaurant celebrates the beauty of simplicity centering around live-fire cooking. The Italian-inflected menu takes inspiration from Chef Sterling's extensive travels and is rooted in the understated excellence of seasonal ingredients and purposeful preparations. Ci Siamo, which loosely translates to “we've made it” or “we've arrived,” bridges the traditional with the contemporary to introduce a new space that is at once transportive yet warmly familiar.

Who you are: The Wine and Beverage Director for Ci Siamo is responsible for every aspect of the beverage program: selecting and maintaining the wine list, hiring and leading sommeliers, and ensuring the financial health of the business.

• Cultivate a culture of Enlightened Hospitality for all stakeholders that supports our business objectives and growth
• Partner with the management team to lead the service staff in ensuring that USHG provides unparalleled hospitality for every guest
• Endlessly look for opportunities for Beverage to open doors to Hospitality and dialogue between guests and businesses.
• Guide teams in discovering ways to ‘find the yes' for guests in a manner that upholds the integrity of USHG operations.
• Build a culture of enlightened hospitality by ensuring excellent standards of service, communication, and education.
• Use Beverage to actively drive cover counts and introduce new guests to our brand as well as encouraging existing guests to return.
• Consistently looks for internal and external opportunities to build our growing team
• Fosters a positive, collaborative work environment for both the service and kitchen teams, ensuring clear communication at all times
• Educate the Service Team on the wine, beer, spirits, cocktail, and non-alcoholic beverage offerings for all beverages within the restaurant in a way that adds quality and value as well as enhances the guest experience while achieving and surpassing financial goals.
• Ensure that all end-of-period reports, inventories, and forecasts are completed accurately and on time.
• Ensure that all beverage changes are executed properly with necessary communication and with education in mind.
• Ensure that all POS systems, inventory systems, beverage lists, and any other information related to the selling of beverages are understood by the team and remain accurate and up to date.
• Maintain key relationships with other beverage/wine managers and directors across USHG. Show commitment to sharing best practices and learning from a family of professionals.
• Perform all due diligence, utilize strategy, and exercise exceptional judgment in order to ensure we are getting the best possible product for the most advantageous price possible.
• Perform additional responsibilities as needed and other duties as assigned to support team objectives and operational success.

What we need from you:

• 3+ years of restaurant beverage management experience
• Excellent Beverage knowledge — including beer, wine, and spirits. High level CMS/WSET or equivalent experience/knowledge
• Excellent understanding of beverage inventory and cost management
• Excellent knowledge of restaurant service team roles
• Strong communication and people management skills
• Fluency in the English language

What you'll get from us: At Union Square Hospitality Group, we believe our people are our greatest ingredient. Joining our team means becoming part of a culture rooted in care, creativity, and growth. As a Wine and Beverage Director, you'll enjoy:

• Competitive pay and bonus potential: Annual compensation of $90,000 – $95,000 plus eligibility for a performance-based bonus, with consideration for your experience and impact
• Comprehensive health coverage: Medical, dental, and vision insurance, plus flexible spending options for healthcare and dependent care
• Time to recharge: Generous paid time off and paid parental leave to support life outside of work
• Investing in your future: A matched 401(k) plan to help you grow long-term savings
• Peace of mind: Life insurance, employee assistance programs, and exclusive access to primary care, mental health, and other wellness services.
• Support in times of need: Access to the USHG HUGS Employee Relief Fund, offering direct assistance to team members facing unexpected hardship
• Hospitality perks: Annual dining credit and a 51% dining discount across the entire USHG family of restaurants
• Convenience & flexibility: Pre-tax commuter benefits for transit and parking
• Growth and community: Opportunities for learning, mentorship, and collaboration with some of the most passionate people in hospitality.

The above represents the expected salary range for this position. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we'll consider your experience and other job-related factors. The responsibilities outlined above are not exhaustive. This role may be required to take on other duties or projects as necessary to support organizational goals, in alignment with their skills, experience, and the evolving needs of the business.

Union Square Hospitality Group