Wine Director

Location:

Superior Ave. Cleveland, Ohio

Schedule Expectations:

Evenings, weekends, holidays, and key events. The restaurant will operate dinner service only, seven days per week.

About the Opportunity

An elevated steakhouse experience is coming to Cleveland, Ohio, located within a historic building at 2104 Superior Avenue featuring exposed brick, architectural beams, dramatic wine displays, and a design aesthetic centered around sophistication, luxury, and exclusivity.

More than a restaurant, this concept is being built as a destination experience where exceptional food, world-class wine, hospitality, and atmosphere come together to create memorable nights for guests. The concept blends upscale dining with an energetic and modern environment designed to feel refined, social, immersive, and experience driven.

The wine program will be one of the defining pillars of the guest experience—from premier bottle offerings and curated cellar selections to Coravin pours, by-the-glass programs, wine dinners, and interactive guest experiences. The organization is committed to building one of the premier wine programs in Ohio and is seeking a Wine Director who wants to help shape that vision from the ground up prior to opening.

Position Overview

Reporting to the General Manager, The Wine Director will serve as a highly visible member of the management team and will play a critical leadership role in both the guest experience and day-to-day operations of the restaurant. This is not strictly a back-of-house wine role - the ideal candidate is guest-forward, hospitality-driven, and thrives on the floor interacting with guests, presenting high-end bottles, educating staff, and creating memorable dining experiences.

This individual will help curate and evolve a premier wine program while also supporting broader restaurant operations, staff leadership, inventory controls, training initiatives, marketing activations, and event programming. The role will operate as one of the senior leaders within the restaurant and is expected to function as one of the second or third-in-command leaders on property.

The ideal candidate is passionate about wine but equally enthusiastic about hospitality, service standards, guest engagement, organization, and building a world-class experience.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

Service Leadership & Guest Experience

• Maintain a strong and visible floor presence during service and special events.
• Engage directly with guests by presenting wines, guiding pairings, storytelling, and creating elevated dining experiences.
• Partner with service staff to maximize wine sales while ensuring wine feels approachable, exciting, and integrated into the overall guest experience.
• Serve as one of the primary hospitality leaders on property, helping oversee service execution and daily floor operations.
• Create memorable moments for guests through tableside presentations, premium pours, and personalized recommendations.

Wine Program & Curation

• Curate, maintain, and continuously evolve a premier wine list featuring both luxury and approachable offerings.
• Develop seasonal wine rotations, premium by-the-glass programs, champagne features, and Coravin offerings.
• Build strong relationships with distributors and wine partners to secure sought-after and allocated wines.
• Ensure the wine program reflects the concept’s brand identity while balancing profitability and guest accessibility.
• Introduce unique and engaging selections that keep the wine program fresh and exciting.

Cellar Management & Inventory Control

• KPI’s:
• Maintain wine cost percentage within target range (28-32%)
• Inventory variance under 2-3%
• Completion and ongoing participation in staff wine training
• Program growth that builds one of Ohio’s premier wine lists.
• Oversee organization and management of the wine cellar and wine display systems throughout the property.
• Develop and maintain coding, storage, and inventory systems that allow for efficient bottle retrieval and proper vintage tracking.
• Ensure proper bottle rotation and vintage selection standards are consistently maintained.
• Maintain accurate inventory counts, ordering systems, reporting, and purchasing controls.
• Minimize variances and maintain wine costs in alignment with financial targets and operational budgets.

Staff Education & Culture

• Lead ongoing wine education, tastings, certifications, and pre-shift trainings for staff.
• Help create a culture where wine knowledge is approachable, engaging, and integrated into the overall guest experience.
• Mentor and develop staff confidence in wine service, storytelling, and pairing recommendations.
• Support service standards and team accountability across front-of-house operations.

Marketing, Events & Activations

• Partner with leadership on wine dinners, tastings, private events, and guest activations.
• Assist in developing creative programming that drives guest engagement and brand awareness.
• Collaborate with affiliated hospitality concepts and event teams on wine selections and event execution when needed.
• Support marketing initiatives tied to the wine program and overall guest experience.

Qualifications

• 5+ years progressive/wine leadership in upscale restaurants, steakhouses, luxury hospitality, or hotels preferred.
• Minimum WSET Level 2 Certification required.
• WSET Level 3 or equivalent advanced certification strongly preferred.
• Strong passion for wine, hospitality, and guest engagement.
• Strong understanding of wine inventory management, cellar organization, vendor relationships, and cost controls.
• Demonstrated ability to balance hospitality, creativity, operational execution, and profitability.
• Strong communication skills and exceptional floor presence.
• Ability to lift 30 lbs., stand and walk for extended periods, and perform hands-on-cellar work.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and major events.

Success in This Role Looks Like

• The concept develops one of the premier wine programs in Ohio.
• Guests leave remembering not only the meal, but the wine and hospitality experience.
• Staff members are educated, confident, and actively engaged in wine sales and guest interaction.
• The wine list continuously evolves and remains exciting, profitable, and aligned with the concept’s brand.
• Wine service feels elevated, approachable, organized, and seamlessly integrated into the guest experience.
• The Wine Director becomes a visible and respected hospitality leader within the restaurant and local dining community.
• Build one of Ohio’s premier wine programs in a historic, design-forward steakhouse with hospitality-first culture and ambitious growth plans.