Tasting Room Team Lead (Non-Exempt, Tip-Eligible)

Description

We are seeking a polished, guest-focused hospitality professional to join Pali Wine Co. at our San Diego tasting room as a full time Team Lead. This role supports the tasting room’s sales, guest experience, and community engagement while serving as a high-performing member of the hospitality team.

The Team Lead contributes through personal sales excellence, strong product knowledge, operational support, and consistent brand-aligned hospitality. This position does not include supervisory authority over other employees.

Key Responsibilities include but are not limited to: 

Wine Club Growth & Guest Engagement

• Drive personal wine club signups and meet individual sales goals
• Present the wine club with clarity, enthusiasm, and accuracy
• Build authentic relationships with guests and club members
• Support a welcoming, community-oriented environment for members and visitors
• Serve guests as part of the regular tasting room team

Events, Partnerships & Revenue Opportunities

• Serve as the primary point of contact for private event inquiries
• Respond to the events inbox promptly and professionally
• Prepare event proposals and contracts using approved templates
• Coordinate event details from inquiry through completion
• Execute events with professionalism and strong guest service
• Identify potential partnerships and communicate opportunities to management
• Maintain an organized, forward-facing events calendar

Operational Support (Non-Supervisory)

• Perform opening and closing procedures as assigned
• Assist with inventory counts and communicate supply needs to management
• Provide input on scheduling by sharing team availability and operational needs with the General Manager
• Serve as the designated point of contact and provide operational support during shifts when the General Manager is off-site, ensuring smooth guest service and consistent execution of established procedures
• Work in assigned sections during service and support coverage needs by rotating through tasting stations, bar positions, or floor sections as directed by the General Manager
• Serve as a point person for team questions about section assignments or where support is needed, offering clarification based on the daily floor plan and escalating any staffing or coverage decisions to the General Manager
• Act as a resource for wine club performance questions by helping teammates understand daily goals, sharing best practices, and communicating any concerns or trends to the General Manager for follow-up
• Help maintain tasting room cleanliness, organization, and readiness
• Support daily operations with initiative and professionalism

Team Collaboration & Feedback (Non-Supervisory)

• Assist in training new team members by demonstrating service standards and product knowledge
• Share observations and performance feedback with the General Manager to support formal reviews
• Serve as a resource for team questions during service without directing or disciplining staff
• Model consistent, brand-aligned hospitality and sales behavior

Marketing & Brand Support

• Assist with content capture (photo/video) during events and activations
• Communicate event details and programming to the marketing team
• Ensure on-site execution aligns with established brand standards
• Support initiatives that increase visibility and engagement in the local market

Performance Expectations

The Team Lead is expected to:

• Meet individual wine club signup goals
• Be a consistent top performer in personal sales
• Contribute to event revenue through private bookings and partnerships
• Strengthen member engagement through exceptional hospitality
• Represent the brand with professionalism and enthusiasm

Requirements

•  Must be at least 21 years old
• Strong foundational wine knowledge
• Demonstrated success in hospitality or wine sales
• Proven ability to build long-term guest relationships
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Highly organized and comfortable managing proposals and contracts
• Passion for Santa Barbara County wines and vineyard-driven winemaking
• Availability on weekends, evenings, and holidays
• Ability to lift and carry up to 40 lbs.
• Comfortable standing and walking for extended periods

Note: The Team Lead does not hire, fire, discipline, or evaluate employees and does not have authority over employment decisions.

About Pali Wine Company:

 Pali Wine Co. brings the winery experience to your neighborhood. Through our Outposts in Southern California, we connect guests to our Santa Barbara County-based winery and vineyards.

We are performance driven. We believe the tasting room is not just a place to serve wine, but a place to build lasting relationships, grow community, and strengthen the long-term health of the business.

We welcome professionals who are serious about hospitality, confident in sales, and motivated to drive results.