Company description

Rebel Rebel is a James Beard-nominated, no-rules natural wine bar in Somerville's Bow Market. We give a fuck (about wine and about you). We believe a wine bar can be a place for the community to engage, grow, and communicate. We also believe in the power of natural wine to bring us back to the foundations of our connection to farmers, to women, and to the planet. Think that sounds like a bunch of woo-woo bullshit? Come hang out and let us show you what we do.

We're currently 100% woman and non-binary owned + operated. We're deeply committed to community engagement, both in our neighborhood and to the wider world. Our work frequently uses wine as an opportunity to promote gathering for a cause, whether it's reproductive rights or food insecurity awareness. Giving back is part of our business model.

We work collectively, and we value integrity and mutual respect among our team members. We understand that there are many kinds of intelligences, and we honor them all. We know that radical hospitality starts behind the bar, with us.

Job description

We’re seeking a creative, passionate, wine-savvy human to lead our bar. Is it you? Do you love to party and study in equal share? Does regenerative farming make your heart flutter? Do you have feelings about radical hospitality? Read on!

LEAD SOMMELIER / WINE DIRECTOR

Duties & Responsibilities

Your duty is to develop and maintain a leading-edge, mission-driven wine program. You’ll work closely with the Founder and other members of management to establish a dynamic program that suits the current and future goals of the business. You’ll take the lead on setting and maintaining standards of radically inclusive hospitality, and you’ll train new team members on these standards. You’ll contribute to brand awareness and company messaging, marketing campaigns, and outreach by creating and assisting with communication and events programming.

As a member of management, you’ll also participate in values-driven decision-making and goal-setting for the organization. Along with other members of management, you act in place of ownership when ownership is not present, and you coach the team on effective teamwork, communication, and best practices. You help set a standard of radically inclusive hospitality.

You report directly to the Founder.

Your responsibilities include:

Hospitality Leadership

• Take the lead on setting hospitality standards. Develop and maintain systems to ensure all team members are able to execute in-service guest communications effectively and to the standard of radically inclusive hospitality we embody.

• Train new team members on service standards, including wine service standards, and revisit training with the team as needed. Plan regular service check-ins to ensure standards are met. Provide empathic critical feedback and guidance to team members as needed re: necessary improvements.

• Manage nightly service—respond to guest needs, team needs, and operational needs throughout the shift.

Wine Programming

• Take the lead on the development and execution of a profitable, mission-driven wine program. Ensure that what our program communicates is in alignment with the values we embody—champion land stewards, forward-thinkers, and game-changers. Present only the best of what comes your way. Ensure your selections tell a story.

• Ensure non-alcoholic options are thoughtfully selected and in line with our overall values.

• Take the lead on the ordering and maintenance of wine inventory.

• Take the lead on monthly accounting of inventory. Work closely with the Founder to ensure inventory is in tandem with the overall financial health of the business.

• Communicate with the Events Lead to ensure Rebel Rebel wine programming is in tandem with events needs.

• Communicate with Education Lead to ensure Rebel Rebel wine programming is in tandem with Wild Child classes when appropriate.

• Ensure team members have access to necessary information when new wines are presented. Work with Education Lead to identify training needs and plan monthly wine trainings.

• Ensure communication to guests and the public includes new wine offerings, including via newsletter, blog, and Instagram. Work closely with the Founder to ensure these communications are in tandem with overall business objectives.

Communications

• Work closely with other members of management to gather and submit information for the weekly newsletter.

• Plan and execute monthly updates to the blog. Engage other team members to make monthly contributions.

• Work closely with the Founder and other members of management to develop communications and marketing strategies in tandem with evolving business needs.

Maintaining Integrity of Space

• Ensure side work duties are clear, effective, and established. Modify side work duties as needed, and clearly communicate modifications to the team.

• Notify team members when side work duties are incomplete or substandard. Communicate constructively what wasn’t done, and what needs to be done. Do so with empathy and clarity.

• Maintain organizational methods for storage and arrangement of space. Communicate organizational methods clearly to the team. Modify organizational methods as needed, and clearly communicate modifications to the team.

• Seek feedback regarding the efficacy of established systems, synthesize feedback, and decide whether feedback warrants modification of systems.

• Ensure that the space reflects and adheres to established legal and health code regulations.

Operations

• Maintain an updated POS system.

• Order, monitor, and maintain stock of dry goods necessary for service.

• Communicate facilities issues to Founder or appropriate maintenance entities.

• Take the lead on the organization and maintenance of wine storage.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Candidates should be highly organized, self-motived, outside-the-box creative thinkers.

• Candidates should thrive in a team-oriented, collective environment.

• Candidates should have a passion for natural wine.

• Candidates should have prior experience in the hospitality sector.

COMPENSATION:

Hourly rate commensurate with experience, plus 20% service fee. Historically, this role earns $75,000.00 annually. This is a full-time position that requires 40 hours per week, including 4 bar shifts and one daytime administrative shift.

BENEFITS:

• Full health insurance compensation.

• 2 weeks paid vacation in January with the opportunity to take additional time off as coverage allows.

• Business closure on all major holidays.

• Manageable hours with a predictable schedule.

• Professional development in the form of bi-monthly restorative leadership trainings with Business Casual.

• Quarterly check-ins to review development and needs. Annual check-ins to review compensation.

• Paid work-related education + travel opportunities.

• Quarterly team retreats (ie: a tour of the Island Creek Oyster Farm followed by a day at the IC Raw Bar).

• Opportunities to grow with the company.

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $15-20/hr

Application instructions

Deadline

no deadline