Wine & Beverage Director – The Oberon Group

Locations: Rucola (Boerum Hill), June Wine Bar (Cobble Hill), Anais (Boerum Hill), 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).