Senior Manager Visitor Experience & Education

What makes this a great opportunity?

In 1953, Kentucky distiller Bill Samuels, Sr. set out to create a bourbon whisky to suit any palate. After burning the 170-year-old family recipe, he created a full flavored yet easy-to-drink recipe using red winter wheat. Co-founder Margie Samuels was inspired to create a name and bottle design that celebrated the handmade values of the handmade bourbon – to this day each and every bottle of Maker’s is still hand-dipped in the brand’s signature red wax at our National Historic Landmark Distillery on Star Hill Farm

A core value of Maker’s Mark is to lead as a culturally rich and authentic iconic brand that remains steadfast in commitment to the founding vision to positively influence the industry, its customers, communities, and the world. The Senior Manager Visitor Experience and Education will lead this charge, assuring the mission of the brand and ultimately links with customers.  This important leadership position will oversee customer and trade facing operations at Maker’s Mark.

Role Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the overall performance and growth of the Hospitality tour and retail team, including maintenance of visitor operations
• Lead the team in developing comprehensive and immersive experiences for visiting internal teams, VVIP’s. & Diplomats. Be the primary point of contact for these visits ensuring that each visit is memorable, educational and best-in-class.
• Develop and improve immersive visitor experiences and Star Hill Farm experiences
• Be an integral leader in developing experience amplification for the on-site Private Selection program
• Lead the Trade/VIP, Consumer Tour, Star Hill Farm and Private Select onsite hosting teams, including their development and plans for growth 

• In partnership with the distillery Sustainability task force, play an active role ensuring that the higher purpose values are central to the hospitality facilities and guest experience.
• Ensure sustainability and higher purpose is celebrated through the on-site experience teams in messaging, all guest touch points and all aspects of the visitor program
• Play a central role with MONOGATARI in the brand’s story telling through the on site experiential teams.
• Be a steward of our educational materials, ensuring that all members of hospitality are properly onboarded, trained, and receive ongoing education.
• Craft and execute a comprehensive annual training program for hospitality teams.
• Be safety minded and ensure that guests and employees are within a positive environment, maintaining all policy and procedural materials with the team

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 5+ years experience with track record of leadership in higher purpose and integrating shared values with strategic partnerships
• Deep industry experience and excellent understanding of the marketplace.
• Strategically minded with a proven capacity to translate information and ideas into actionable plans
• A credible industry thought leader experienced at engaging with and communicating to key internal and external stakeholders, across a variety of initiatives and industry forums
• Experience communicating to audiences with the willingness to represent the company’s interests