Head of VIP Guest Experience & Distillery Operations

IJW Whiskey Company; Shelbyville (KY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The Maven Distillery in Shelbyville, KY seeks a General Manager to own the guest experience from tours to retail, bar program, and events. Lead a team, set standards, and scale operations while preserving a luxury, personalized touch.

This role requires exceptional hospitality leadership, 7+ years in luxury guest experience, and a track record of opening or growing destination venues. On-site work, evenings, and select weekends are expected; CRM experience is a plus.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in hospitality or luxury guest experience, tourism, restaurant or retail operations.
• 3+ years leading and developing teams in a high-touch guest program.
• Direct experience running tours, tastings or visitor programs with capacity and delivery.
• Hands-on retail and/or F&B operations experience including inventory, POS, cost controls and service standards.
• Proven ability to host senior or high-net-worth guests with warmth, discretion and composure.

Responsibilities

• Be the face of the house for high-value visitors; manage VIP visits including pre-arrival communication, itineraries, and follow-up.
• Own scheduling, routing, capacity, staffing and flow for tours and experiences as programs scale.
• Deliver the full experience menu: behind-the-scenes tours, tastings, blend-your-own-bottle, and private barrel selections.
• Build and lead training for tour content, delivery and storytelling; ensure safety and compliance across the guest route.
• Run retail program: product assortment, inventory, pricing and experience-driven sales.
• Own the bar program: menu execution, control costs, par levels and service standards.
• Execute events calendar: launches, grand openings, trade events, and private gatherings with running orders and staffing.
• Lead daily stand-ups and build a culture where hospitality is a craft and not a script.
• Manage guest experience P&L, forecasts, staffing plans and reporting; collaborate across departments.

Skills

Hospitality leadership

Guest relations

Operations management

Event planning

Staff development

Budgeting and P&L

Education

Bachelor's degree in Hospitality or related field

Tools

CRM systems

Booking/ticketing platforms

Inventory management systems

Job description

The Maven Distillery in Shelbyville, KY seeks a General Manager to own the guest experience from tours to retail, bar program, and events. Lead a team, set standards, and scale operations while preserving a luxury, personalized touch.

This role requires exceptional hospitality leadership, 7+ years in luxury guest experience, and a track record of opening or growing destination venues. On-site work, evenings, and select weekends are expected; CRM experience is a plus.