Wine Department Sales Lead - Brown Jug - Wasilla Warehouse

Position Overview:

Brown Jug is a premium retailer of wine, beer, and spirits. We offer a great place to work, with a friendly atmosphere and energetic work environment. We provide our customers with convenience, selection, and top-notch service! The Wine Department Sales Lead provides leadership and direction, in partnership with the Store Manager. This role focuses on delivering exceptional customer service, training team members in product knowledge, and upholding store standards. The Wine Department Sales Lead is responsible for fostering a strong sales culture while ensuring operational excellence, achieving financial goals, and maintaining store standards.

This position will assist the Brown Jug Wasilla Warehouse Store (267) located at 2451 E Sun Mountain Ave.

Primary/Major Duties and Responsibilities (Essential Functions):

People Management:

• Foster a positive work culture, that makes the store an inviting place to work
• Act as a role model by coaching, mentoring, and inspiring team members
• Delegate tasks effectively and set clear priorities
• Communicate concisely with the team through effective huddles, meetings, and coaching sessions, keeping everyone informed
• Provide sales coaching strategies that empower our Sales Lead(s) and Store Associates to enhance product knowledge, improve customer engagement, and drive sales performance
• Train store staff on product knowledge, specific to the wine department

Customer Experience:

• Deliver exemplary customer service

• Greet every customer within 30 seconds of entering the department or store
• Engage customers to understand their needs and recommend suitable products
• Drive sales by introducing new products and private label selections
• Use company-approved selling techniques to maximize each customer’s purchase
• Encourage additional purchases at checkout and express appreciation to customers
• Act as the store’s wine expert, educating customers on unique products and Brown Jug’s private label offerings
• Lead department product rollouts and new product launches
• Evaluate the effectiveness of promotions and programs, providing recommendations to the Store Manager and Category Sales Manager

Schedule Requirements:

To lead by example and ensure awareness of all store operations, all Wine Department Sales Leads are required to work schedules aligned with customer flow patterns:

• Ability to work a flexible retail schedule, including evenings and weekends
• Thursdays and Fridays until 7:00 PM
• Saturdays until 6:00 PM

Financial Responsibilities:

• Plan and organize labor, inventory, and finances to ensure short- and long-term success
• Meet or exceed financial targets, in collaboration with the Store Manager
• Create orders based on inventory needs to meet inventory targets, while maintaining appropriate stock levels to support sales goals, minimize shrink, and align with budgeted financial objectives
• Review and research negative inventory
• Conduct product cycle counts

Day-to-Day Operations:

• Pull products from backstock, as needed, and ensure shelves are fully stocked
• Check for negatives, conduct counts, and make corrections as needed
• Determine which distributors need to have purchase orders created for their product categories, and create purchase orders for them using the order guide
• When product deliveries arrive, check in and receive the inventory
• Ensure that all received products are off the sales floor as soon as possible by merchandising them or placing them in the back room
• Join the Store Manager or Assistant Store Manager for the daily huddle, and communicate product information or priorities to the rest of the team
• Ensure assigned categories are fully tagged with shelf tags, exclusive tags, highly rated tags, and sales tags
• Build and maintain product displays, as determined by the monthly planner
• Actively greet, engage, and upsell customers on the sales floor
• Act as the store expert for assigned categories, and share selling techniques and product information with other staff members

Regulatory Compliance:

• Ensure all Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and Loss Prevention (LP) requirements are met
• Comply with AMCO regulations and other government guidelines
• Adhere to all Afognak Native Corporation policies, with a strong focus on social responsibility

Skills, Qualifications, and Experience:

Work Experience:

• Strong product knowledge and a passion for educating staff about beer
• Excellent communication skills, with a focus on improving teamwork and store performance
• Professional, well-organized, and proactive in driving department success

Education:

• High School Diploma or equivalent
• TAPs Certification
• First-Aid Certification preferred
• WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) Level II, Introductory or Certified Sommelier, or Certified Specialist of Wine or equivalent certifications preferred

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to safely lift up to 50 pounds
• Ability to stand for extended periods
• Comfortable using ladders

Other Skills and Capabilities:

• Highly self-motivated and customer service driven
• Effectively lead a large team
• Strong sales background, with a proven track record of success
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Must pass a background check
• Must have access to reliable transportation
• Proficient in computer skills, including Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint) to support reporting, inventory management, and communication tasks
• Strong understanding of store operating reports

Workplace Hazards:

• Lifting and handling materials:  Risk of musculoskeletal injuries
• Slips, trips, and falls:  Potential for workplace accidents

Equal Opportunity Employer
Afognak Native Corporation and Afognak’s direct and indirect subsidiaries, partnerships, joint ventures and affiliates to include Alutiiq, LLC;  Afognak Commercial Group, LLC; Alutiiq Professional Consulting, LLC; and each of their respective domestic and foreign, direct and indirect subsidiaries, partnerships, joint ventures and affiliates including but not limited to Liquor Stores USA North Inc. dba Brown Jug and dba Gold Rush Liquor (collectively referred to as “Afognak” or “Company”)  is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of  actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship status, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions and lactation), sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws (collectively, “Protected Status”).

Pay Transparency and Company Benefits
The pay range information provided is a general guideline. The pay rate offered will be determined based on the candidate’s experience and qualifications, as well as geographic locations, market data, and other business considerations, as permitted by law. Our full range of benefits include medical, dental, vision, disability protection, life insurance, prescription coverage, voluntary benefits, paid leave, and 401(k) retirement. Benefits are based on the role for which an employee is hired.

Privacy
Afognak Native Corporation and its subsidiaries Alutiiq, LLC, Afognak Commercial Group, LLC, and Alutiiq Professional Consulting, LLC, and their various subsidiaries, including Liquor Stores USA North Inc. DBA Brown Jug and Liquor Stores USA North Inc. DBA Gold Rush Liquor (collectively referred to as “Afognak” or “Company”), respect your privacy and treat the information you provide us, including your Personal Information (“PI”) and Sensitive Personal Information (“SPI”), with care. Visit the Company's privacy website for more information.