ABOUT THE ROLE

The Director of Open Gate Brewery will lead the two U.S. locations of Guinness Open Gate Breweries (OGB) in Baltimore and Chicago. This person should have a strong background in hospitality and will provide the overarching strategic vision and direction to maximize brand impact and sales in both brand homes.

The Director is tasked with managing a team of operators, marketers, brewmasters and third parties. This person must maintain a culture focused on best-in-class hospitality, brand experience, and brewing creativity, while incorporating Guinness/craft beer best practices.

The Director should be a dynamic leader, who balances P&L discipline with creativity-someone who is dedicated to bringing Guinness to life in our brand homes in ways consistent with the brand's values. Collaboration is key to success in this role, in working effectively with the Commercial and Guinness brand team, distributors, etc. We are looking for a seasoned general manager with an entrepreneurial spirit, who proactively works across a wide range of functions (including Diageo leadership, Diageo North American Supply, Irish brewers, craft breweries in MD and elsewhere, site management, key trade groups, finance, etc.) involved in the brewery for constant betterment. This person is also a local face in the cities of Chicago and Baltimore, and will often represent us and build critical local and state relationships. The role can be based out of either location (with regular travel between both sites). Chicago is preferred for home based location.

In F25, the plan for both OGB sites is to deliver $18MM of revenue, while driving 480k+ visitors, through unique consumer experiences, tastings, events, and creative activations. Efficient and strategic overhead management will be needed to continuously improve profitability.

This person should be about to build the annual operating plan, set and hit financial targets, and constantly seek to improve the experience and cut superfluous costs. This person should become a leading voice in the better beer community and a vital contributor to beer culture via collaborations, DBC/Supply outreach, hosting brewers and actively contributing in research, education and relevant initiatives. They should be an excellent people manager, who enjoys developing team members.

Each OGB location includes a tap room, private event space, retail shop, and restaurant. Baltimore's outdoor space is significant, and that location also has a brewery tour. The Director owns the relationship with out third party operating partners, with over 100+ employees onsite across both locations. The Director must ensure the consumer experience exceeds expectations set by Guinness and the Storehouse, and warrants solid reviews on Yelp, Google, etc

This person should be a Guinness lover, servant leader and natural host, who seeks to run our brand homes with the dual task of providing the best brand experience and maximizing our revenue and margin.

Purpose of Role

The General Manager will oversee the operations of both Open Gate Breweries with a strategic viewpoint towards achieving excellent guest service, strong working partnerships with third party operators, team member excellence, and financial profitability. The role will require excellent leadership skills, an analytical mind with a broad vision of the business, and a high level of maturity and knowledge to manage passionate employees, operational processes, and positive visitor experiences.

The GM will be the public face of NAM's Open Gate Brewery, ensuring outstanding and courteous service to both VIP and everyday guests from day one.

You will champion innovation, creativity and social connection. You'll be at the forefront of engaging a huge variety of people, helping us to go further than we ever imagined. You'll do this by:

• Making sure our guests embrace every minute with us - and rave about their experiences afterwards.
• Overseeing everything that we're offering at Guinness OGB, whether directly or through third party operating partners - cementing our reputation as an international leader of visitor attractions.
• Making sure OGB delivers a very positive contribution to the neighboring area, through great relationships with local stakeholders and delivering schemes and events supporting the local area.
• Creatively translating global brand and Brand Homes central team strategies for OGB - without taking away from our own unique personality.
• Growing the business, placing great value on everything from tour admissions to retail to F&B - and delivering against the P&L targets that quantify that success.
• Ensuring OGB is set up to successfully deliver the relevant aspects of Diageo's Society 2030 goals, including promoting responsible drinking.

Responsibilities

Ongoing site operations

• Budget management of OGB P&L, including direct and indirect staff costs, maintenance, marketing, events, brand collaborations and local sponsorship.
• Ownership of operational OGB KPIs, including reaching sales targets for tours, events and retail.
• Actively seek and implement cost saving programs to provide positive financial results.
• Formulating business cases and strategy for any improvements to OGB.
• Work closely with third party Food & Beverage operating partner to ensure their offering and service levels go above and beyond Guinness brand, Diageo NAM and guest expectations
• Manage F&B Operating Partner and Facilities Management provider contracts while maintaining a constructive and collaborative working relationship.
• Ensure seamless, consistent, and safe consumer experiences on-site to deliver high levels of customer satisfaction, measured through online and offline feedback.
• Understand, follow, and enforce all established Diageo Operating Procedures to exceed operational requirements and ensure employees and guests receive the highest standards of quality, safety, and service at all times.
• Ensure sustainable operational readiness of all OGB departments
• Support site management team to devise cross-site storage and stock management procedures
• Establish, evaluate, and direct short- and long-term experience operation strategies, policies, and procedures.
• Ongoing recruitment, onboarding, training and development of staff.
• Work to create close links with the local community (residents, businesses and other organisations) to generate positive PR and increase local visitor numbers.
• Create plans that attract visitors from overseas markets while also drawing in visitors when in-market, resulting in YOY increases in visitor numbers across all operational elements of OGB.
• Maintain a close working relationship with our landlords.
• Execute Guinness brand events, host VIP experiences, and internal and external visits.
• Work with Diageo NAM Beer Marketing and Commercial teams on strategy for site advertising, events and sponsorship.
• Liaise with external contractors to deliver any maintenance work as required.
• Keep an up-to-date knowledge with external best practice to develop the OGB experience and stay ahead of the competition.

Budget responsibilities: Manage $25MM in operations overhead and $2MM A&P

What you'll bring to the role

• Substantial leadership experience and communication skills, preferably gained with international Experience Operations or Hospitality brands
• Experience in senior hospitality general management roles, with experience in hospitality operations, marketing and innovation
• A background in using your understanding of business management and administration to meet operational KPIs, sales, revenue and profit targets
• Proven experience managing teams and cross-functional business units
• Be a true leader, acting as a role model for the team
• Ability to oversee all operational processes throughout various experience areas, including but not limited to: staffing, experience marketing, and event management
• Demonstrated ability in research, financial analysis, presentation and facilitation skills, strategic insight, development of models and presentations preferred
• Craft beer and engineering experience a plus
• Ability to build strong relationships with VIP customers
• Possess a friendly, helpful, confident, and engaging personality
• Be familiar with sales protocols and customer service procedures
• Experience in a project start-up environment would be an added bonus

Lean in to our "dial up behaviors" and core values

• Be externally curious
• Collaborate efficiently
• Experiment and learn
• Act decisively

Feel inspired? Then this may be the opportunity for you!

EEO Information Diversity statement

Celebrating our inclusive and diverse culture is core to Diageo's purpose of "celebrating life every day everywhere". This purpose is, in itself, inclusive in nature, as it values everybody irrespective of background, disability, religion, gender identity, sexuality or ethnicity. We know that for our business to thrive and for Diageo to realize its ambition, we depend on having diverse talent with a range of backgrounds, skills and capabilities in each of the 180 countries in which we operate and to reflect our broad consumer base. We view diversity as one of the key enablers that helps us to grow and our values, purpose and standards set the conditions for us to respect the unique contribution each person brings.

Flexibility is key to success in our business and many of our staff work flexibly in many different ways, including part-time, compressed hours, flexible location. Please talk to us about what flexibility means to you and don't let anything stop you from applying.

Diageo is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action employer and is subject to federal regulations pertaining to employment. Diageo does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, marital status, Protected veteran status, or any other basis prohibited under federal, state or local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the Company has facilities. Diageo also provides reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and any other state or local laws.