Director of Hospitality

Lawson’s Finest Liquids crafts and delivers the finest and freshest beer to delight our fans. As a Certified B Corp, we are a values-driven company committed to excellence, cultivating vibrant communities, and having fun along the way.

At the heart of our brand is our destination brewery and taproom in Waitsfield, Vermont, where hospitality, community, and craft come together to create a best-in-class guest experience. Beyond our taproom, we proudly share our world-class brews across the Northeast and southeast, building meaningful connections with our customers and communities.

The Director of Hospitality will play a pivotal leadership role to:

• Become Vermont’s most beloved craft beer and hospitality destinations
• Build brand affinity through consistent, purpose-driven guest experiences
• Drive profitable growth by enhancing our food, beverage, retail, and event offerings
• Deepen our connection to the community we love and serve
• Strengthen the systems, standards, and leadership rhythms that support consistency, accountability, and long-term hospitality excellence

This leader will coach and develop our hospitality team, continuing to elevate our taproom and destination experience. This role will help guide the next chapter of Lawson’s Finest hospitality by strengthening the foundation of team leadership, service standards, operational systems, and guest experience consistency. This is a hands-on, cross-functional role ideal for a leader who excels in people development, operational excellence, and delivering unforgettable guest moments rooted in our core values.

This position works collaboratively with the taproom team, is a member of the leadership team and reports directly to the CEO.

The Ideal Candidate:

• Hospitality Excellence – Sees opportunity in every touch point of the guest experience, brings fresh ideas and aspires to continuously raise the bar for world-class hospitality.
• Inspiring Coach – Brings out the best in people through mentorship, motivation, clear expectations, accountability, and leading by example.
• Values-Driven Leader – Embodies Lawson’s Finest values in every decision and interaction. Upholds B Corp ethos and general principles in business operations and interpersonal connections.
• Strategic & Action-Oriented – Thinks long-term while driving day-to-day performance, financial results, team alignment, and guest experience consistency.

Primary Responsibilities:

Team Leadership & Culture

• Lead, coach, inspire and develop a high-performing hospitality team aligned with Lawson’s Finest core values
• Own talent strategy including hiring, organizational design, and succession planning
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, community, and exceptional guest experience
• Develop managers and emerging leaders through consistent coaching, feedback, and structured development plans

Hospitality Experience & Operational Excellence

• Own and continuously elevate the end-to-end guest experience across all touchpoints
• Maintain a visible leadership presence in the taproom, actively observing service, coaching in the moment, engaging guests, and ensuring standards are lived in real time
• Define and uphold service and brand standards to ensure a consistent, best-in-class guest experience
• Establish and scale operational playbooks, SOPs, and training systems
• Optimize guest flow, capacity, and overall taproom efficiency, particularly during peak demand and slow shoulder season
• Oversee health, safety, and regulatory compliance across all hospitality operations
• Leverage systems and technology (POS, reservations, CRM, guest rating and feedback) to inform decisions and drive continuous improvement across all hospitality offerings

Revenue & Program Development

• Own performance across all hospitality revenue streams: beverage, food, retail, property rentals, public programming, and private events
• Evolve beer, food, and event programming via creative thinking to enhance guest experience and drive profitable growth
• Enhance beer programming to offer guests a unique experience, “drinking from the source,” product and brand education, retail packaged beer offerings
• Enhance public and private events programming to appeal to current fans, draw new consumers and increase relevance.
• Oversee merchandise strategy in partnership with Marketing and Retail teams
• Identify and implement new offerings and service innovations that increase traffic, experience and loyalty

Brand, Community & Collaboration

• Partner cross-functionally to strengthen brand affinity and destination appeal
• Strengthen the connection between hospitality, retail, beer education, events, food, and community engagement so each guest touchpoint reinforces the Lawson’s Finest brand
• Integrate purpose-driven storytelling into the guest experience and team development 
• Build and maintain community partnerships, including local producers, nonprofits, and tourism stakeholders 
• Actively contribute to promotional planning, marketing strategy, and initiatives that showcase our finest beer and hospitality experience.

Financial Performance & Strategic Growth

• Own the hospitality P&L, including revenue growth, cost management, labor optimization
• Partner with Finance on forecasting, budgeting, and capital planning 
• Use data, guest feedback, and performance metrics to inform decision-making and continuous improvement
• Contribute to long-term strategy, including expansion, new concepts, and future guest experiences

Requirements & Expectations:

• 8+ years of proven senior leadership experience in hospitality, food & beverage, or guest experience-driven businesses with multi-unit or destination venue experience preferred
• Demonstrated success in leading operational transformation, service standard development or growth initiatives in craft beverage, beer and/or farm to table hospitality environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading the opening of new restaurants, taprooms, or hospitality venues, from concept development through launch and stabilization (preferred)
• Strong people leadership, coaching, driving culture, and organizational growth
• Demonstrated success owning or influencing P&L performance, including revenue growth, cost management, and labor optimization
• Deep understanding of customer service excellence and brand-aligned experience creation.
• Collaborative and entrepreneurial mindset with excellent communication and problem-solving skills.
• Working knowledge of hospitality systems (POS, reservations, CRM) and operational best practices 
• Understanding of regulatory, safety, and compliance requirements in food and beverage environments
• Passion for craft beer, sustainability, and community-centered business.

Additional expectations:

• Ability to work onsite at our Waitsfield, VT headquarters 
• Willingness to maintain a visible, hands-on presence in the taproom, including nights and weekends as needed

Compensation:

 We offer a generous total compensation package, opportunities to give back, and yes — some of the finest beer you’ll ever taste. 

• This is a full-time, exempt position
• Starting salary: $120,000 - $150,000
• Total compensation package includes: 
• Medical, Dental & Vision (90% of premiums paid for you and your family!) 
• Combined Time Off
• Profit sharing 
• 401k plan with company match 
• Wellness Reimbursement 
• Professional Development Opportunities 
• Tuition Reimbursement 
• Employee & Local Discounts 
• Life Insurance 
• Paid Family Leave 
• Paid Parental Leave 
• Five Year Sabbatical 
•  Free EV Charging 
• Paid Holidays 
• Short- & Long-Term Disability Insurance 

Lawson’s Finest Liquids is an Equal Opportunity Employer and committed to equity, inclusion and diversity. We believe that all forms of diversity make us better at everything that we do - fostering innovation and connecting us more closely to our customers and communities. Lawson’s Finest is especially interested in candidates that contribute to the diversity, inclusion and excellence of our organization.

Lawson’s Finest Liquids provides equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic disposition, neurodiversity, disability, veteran status or any other protected category under federal, state and local law.