Venue / Restaurant Manager

Company DescriptionCrittenden Wines is a family-owned winery on the Mornington Peninsula, recognized for premium cool-climate wines. The winery is committed to sustainable, non-chemical vineyard management, which has earned international accolades. Crittenden Restaurant is a relaxed lakeside destination centred on seasonal food, local produce, Crittenden wines and genuine hospitality. Alongside our Restaurant and casual alfresco Terrace, we are growing our weddings, private functions and events - creating an exciting opportunity for an experienced hospitality leader to help shape the venue’s future.Role DescriptionThis is a full-time, on-site role where you will have overall operational responsibility for the Restaurant and its team, across six key areas - People, Product, Customer, Communication, Environment and Profit. You will build a positive, high-performing culture while ensuring the venue operates efficiently, safely and profitably. A key focus will be helping Crittenden grow its weddings, private functions and events.Key responsibilities include:·      Leading and developing the FOH team while working closely with the Head Chef and BOH team.·      Recruiting, onboarding & training team members, with clear accountability &strong shift leadership.·      Managing rosters, labour costs and staffing levels in line with forecast sales.·      Taking ownership of the guest experience & maintaining a warm & genuinely hospitable service style.·      Overseeing restaurant service, weddings, private functions and events.·      Working with the events, kitchen, wine & marketing teams to ensure events are well executed.·      Developing systems & service standards for relaxed lunches through to significant celebrations.·      Collaborating with the Head Chef on menu changes, food quality/presentation & dietary requirements ·      Maintaining high standards of food safety, hygiene, WH&S and regulatory compliance.·      Managing stock, ordering, wastage, COGS/COS, stocktakes and supplier relationships.·      Monitoring sales, labour, margins & other financial measures. ·      Ensuring invoices, deliveries, cash-ups and timesheets are accurate and completed on time.·      Reviewing customer feedback and using it to continually improve the experience.·      Leading team briefings, one-on-ones, performance conversations and weekly operational meetings.·      Using operational data & commercial insight to identify opportunities to increase sales & profitability.The person we’re looking forYou will be an experienced hospitality professional who can lead from the front while bringing energy, structure and accountability to the venue. Ideally, you will have:·      Experience as a Venue Manager, Restaurant Manager, Assistant Venue Manager or in a similar role.·      Strong people leadership, communication and team-development skills.·      Experience managing labour budgets and building cost-effective rosters.·      Demonstrated experience in food & beverage cost control, stock management & wastage reduction.·      A strong understanding of restaurant operations, service and guest experience.·      Experience with weddings, functions or events - or a genuine interest in developing this area.·      Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.·      Sound commercial judgement and confidence working with budgets, sales and operational data.·      Knowledge of food safety, WH&S and hospitality compliance.·      A practical, hands-on approach to problem-solving and confidence using operational technology.Experience with TANDA, Lightspeed, ME&U, Microsoft Office and hospitality costing or inventory platforms will be highly regarded. A current RSA and Food Handlers Certificate are essential. A qualification in hospitality, business or a related field is desirable, although relevant experience and proven results are equally valued.Why Crittenden?Crittenden is more than a restaurant. We are a family-owned winery, vineyard, cellar door, events destination and lakeside accommodation business, all located at our Dromana property.Our Restaurant offers seasonal Modern Australian food and Crittenden wines in a relaxed setting overlooking the lake and vines. The wider property enables us to create experiences extending well beyond a traditional restaurant visit.Applications close Friday 15 September 2026. Please note, we may commence interviews before the closing date.