Experienced Sommelier / Maitre D

Have you enjoyed your time here in New Zealand so far? Are you looking to stay, work and live in New Zealand long term? As an Accredited Employer, we can help! We are looking for a Maitre d, a Sommelier and experienced front of house staff to join us and we would love to hear from you! You will need to commit to this role for at least 7 months.

This is your opportunity to join our amazing, multi-national hospitality team! Work with colleagues who hail from Germany, Spain, Aotearoa, France, Argentina, Switzerland, Netherlands, Sweden, Philippines, China, Japan, South Africa and India but all of whom call New Zealand home!

Widely regarded as a Waikato icon, Zealong Tea Estate is New Zealand's only commercial tea estate, producing 100% organic award-winning tea, and is a world-leading destination for tea, art and hospitality. Our new restaurant will mean additional opportunities for our hospitality team to shine even more.

With increasing brand awareness locally and internationally, Zealong is a premier destination for locals and tourists alike, and you will play an important role to ensure we remain a destination of choice.

We are now looking for an experienced, energetic and well-presented person to take up the full-time front of house role  as we launch some very unique and exceptional silver service offerings for our guests. We will be supporting your work visa application as we are an employer with an accredited employer status.

The perfect candidate is someone with an expert eye for and uncompromising believe in delivering exceptional service, with a hands-on approach and an outgoing & charismatic personality. An ability to speak a number of languages would be a distinct advantage.

The Role and the traits/skills required:

• Lead, demand and inspire your team to deliver exceptional service
• Assist the Food & Beverage Manager/Maitre D to improve operational standards
• Assist in raising the waitstaff team's expertise in delivering a consistently high level of fine dining service
• Have great interpersonal skills and good team player
• Good management skills
• Have a high degree of attention to detail
• Be committed, responsible and reliable
• Have sound knowledge of and experience in rostering 
• Be solution and customer focused
• Have a minimum of 3 years experience in a front of house role
• Flexibility to work shifts across the 7-day week

Key responsibilities:

• Manage running of a shift in the restaurant
• Being able to manage a section, being on the counter or overseea the day’s operation and manage restaurant flow for any given shift
• Running an event according to the run sheet given by the event manager and manage the event staff for the day.

There is professional growth opportunity within Zealong as we invest in good people whom we see as our biggest asset. The successful candidate would get to work with an amazing team of chefs and a young vibrant team front of house; be well remunerated, work in a stunning countryside location and yet be just minutes away form a large city, and have generous staff perks including free parking and staff discounts. Living in the Waikato means that you are not more than a 2 hour drive from most of the North Island's major tourist attractions, including Auckland, Tauranga, Taupo, Rotorua, Raglan, Coromandel and Waitomo.

If you would like to be considered for this position, please apply by submitting your cover letter and resume to [email protected]. We would be happy to discuss the role with you confidentially if you wish to understand more about the role.