Vice President of New Business Development

Who We Are

Wine Enthusiast Companies is the ultimate source of innovation and information around wine. Founded in 1979 by Adam and Sybil Strum, the family-owned company is composed of Wine Enthusiast Commerce and Wine Enthusiast Media. Wine Enthusiast Shop provides premium wine-lifestyle products, reaching millions of consumers globally via direct mail, an e-commerce site, and a business-to-business division. Wine Enthusiast magazine is an award-winning print publication and online resource that showcases wine news, food trends, and more than 25,000 ratings and reviews annually. Wine Enthusiast events include the annual premier Wine Star Awards gala. In 2024, the company launched a travel division, which includes the Tasting Room Directory and Cork+Compass Travel. Together, Wine Enthusiast Companies is the indisputable hub for everything wine. We bring wine to life.

Your Role in Our Journey

The Vice President of New Business Development will lead the identification, development, negotiation, and execution of new business opportunities that expand Wine Enthusiast beyond its traditional media offerings.

Reporting to President and Publisher, this role will own strategic growth initiatives including licensing, new travel experiences, restaurant recognition programs, and future media services.

The ideal candidate is a builder — someone who can spot opportunities, develop a business case, structure a deal, bring stakeholders together, and turn ideas into scalable businesses.

What You'll Be Uncorking

Key Responsibilities:

• Identify, evaluate, and pursue new revenue-generating opportunities aligned with the Wine Enthusiast brand and ecosystem.
• Lead business development efforts from initial concept through launch and ongoing growth.
• Develop and manage licensing opportunities, including identifying potential partners, negotiating agreements, and driving execution.
• Build new business models around emerging opportunities in travel, hospitality, culinary, consumer products, and experiential offerings.
• Lead the development and launch of Wine Enthusiast's restaurant recognition program and future brand extensions.
• Create strategic plans, financial projections, and go-to-market strategies for new initiatives.
• Negotiate contracts and commercial agreements in collaboration with internal stakeholders.
• Build relationships with potential business partners, operators, brands, and industry leaders.
• Collaborate with editorial, marketing, sales, operations, finance, and legal teams to bring new ventures to market.
• Track performance, optimize initiatives, and identify opportunities for continued growth.

The Perfect Blend (What You Bring to the Table)

Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience in business development, licensing, corporate development, strategic growth, or new venture creation.
• Demonstrated success developing and closing complex commercial agreements.
• Experience in media, publishing, entertainment, consumer brands, hospitality, wine, travel, or related industries.
• Strong understanding of how to monetize brands, audiences, and intellectual property.
• Exceptional strategic thinking combined with strong execution skills.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and relationship-building abilities.
• Comfortable operating in an entrepreneurial environment where priorities evolve quickly.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with media licensing, brand extensions, or IP commercialization.
• Experience launching new products, experiences, or business lines with project management acumen.
• Knowledge or passion for wine, food, hospitality, travel, or luxury brands is a plus — but not required.

This position offers a flexible hybrid schedule, requiring employees to be onsite at our Valhalla, NY headquarters a minimum of twice per week, with Tuesday and Thursday designated as a required in-office days.

This role offers a competitive base salary of $130,000 – $150,000, with an On-Target Earnings (OTE) potential of $180,000 – $200,000.

Our Commitment to You

Unlimited PTO, Full Medical, Dental and Vision benefits, 401(K) Match, FSA, Flexible Work Environment, Onsite Gym, Pet Discount Plans, Employee Discount, optional Wine Tasting Class participation, Flexible Schedule, Dynamic and Collaborative work culture.

Our Core Values

JOY

We recognize that our business is not just about numbers, but also about people. As a family business, we honor the importance of our employees’ home lives. We encourage fun, discovery, adventure and health for our teams.

EMPATHY

We support our employees with patience and understanding, recognizing that work hours represent a substantial percentage of one’s time. We encourage a diverse mindset that helps us better reflect the evolving wine culture.

TRANSPARENCY

Communication and integrity are the cornerstones of our relationships with each other and our customers. We speak openly about our achievements and challenges, with the goal of helping each other grow.

PASSION

We’re not just a company; we’re a community. Our job is to enhance the lives of others, making the wine industry and all its offerings accessible and enjoyable. Delighting and educating our consumers is at the core of everything we do.

INNOVATION

We value those who think outside the box to elevate the company. We celebrate change, appreciating that a nimble culture attracts talent and motivates team members to push the envelope and build our business for the future.

COLLABORATION

We believe in the power of working together, sharing ideas, and leveraging our collective talents to achieve our goals. We mentor those we lead and surround ourselves with people who drive us to do more than our personal best.

Our Commitment to Inclusion & Equity

At Wine Enthusiast, we are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and do not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or any other protected status. As part of our commitment to fair hiring practices, we have adopted "ban the box" policies to provide individuals with criminal records a fair chance at employment. We consider all applicants on their merits and qualifications, considering their ability to perform the job.

Our family-owned company was born from a passion to bring a fine wine experience to the everyday. We believe wine is best shared with others and brings people together. In 2021, Adam and Sybil's daughters Erika Strum Silberstein and Jacqueline Strum were named co-presidents and continue to lead the mission of bringing wine to life. The second generation works together with the collective team to create new and better ways for everyone to explore and enjoy the exciting world of wine, including low-alcohol wines, non-alcohol wines, spirits, and beyond! We hope you’ll join us with a glass in hand.