Head Sommelier (Akti) & Sommelier (Riva Rose Bay) | Two Waterfront Flagships

Head Sommelier (Akti) & Sommelier (Riva Rose Bay) | Two Waterfront Flagships

Two roles. Two waterfront flagships. Two Mediterranean wine programs that don’t look like anything else in Sydney.

1. Full-time, permanent, salaried.
2. Ownership of a list, not execution of someone else’s
3. A group scaling from 15 venues toward 20, with a Group Beverage Manager structure above you and genuine progression through it
4. Two of the best rooms on the harbour — Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf and Rose Bay Marina

We are hiring two distinct roles. They are not the same job, and we’re not looking for the same person.

ROLE ONE — HEAD SOMMELIER, AKTI 

Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf | Full-time, permanent 

Akti is our contemporary Greek restaurant on the Finger Wharf, born from the Drakopoulos family’s Hellenic heritage and led in the kitchen by Ntinos Fotinakis and Robert Judd.

This is the senior sommelier role in the group’s Greek program. You own it.

Assyrtiko, xinomavro, agiorgitiko, malagousia – a category most Sydney lists still treat as a footnote, and one you’ll get to build properly, alongside the broader Mediterranean and Australian wines that sit around it.

What you’ll own:

• End-to-end list curation for Akti — structure, sourcing, pricing and GP performance, in partnership with the Group Beverage Manager
• Direct importer and supplier relationships, including negotiation and allocations
• Cellar management, stock integrity and inventory accuracy
• Wine training and capability building across the Akti FOH team
• Pairing collaboration with the kitchen as the menu evolves
• Floor service — you’re selling wine in the room, every service
• Contribution to group-wide beverage standards as SRG’s beverage function scales

What we’re looking for:

• Senior sommelier experience in premium or fine dining, with demonstrated ownership of a list rather than service of one
• WSET Level 3, Court of Master Sommeliers certification, or equivalent
• Real commercial discipline — you understand GP, stockholding and what a list costs to carry
• Genuine curiosity about Greek wine. Existing depth is a significant advantage; the appetite to go deep is essential
• The presence to lead a wine culture, not just hold knowledge

ROLE TWO — SOMMELIER, RIVA ROSE BAY 

Rose Bay Marina | Full-time, permanent 

Riva is our flagship Italian, perched above Rose Bay Marina, with a pasta-driven menu from Tuscan head chef Manuel Bellanti and a list spanning Italian regions and varietals alongside Australian expressions of Italian grapes.

This is an in-venue specialist role. Your focus is the floor and the guest.

What you’ll own:

• Wine service across every service period — recommending, pouring, and reading the room
• By-the-glass program execution and premium sales performance
• Cellar organisation, stock rotation and accurate inventory at venue level
• Input into list development with the Group Beverage Manager — your feedback from the floor shapes what we buy
• Wine knowledge sessions for the Riva FOH team
• Pairing support as the menu changes

What we’re looking for:

• Sommelier experience in a quality dining environment, or a strong senior FOH candidate with formal wine qualification ready to step fully into the role
• WSET Level 2 or 3, or Court of Master Sommeliers certification, or working toward it
• Solid grounding in Italian wine and a genuine appetite to keep building it
• Warmth on the floor — you can guide a guest to the right bottle at any price point and make them feel good about it

WHAT BOTH ROLES OFFER

• Salaried, full-time, permanent employment with annual review
• Dining discounts across the SRG portfolio
• Structured supplier tastings, masterclasses and ongoing wine education
• A defined beverage career path: Sommelier to Head Sommelier to Group Beverage Manager, inside a group that is actively growing the function
• Rostering built around real service periods, including evenings, weekends and public holidays

Both roles require:

• RSA Certification (NSW)
• Full working rights in Australia

ABOUT SRG HOSPITALITY

SRG Hospitality is a family-owned Sydney restaurant group founded by Bill and Kathleen Drakopoulos in 2000 and now led alongside their four children. From Aqua Dining and Ormeggio at The Spit to Sails, The Nielsen, Ventuno and The Fenwick, we’ve built our name on Sydney’s waterfront — and on looking after the people who work on it.

Akti opened in 2025, bringing the family’s Greek heritage to the Finger Wharf. Riva opened in 2026 as our flagship Italian at Rose Bay Marina. Both were built to last.

We’re a group with real scale and the soul of an independent operator.

HOW TO APPLY

Apply via Seek with your CV and a short note telling us which role you’re applying for and why. If you’d be strong in either, say so.

We review applications daily.

Applicants must have full working rights in Australia.