Executive Director of Food & Beverage Operations

About the Role

The Executive Director of Food & Beverage serves as a trusted strategic partner responsible for supporting both front and back of house operations within the Food & Beverage Department. This highly visible position manages daily interactions, communications, and workflow, requiring exceptional organization, communication, project coordination, and administrative leadership.

Responsibilities

• Clearly describe, assign, and delegate responsibility and authority for the operation of food and beverage sub-departments (e.g., catering, restaurants, banquets, kitchens, purchasing, and stewards).
• Prepare and monitor the annual budget, revenue goals, and expenses for the food and beverage department, including generating weekly and monthly business volume forecasts and planning.
• Review and analyze financial and data reports to monitor overall food and beverage performance and take corrective actions as needed.
• Monitor market conditions impacting menu offerings, business volume, and profitability.
• Execute inventory control and calculation for monthly analysis and reconciliation; identify opportunities to control food costs, bar costs, and other expenses.
• Collaborate with the executive chef, sous chef, lead line cook, food and beverage managers, and catering managers to create menus that entice a variety of outlets while supporting bottom-line goals.
• Direct ordering amounts (par levels), timing of orders, receiving, invoice settlement, storage temperatures, and accuracy.
• Research vendor opportunities, pricing, and service; evaluate vendor relationships for the benefit of the facility.
• Implement policies and procedures for the food and beverage department, ensuring compliance with company, federal, state, and local standards and laws.
• Oversee interviewing, hiring, training, planning, assigning, directing work, evaluating performance, rewarding, and disciplining associates; address complaints and resolve problems.
• Manage department members, including sous chef, line cooks, stewards, food and beverage managers, supervisors, servers, bartenders, and server assistants.
• Approve catering policies, contracts, and pricing; oversee planning, execution, and closure of events with the event coordinator and food and beverage managers.
• Ensure regular and reliable attendance.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree (BA) from a four-year college or university.
• Five or more years of experience as a Director of Food & Beverage.
• Food Safety and Applicable Sanitation Training, Alcohol Awareness Training.
• Ability to read and speak English (required for communication with customers, co-workers, and equipment manuals).
• Must meet state age requirements for handling alcoholic beverages.

Skills

• Working knowledge of wine, spirits, and regional cuisines.
• Leadership ability, including clear communication and expression of ideas and directives.
• Strong problem analysis and resolution skills.
• Strong multi-tasking, organizational, and time management skills.
• High level of active listening and client service skills; ability to resolve issues with tact and diplomacy.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong leadership and people management skills; ability to create high-performance teams.
• Professional and courteous demeanor; commitment to company values.
• Organizational development abilities with a focus on individual and team advancement.
• Computer proficiency in Microsoft products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Comprehensive understanding of hospitality/food service infrastructure, controls, and financial back-office systems.
• Working knowledge of food and beverage service equipment and current trends.
• Exceptional personal hygiene and positive representation of the organization.

Physical Demands

• Frequently stands, walks, tastes, smells, talks, listens, uses hands, and reaches with hands and arms.
• Occasionally sits, climbs, balances, stoops, kneels, crawls, or crouches.
• Occasionally lifts up to 50 pounds.
• Can work in wet or humid conditions, near moving mechanical parts, fumes, airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, and in extreme heat or cold (non-weather).
• Moderate noise level in the work environment.