Principal Lounge Food & Beverage Manager

About the role

The Principal Lounge Food & Beverage Manager serves as the lead subject matter expert and single process owner for food and beverage strategy, program governance, and execution across Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines Lounges and Clubs. As an advanced individual contributor, this role defines the 12-month food and beverage roadmap for the Lounge and Club portfolio, translates premium hospitality strategy into scalable menu, supplier, equipment, service, and operating standards, and exercises considerable latitude and initiative to solve complex cross-functional business problems. This role drives guest satisfaction, operational consistency, food safety, brand differentiation, and financial performance by influencing Lounge Operations, Commercial, Finance, Procurement, Marketing, Training, airport teams, and third-party partners across the Alaska and Hawaiian networks.

Key Duties

• Serves as the lead subject matter expert for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines Lounge and Club food and beverage programs, owning standards, governance, and execution for complimentary and for-purchase offerings across the portfolio.
• Defines and manages the 12-month Lounge and Club food and beverage roadmap, including menu strategy, seasonal refreshes, guest journey enhancements, supplier and product pipelines, operational readiness, and launch sequencing.
• Leads complex cross-functional initiatives that improve food quality, beverage assortment, service consistency, safety, cost performance, and brand differentiation across Alaska and Hawaiian Lounges and Clubs.
• Establishes and maintains food and beverage operating standards, including menu specifications, product requirements, buffet and bar presentation, replenishment expectations, quality assurance, compliance, and vendor performance measures.
• Partners with Lounge Operations, Procurement, Finance, Marketing, Training, Guest Experience, Legal, Safety, airport teams, and third-party providers to resolve ambiguous business issues and implement scalable solutions.
• Owns food and beverage performance insights, including guest feedback, competitive benchmarking, operational observations, quality data, cost trends, waste, and supplier performance; translates insights into recommendations for senior leaders.
• Manages Lounge and Club food and beverage financial discipline, including budget inputs, cost modeling, forecasting support, variance analysis, menu cost implications, and recommendations that balance guest experience with financial commitments.
• Influences across the company and up to senior leadership to secure alignment, resources, and timely decisions for food and beverage initiatives, supplier changes, new lounge openings, renovations, and Alaska/Hawaiian integration priorities.
• Highlights Alaska & Hawaiian Lounges through high-impact activations, international route launches, marketing pop-ups, and surprise & delight moments to reinforce the brand and elevate the premium experience.
• Owns product experience and room standards across the Alaska and Hawaiian Lounge and Club network that elevate consistency, ensure brand integrity, and enable teams to maintain high-quality spaces across the network.

Requirements

• 7 years of experience in food and beverage, hospitality operations, product management, supplier management, culinary program management, guest experience, or a related area.
• Bachelor's degree with a focus in hospitality, business, marketing, culinary management, operations, or a related discipline, or an additional two years of relevant training/experience in lieu of this degree.
• Demonstrated ability to serve as a subject matter expert, define functional strategy, and lead complex initiatives through influence without direct authority.
• Strong knowledge of food and beverage program design, menu lifecycle management, quality standards, supplier performance, food safety, and hospitality service expectations.
• Experience using business data, guest insights, operational feedback, and financial information to develop recommendations and improve program outcomes.
• Working knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, cost management, and performance metrics for food and beverage programs.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to present clear recommendations, risks, tradeoffs, and implementation plans to leaders, project teams, vendors, and operational stakeholders.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, create structure in ambiguity, and deliver through cross-functional partners in a fast-paced operational environment.
• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Minimum age of 18.
• Based in SEA and willing to travel up to 20% of the time.
• Must be authorized to work in the U.S.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing third-party food and beverage vendors, culinary partners, suppliers, or service level agreements.
• Experience supporting airport lounge, airline, hospitality, restaurant, hotel, club, or premium guest-facing operations.
• Experience with Profit & Loss management, menu costing, procurement strategy, supplier negotiations, or performance dashboards.

Leadership Expectations

• Embody our values to own safety, do the right thing, be caring and kind, and deliver performance.
• Promote a culture of safety, care, hospitality, inclusion, and operational excellence across Alaska and Hawaiian Lounge and Club food and beverage work.
• Lead through influence by building trust with peers, project teams, vendors, airport teams, and senior stakeholders; communicate timely recommendations, risks, and tradeoffs.
• Deliver outcomes by defining priorities, holding self and partners accountable, improving business metrics, and balancing short-term operational needs with longer-term Lounge and Club strategy.

Pay

$122,800 – $184,200 / year. Pay will be based on multiple factors, including and not limited to location, relevant experience/level and skillset while balancing internal equity relative to other Alaska/Hawaiian/Horizon employees. Alaska/Hawaiian/Horizon is committed to fair, unbiased compensation along with competitive benefits in all locations in which we operate. Note: We don't typically hire at the top of the range.

Benefits

• Free stand-by travel privileges on Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines & Horizon Air
• Comprehensive well-being programs including medical, dental and vision benefits
• Generous 401k match program
• Annual bonus plans
• Generous holiday and paid time off