Senior Manager, Restaurant and Bar Operations

About the Role

The Senior Manager, Restaurant and Bar Operations is responsible for leading the development, implementation, and continuous enhancement of food and beverage strategies, programs, and standards across Holland America Line (HAL) and Seabourn (SBN). This role drives strategic initiatives that elevate the guest experience, strengthen brand differentiation, and support revenue growth throughout the fleet. The Senior Manager oversees Restaurant and Beverage Fleet Managers and provides leadership, direction, and coaching to ensure alignment with operational objectives and service standards.

Responsibilities

• Food and Beverage Strategy and Brand Advancement
  • Leads the strategic vision, development, and continuous evolution of food and beverage innovation initiatives across HAL & SBN.
  • Establishes long-term strategic roadmaps that align with brand positioning, guest expectations, market trends, and organizational objectives.
  • Evaluates emerging industry developments, consumer preferences, competitive offerings, and technology advancements to identify opportunities that strengthen the guest experience and support business growth.
  • Oversees the development of new dining, beverage, and experiential concepts that enhance brand differentiation while maintaining operational viability.
  • Directs concept evaluation, pilot programs, and business assessments to determine scalability and fleet-wide applicability.
  • Partners with senior leadership to establish strategic priorities and investment recommendations that advance food and beverage objectives.
  • Balances innovation, guest experience, commercial performance, and operational requirements when evaluating opportunities and making recommendations.
  • Serves as a key advisor on food and beverage strategy, ensuring initiatives support long-term brand growth, market relevance, and competitive positioning.
• Fleet Leadership, Organizational Effectiveness, and Talent Development
  • Provides strategic leadership and direction to Restaurant and Bar Fleet Managers supporting both HAL and SBN.
  • Develops departmental objectives, performance expectations, and operational priorities that align with broader food and beverage and organizational goals.
  • Builds leadership capability through coaching, mentoring, succession planning, and ongoing professional development initiatives.
  • Establishes frameworks that promote accountability, consistency, and high levels of performance across fleet support functions.
  • Leads organizational planning efforts to ensure resources, talent, and operational support models effectively meet evolving business needs.
  • Guides teams through organizational change, business transformation initiatives, and operational enhancements while maintaining engagement and performance.
  • Fosters a culture that encourages innovation, collaboration, ownership, and continuous improvement.
• Commercial Strategy, Revenue Optimization, and Financial Performance
  • Works closely with Director, Food & Beverage Revenue and Innovation in the development and execution of strategies designed to maximize food and beverage revenue, profitability, and overall business performance across both fleets.
  • Evaluates financial results, operational data, guest purchasing behaviors, and market trends to identify opportunities for growth and enhanced commercial outcomes.
  • Partners with Finance, Revenue Management, and senior business leaders to establish performance targets and measure return on investment for key initiatives.
  • Directs the assessment of menu strategies, beverage programs, pricing structures, and promotional opportunities to optimize revenue generation while preserving brand integrity.
  • Identifies opportunities to improve efficiency, strengthen financial controls, and enhance cost effectiveness without compromising the guest experience.
  • Provides strategic recommendations regarding resource allocation, capital investments, and business priorities.
  • Utilizes data-driven decision-making to support sustainable growth and improve financial performance.
• Cross-Functional Strategy, Stakeholder Management, and Business Integration
  • Leads collaboration across Culinary, Beverage, Operations, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain, Information Technology, People, and Hospitality functions to ensure alignment on strategic initiatives and business priorities.
  • Serves as a key stakeholder in enterprise projects that impact food and beverage operations, guest experiences, and commercial performance.
  • Influences decision-making through the development of business cases, strategic recommendations, and executive-level presentations.
  • Aligns diverse stakeholder groups around common objectives while balancing competing priorities and operational considerations.
  • Establishes strong partnerships with external vendors, suppliers, consultants, and industry organizations to support innovation, service enhancement, and business objectives.
  • Represents food and beverage interests in leadership discussions, planning sessions, and strategic reviews.
  • Facilitates effective communication that drives alignment, accountability, and successful execution across functions and brands.
• Guest Experience Excellence, Brand Performance, and Continuous Improvement
  • Champions a guest-centric approach that drives exceptional dining and beverage experiences across HAL & SBN.
  • Establishes strategies that enhance guest satisfaction, support loyalty, and strengthen each brand's reputation for quality and service excellence.
  • Reviews guest feedback, operational insights, market intelligence, and performance metrics to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
  • Directs initiatives that elevate service delivery, enhance product offerings, and improve the overall value proposition for guests.
  • Ensures food and beverage experiences remain aligned with evolving guest expectations and brand standards while supporting long-term business objectives.
  • Promotes the adoption of innovative technologies, processes, and best practices that improve service effectiveness and operational performance.
  • Measures and evaluates program outcomes to drive informed decision-making and sustainable enhancement efforts.

Scope and Impact

• Has enterprise-wide responsibility for shaping and advancing food and beverage strategies across Holland America Line (HAL) and Seabourn (SBN).
• Operates across both shoreside and shipboard environments, ensuring strategic initiatives support the unique brand positioning, guest expectations, and commercial objectives of each fleet.
• Influences the direction of restaurant, bar, and beverage experiences that impact guests across multiple vessels and itineraries.
• Serves as a key link between strategy development and fleet adoption, ensuring strategic priorities align with broader organizational goals.
• Responsibilities span concept development, commercial performance, operational readiness, and stakeholder alignment across numerous business functions.
• Has significant influence over guest-facing programs that contribute to brand perception, revenue generation, and competitive differentiation.
• Directly impacts guest satisfaction, commercial performance, and brand differentiation across HAL and SBN.
• Contributes to the establishment of standards, priorities, and best practices that guide food and beverage initiatives fleet-wide.

Problem Solving

• Addresses complex business challenges that require integrating commercial, operational, guest experience, and market considerations.
• Analyzes financial performance, guest feedback, competitive intelligence, industry trends, and operational data to identify opportunities and risks.
• Evaluates competing priorities and determines solutions that support both brand objectives and enterprise goals.
• Anticipates emerging challenges and proactively develops strategies that mitigate risk while maximizing business value.
• Navigates ambiguity, limited precedents, and varying stakeholder perspectives across multiple departments.
• Assesses the feasibility and scalability of new concepts, balancing creativity with resource requirements and operational constraints.
• Focuses on long-term improvements that drive sustainable growth and organizational effectiveness.
• Exercises sound judgment when recommending investments, priorities, and strategic changes that impact multiple stakeholders.