Director of Food & Drink at Hilton

JOB OVERVIEW

The Director of F&D is responsible for the successful management and commercial performance of all F&D, C&E and partnerships in the hotel.  This is a key role in the hotel leadership team.

• Are you passionate about operating market-leading restaurants and bars?
• Do you enjoy delivering world-class conferences and events?
• Do you know what it takes to inspire your team to create exceptional customer experiences every time?
• Are you a pioneer in F&D trends, social media and marketing?
• As a leader, are you supportive and inclusive?
• If so, the Director of F&D role is tailor-made for you!

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

As Director of F&D, your key responsibilities will be:

Commercial Performance

• Develop the F&D Operations business plan, considering market strategy, financial targets and business volumes, as well as customer and team member experience.
• Partner with the Commercial team to develop and execute powerful F&D sales, marketing and social media plans.
• Manage F&D key partnerships to develop and maintain successful stakeholder relations.
• Manage the F&D venue operations budget and forecast to support achievement of the hotel’s commercial goals.
• Manage one of London’s largest and most prestigious meeting and event hotels.
• Review departmental results - including sales, costs, profit margins, covers, and guest satisfaction - and take action with the F&D management team to improve performance.

Excellent Food & Drinks

• Partner with the Culinary team to create attractive F&D concepts, menus, products and promotions that drive revenue and profit.
• Deliver high-quality, well-presented food and beverage to meet guests’ needs - and social media feeds!
• Champion Hilton’s sustainability goals through local sourcing, use of seasonal produce and minimising food waste.

Exceptional Guest Experiences

• Deliver exceptional guest experiences by maintaining consistently high service standards and product knowledge throughout the F&D team. 
• Make sure that food allergies and dietary requirements are treated with absolute seriousness.
• Review and act on guest feedback, taking prompt action to resolve guest complaints and improve guest loyalty.
• Enhance the hotel’s image through online reputation management for F&D, driving positive reviews on key platforms and websites.

Great Working Environment

• Lead, develop and inspire the F&D Operations team, creating an inclusive environment where all Team Members can thrive and achieve their professional goals. 
• Practice great people management, from recruitment to training to succession planning and recognition.
• Develop an efficient F&D Operations workforce plan to identify current and future needs based on forecast business volumes, budgets and HR guidelines.
• Communicate well and often, building great relationships with key stakeholders.

Day-To-Day Essentials

• Make sure F&D operations strictly comply with all regulations (including health, safety and hygiene, food safety certification, licensing) and that potentially hazardous situations are identified, reported and corrected.  
• Work with the Purchasing team to select suppliers and create efficient purchasing processes. 
• Keep up to date with what’s happening in F&D – current and future trends, markets, ingredients, competitors and suppliers – to drive innovation.
• Serve as the Weekend Manager on Duty in the absence of senior hotel leadership, overseeing and supporting all aspects of hotel operations.

WHO ARE WE LOOKING FOR?

• We’re looking for an inspirational leader who is passionate about food and drinks, with at least 3 years’ experience in a similar role and an internationally recognized degree or diploma.  Experience of similar capacity in an international luxury hotel F&D operation or independent restaurant and bar group is a requirement. 

To be successful in this position you will have:

• Commercial focus, with a demonstrated ability to deliver exceptional business performance and results.
• Inspirational leadership and people management skills, experienced in leading, developing and motivating a large team and working effectively with other departments.
• Excellent verbal and written communication deliver a compelling message for the right audience, from team briefings to commercial action skills to business presentations to representing the hotel publicly.
• Guest focus, maintaining the highest standards of service and quality to create memorable guest experiences.
• Effective relationship management skills to build good working relationships with key stakeholders, internally and externally, including suppliers, local media and influencers.
• Creativity, strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, able to work effectively in a fast-paced environment while remaining calm and focused under pressure.
• You will be also fluent in English, a social media expert, and comfortable using F&D systems and MS Office.