Dir Food & Beverage C📣 Job Ad

About the Role

Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts is seeking a highly experienced Director of Food & Beverage, Culinary to lead all Food & Beverage and Culinary operations at its property in Medina, Saudi Arabia. This full-time leadership position requires a strategic business leader with a minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in the hospitality sector. The role is central to driving departmental performance, ensuring brand service strategies are executed, and maximizing financial results.

Strategic Leadership and Operational Oversight

The Director will oversee the development and implementation of departmental strategies across all Food & Beverage and Culinary operations, including restaurants, bars, room service, banquets, and catering. This position ensures that operations meet the needs of the brand's target customers, fosters employee satisfaction, and is committed to increasing revenue and maximizing the financial performance of the department. The role involves developing and implementing hotel-wide strategies to deliver products and services that meet or exceed expectations and achieve a strong return on investment.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain Food & Beverage/Culinary goals, holding the leadership team accountable for desired service behaviors and performance.
• Review financial reports and statements to evaluate departmental performance against budget, recommending capital expenditures and renovations as needed.
• Develop and manage the Food & Beverage budget, monitoring actual and projected sales to ensure revenue goals are met or exceeded.
• Ensure the development and compliance of cash control and liquor control policies across all Food & Beverage areas.
• Analyze information and evaluate results to identify optimal solutions and resolve operational challenges.
• Estimate consumption of food, liquor, wine, and other beverages to anticipate purchasing and requisition needs.
• Order and purchase necessary equipment and supplies for all Food & Beverage operations.

Team Leadership and Development

• Lead, influence, and encourage team members through effective interpersonal and communication skills, demonstrating honesty and integrity.
• Foster mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members, ensuring regular and ongoing communication within all Food & Beverage areas.
• Identify opportunities to increase profits and create value by questioning existing processes, encouraging innovation, and driving necessary changes.
• Develop Food & Beverage operating strategies that align with the brand's business strategy and guide execution.
• Identify developmental needs of others and provide coaching, mentoring, or other support to enhance knowledge and skills.
• Recruit Food & Beverage leadership team members who demonstrate strong functional expertise, creativity, and entrepreneurial leadership.
• Utilize the performance appraisal process to set goals and expectations for direct reports, ensuring accountability for successful performance.

Ensuring Guest and Employee Satisfaction

• Provide service that consistently exceeds expectations, achieves customer satisfaction, and contributes to guest retention.
• Improve service quality by communicating guest needs and providing guidance, feedback, and individual coaching to the team.
• Review comment card results and guest satisfaction data with the Food & Beverage team, ensuring appropriate corrective actions are taken and shared with hotel leadership.
• Empower employees to deliver excellent customer service, balancing profit margins with guest and employee satisfaction.
• Ensure employees are treated fairly and equitably, escalating issues to the Human Resources department when necessary.

Qualifications and Experience

Candidates must possess over 10 years of progressive experience in Food & Beverage and Culinary operations, with a proven track record in a strategic leadership capacity. The role demands strong financial acumen, strategic planning capabilities, exceptional team leadership skills, and a demonstrated ability to improve service performance and achieve financial goals within a dynamic hospitality environment.