Director Food & Beverage

Role Purpose

Develop, implement and manage innovative F&B programs, concepts and standards for the assigned brand portfolio. Collaborate with the operations team to ensure continuous improvement in F&B programs.

Key Accountabilities

• Develop branded restaurant concepts for the assigned brands, including development, designing equipment, food specs & testing, and staffing models
• For new branded concepts, responsible for pilot testing and implementation
• Continuously improve existing branded restaurant concepts, including F&B standards, equipment, and food product innovations
• Develop funding models to ensure that Restaurant concepts can be self-supporting
• Hire and oversee field team (self-funded by concept fees) that will work directly with hotels that have Branded Concept restaurants to train hotels and ensure hotels are meeting standards and consult on restaurant operations to help hotel maximize profitability.
• Manage and provide strategic direction to all F&B directors in hotels in the assigned portfolio in the Americas region.
• Develop strategies to improve existing F&B programs and operations to include operational standards, financial results and physical renovations.
• Participate as critical advisor to local F&B Directors in new hotel openings and conversions. Provide subject matter expertise and consult on pre-openings, brand standards manuals, OS&E and FF&E selection, recruitment, product sourcing and budgeting.
• Perform research and data analysis on external market, internal programs, competitive set, relevant market pricing for F&B products, or economic factors affecting F&B. Prepare reports or presentations summarizing this data, and make recommendations to senior leaders for new programs or changes to existing programs based on findings and trends. This includes the management of 3rd party consultancy agencies.
• Respond to requests, inquiries, and challenges from internal Company staff, including interpreting F&B financial data, researching data sources and/or data integrity, and providing related information as needed. Independently work with F&B directors, brand managers or company senior management to respond to data requests, identify trends in F&B data for a particular hotel or segment, or provide additional information.
• Participate in Industry update events through tradeshow attendance and industry conferences.
• Coach, counsel hotel staff and participate in marketing opportunities for Hotel F&B operations. Create regional incentives in order to grow revenues and decrease cost in certain areas.
• Perform due diligence work and translate existing F&B figures into budget data, providing a comparison to existing IHG hotels and an assessment of strengths and weaknesses. Prepare related reports and presentations for principal correspondents who may contract with IHG to manage their property, or for senior management concerning potential acquisitions.
• Conduct and lead special projects in various F&B program areas. Examples include driving the implementation of the major F&B database to the Business Intelligence dashboard, developing tools or presentations for new F&B program rollouts, monitoring start-up costs and preparing P&L forecasts for new restaurant openings, etc. 
• Directly supervise and manage the relationship with 3rd party procurement agencies regarding the purchasing for new F&B outlets, and translate purchasing specifications for kitchen equipment, bars, restaurants, other outlets and banquet operations to the field, assisting in answering daily inquiries and questions.
• Perform other duties as required.

Key Skills & Experiences

Education-

Bachelor’s Degree in Economics, Finance, Business, or a relevant field of work, or an equivalent combination of education and work-related experience. MBA in hospitality management strongly preferred.

Experience-

• 10years of progressive F&B operations experience including department head responsibilities.
• 10years progressive work-related experience in financial, statistical or market analysis, with demonstrated understanding of multiple disciplines/processes related to this position.
• Technical Skills and Knowledge-
• Thorough understanding of hotel and/or F&B programs.
• Thorough understanding of F&B operations including but not limited to Banquet operations, restaurant operations and bar operations.
• Project management experience from conception to implementation.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills for the purpose of providing information to clients, vendors, senior management and staff. Must be able to articulate F&B, business and culinary terms
• Financial and business analysis skills, and demonstrated ability to analyze operating, forecast, and budget information.
• Excellent computer skills to include Microsoft Office (Excel, PowerPoint, and Word) and relational databases. 
• Property Operating System knowledge /skills to include, Micros, Bartech, Domestic, Delphi, Fidelio FO and S&C and Opera FO strongly preferred.