Overview
Director Food & Beverage Operations UKI (EUR015OK)
Director Food & Beverage Operations UKI (EUR015OK)
Work Locations
Hilton - Regional Headquarters - Europe Maple Court, Central Park, Reeds Crescent Watford WD24 4QQ
Reporting to the Senior Director of UK&I F&B Operations and EMEA Culinary, this role is responsible for driving commercial F&D performance across the UK, Ireland, and Israel (UKI&I), delivering high-quality, profitable, and innovative food and drink concepts for both existing and pipeline managed hotels across all Hilton brands. The role will be responsible for leading a regional F&B team, and supports the execution of the EMEA F&B strategy in collaboration with the Senior Director of UK&I F&B Operations and EMEA Culinary.
You will work closely with Hilton stakeholders and owner representatives to develop and open hotel F&B venues within budget and agreed timelines, ensuring new and existing properties meet commercial, guest satisfaction, brand, and legislative targets. Additionally, the role involves representing Hilton UKI&I F&B with external stakeholders, including owners, asset managers, contractors, and investors—and leading key EMEA projects and initiatives such as the Destination Venues programme.
What will I be doing?
* F&B Operations
* Support the Senior Director UK&I F&D Ops and EMEA Culinary deliver the EMEA F&B Strategy, annual plan, and key business objectives.
* Partner with SVP/VP Operations to drive the performance of regional F&B
* Lead and direct a team to support all managed properties deliver agreed budgets, forecasts and commercial KPIs.
* Builds and develops relationships within the wider industry to engage and support the Hilton F&B strategy and vision.
* Partner with F&B Commercial Finance Director to identify trends and opportunities to maximize F&B performance across the region.
* Support Hiltons commercial forecasts and annual budget process
* Lead and direct a team to ensure that all properties work within Hilton brand standards, EMEA F&B Strategy, food safety, health & safety, compliance, and local legislative requirements.
* Lead and support a team to ensure that the hotel teams are employing and attracting the highest calibre F&B teams and that development programmes and succession planning is in place.
* Lead corporate involvement in the recruitment and promotion of senior F&B personnel within the hotel properties.
* Support and foster a culture of performance management to ensure the team are working with GMs and hotel property teams to maximize F&B performance through talent attraction and retention.
* Support the team through coaching, site visits, one to ones and performance management to achieve best in class performance and deliver against agreed budgets, KPIs, objectives and Hilton policies.
* Support and lead on F&B initiatives such as ESG, innovative technology innovation, F&B products and implement new Hilton or legislative requirements as they arise.
* Work with the Senior Culinary Director to ensure that all food brand standards are implemented. F&B Prototypes and concepts are relevant, commercial, innovative, and fit for purpose.
* Work with UK Operations team and HSM to ensure that all bars are commercial and responding to consumer trends. Bar prototypes are relevant, commercial, and innovative.
* Work with Brand Services & Product Development to ensure that Prototypes and Bespoke concepts are relevant for owners, Hilton brand, commercial and will meet the needs of Hilton guests. Work with F&B Brand services to implement operational SOPs for prototypes and bespoke concepts.
* Partner with HSM to ensure that F&B purchasing is driving best in class product, innovation, and commercial opportunities for the hotel F&B operations.
* Partner with Sales & Commercial to look at Group C&E opportunities within the region.
* Partner with F&B Brand team to understand and analyze F&B trends and incorporate them in Hilton F&B concepts where relevant and commercially viable.
* Work with Senior Marketing Director to ensure that EMEA strategy in terms of destination venues, pop ups, innovation and digital marketing are all in place.
* Support and lead F&B teams to deliver Hilton 2030 goals.
* Support and lead on F&B Competitions, regional team activities such as Flavour & Flair, Roadshows, and conferences
Openings & Development
* Own the F&B Development process end to end delivering relevant F&B concepts in line with brand standards and ownership requirements that are commercially viable.
* Partner with Feasibility and Development to ensure that F&B input is considered on all potential deals in terms of Commercials, Brands and F&B concepts within the properties.
* Partner with AD&C and Openings team to deliver all F&B concepts as per the agreed openings & development process.
* Partner with F&B Brand Services & Product Development to ensure that all F&B programming is as per Hilton brand standards, owner’s requirements, commercially viable and will deliver innovative and compelling F&B propositions.
* Partner with F&B Business Development to programme and launch successful third-party concepts.
* Support Openings & Hotel Property teams launch new F&B concepts.
* Partner with AD&C, Real estate and hotel property teams and lead on the F&B Masterplans, Capex or PIPs in terms of F&B
* You will lead and manage the team to deliver the Canvas model – including delivery of the full retail proposition including:
* legislative dietary controls,
* supplier product switching,
* POS management and,
Direct Reports
* Director of Food & Drink Systems and Room Efficiencies
* F&D Director of Operations
What are looking for?
Qualifications
* A minimum of five years F&B experience within the hotel, independent or retail sector
* Strong knowledge of F&B concept creation, project management and openings
* Good knowledge of both front of house and back of house equipment, layouts, and operating equipment
* Strong networker, first-class communicator with excellent relationship building skills.
* First-class commercial skills. A thorough understanding of F&B profit and loss and driving commercial performance in the sectors of hotel, independent or retail F&B
* Strong leadership skills and an absolute passion for food and beverage
* A good understanding of F&B trends, marketing, and PR
* An understanding of technology within F&B
* An appreciation of food and beverage digital media
* Up to date on social media trends
* Passionate about ESG in F&B
Required Qualifications
* Minimum Education: Degree or equivalent or clear evidence of having worked their way up in the field of hospitality, F&B, or retail. A mix of corporate and independent F&B experience would be highly desirable.
* Strong experience in an F&B Regional Director or equivalent company level position.
* Experience of leading teams or projects with a variety of stakeholders at various levels
* Strong knowledge and passion for F&B
* Good commercial acumen, analytical and P&L proficient
* Fluent in English
* PC Self Sufficient and good knowledge of MS Office (Word, Excel, Internet, PowerPoint as a minimum)
* Experience of social media platforms and application to F&B would be a benefit.
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