Director of Culinary and Food & Beverage

JOB SUMMARY

Functions as the strategic business leader of the property’s food and beverage/culinary operation, including Restaurants/Bars, Room Service, Purchasing, Banquets/Catering, Stewarding and employee cafeteria, where applicable. Position monitors the development and implementation of departmental strategies and verifies implementation of the brand service strategy and brand initiatives. The position ensures the food and beverage/culinary operation meets the brand’s target customer needs, ensures employee satisfaction, and focuses on growing revenues and maximizing the financial performance of the department. Develops and implements property-wide strategies that deliver products and services to meet or exceed the needs and expectations of the brand’s target customer and property employees and provides a return on investment. Responsible for guiding and developing staff including direct reports. Must ensure sanitation and food standards are achieved.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Education and Experience

• High school diploma or GED; 6 years’ experience in the culinary, food and beverage, or related professional area.

OR

• 2-year degree from an accredited university in Culinary Arts, Hotel and Restaurant Management, or related major; 4 years experience in the culinary, food and beverage, or related professional area.

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES

Developing and Maintaining Food and Beverage/Culinary Goals

• Develops and implements guidelines and control procedures for purchasing and receiving areas.

• Communicates the importance of safety procedures, detailing procedure codes, ensuring employee understanding of safety codes, monitoring processes and procedures related to safety.

• Manages department controllable expenses including food cost, supplies, uniforms and equipment.

• Makes recommendations for CAPEX funding of food and beverage equipment and renovations in accordance with brand business strategy.

• Works with food and beverage leadership team to determine areas of concern and develops strategies to improve the department’s financial performance.

• Establishes challenging, realistic and obtainable goals to guide operational performance, service excellence and desired leadership behaviors.

Developing and Maintaining Budgets

• Develops and manages Food and Beverage budget.

• Monitors the department’s actual and projected sales to ensure revenue goals are met or exceeded and opportunities are identified and addressed.

• Ensures cash control and liquor control policies are in place in food & beverage areas and followed by all related employees.

• Focuses on maintaining profit margins without compromising guest or employee satisfaction.

Ensuring Culinary Standards and Responsibilities are Met

• Provides direction for menu development.

• Monitors the quality of raw and cooked food products to ensure that standards are met.

• Determines how food should be presented, and create decorative food displays.

• Recognizes superior quality products, presentations and flavor.

• Ensures compliance with food handling and sanitation standards.

• Follows proper handling and right temperature of all food products.

• Ensures employees maintain required food handling and sanitation certifications.

• Maintains purchasing, receiving and food storage standards.

• Prepares and cooks foods of all types, either on a regular basis or for special guests or functions.

Leading Food and Beverage/Culinary Team

• Leads kitchen management team and ensures proper supervision and coordination activities of cooks and workers engaged in food preparation.

• Demonstrates new cooking techniques and equipment to staff.

• Encourages and builds mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.

• Achieves and exceeds goals including performance goals, budget goals, team goals, etc.

• Develops means to improve profit, including estimating cost and benefit, exploring new business opportunities, etc.

• Identifies opportunities to increase profits and create value by challenging existing processes, encouraging innovation and driving necessary change.

• Ensures that regular, on-going communication occurs in all areas of food and beverage (e.g., pre-meal briefings, staff meetings, culinary team).

• Establishes and maintains open, collaborative relationships with direct reports and entire food & beverage and culinary team by soliciting employee feedback, utilizing the "open door" policy and reviewing employee satisfaction results to identify and address employee problems or concerns.

• Develops a food and beverage operating strategy that is aligned with the brand’s business strategy and leads its execution.

• Identifies the developmental needs of others and coaches, mentors, or otherwise helps others to improve their knowledge or skills.

• Stays aware of market trends and introduces new food and beverage products to meet or exceed customer expectations, generate increased revenue and ensure a competitive position in the market.

Ensuring Exceptional Customer Service

• Provides services that are above and beyond for customer satisfaction and retention.

• Improves service by communicating and assisting individuals to understand guest needs, providing guidance, feedback, and individual coaching when needed.

• Reviews findings from comment cards and guest satisfaction results with F& B team and ensures appropriate corrective action is taken.

• Reviews comment cards, guest satisfaction results and other data to identify areas of improvement.

• Empowers employees to provide excellent guest service.

• Estimates cost and benefit ratio, maintaining balance between profit and service satisfaction.

• Shares plans to take corrective action based on comment cards and guest satisfaction results with property leadership.

Managing and Conducting Human Resource Activities

• Provides guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.

• Coaches and supports food & beverage leadership team to effectively manage wages, food & beverage cost and controllable expenses (e.g., restaurant supplies, uniforms, etc.).

• Hires food & beverage leadership team members who demonstrate strong functional expertise, creativity and entrepreneurial leadership to meet the business needs of the operation.

• Sets goals and expectations for direct reports using the performance review process and holds staff accountable for successful performance.

• Ensures that expectations and objectives are clearly communicated to subordinates; subordinates are also open to raise questions and/or concerns.

• Brings issues to the attention of Human Resources as necessary.

• Ensures employees are treated fairly and equitably.

• Coaches team by providing specific feedback to improve performance.

Additional Responsibilities

• Informs and/or update the executives, the peers and the subordinates on relevant information in a timely manner.

• Provides information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.

• Analyzes information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

• Estimate food, liquor, wine, and other beverage consumption in order to anticipate amounts to be purchased or requisitioned.

• Order and purchase equipment and supplies.

At more than 100 award-winning properties worldwide, The Ritz-Carlton Ladies and Gentlemen create experiences so exceptional that long after a guest stays with us, the experience stays with them. Attracting the world’s top hospitality professionals who curate lifelong memories, we believe that everyone succeeds when they are empowered to be creative, thoughtful and compassionate.

Every day, we set the standard for rare and special luxury service the world over and pride ourselves on delivering excellence in the care and comfort of our guests.

Your role will be to ensure that the “Gold Standards” of The Ritz-Carlton are delivered graciously and thoughtfully every day. The Gold Standards are the foundation of The Ritz-Carlton and are what guides us each day to be better than the next. It is this foundation and our belief that our culture drives success by which The Ritz Carlton has earned the reputation as a global brand leader in luxury hospitality. As part of our team, you will learn and exemplify the Gold Standards, such as our Employee Promise, Credo and our Service Values. And our promise to you is that we offer the chance to be proud of the work you do and who you work with.

In joining The Ritz-Carlton, you join a portfolio of brands with Marriott International. Be where you can do your best work, begin your purpose, belong to an amazing global team, and become the best version of you.