Director of Food

**Job Number** 24069136

**Job Category** Food and Beverage & Culinary

**Location** Nekajui a Ritz-Carlton Reserve Peninsula Papagayo, End of the 253 National Route, Peninsula Papagayo, Liberia, Guanacaste, Costa Rica VIEW ON MAP

**Schedule** Full-Time

**Located Remotely?** N

**Relocation?** N

**Position Type** Management

**JOB SUMMARY**

Functions as the strategic business leader of the property’s food and beverage/culinary operation, including Restaurants/Bars, Room Service and Banquets/Catering, where applicable. Position oversees the development and implementation of departmental strategies and ensures 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.

**CANDIDATE PROFILE**

**Education and Experience**
- High school diploma or GED; 6 years experience in the food and beverage, culinary, event management, or related professional area.

OR
- 2-year degree from an accredited university in Food Service Management, Hotel and Restaurant Management, Hospitality, Business Administration, or related major; 4 years experience in the food and beverage, culinary, event management, or related professional area.

**Skills and Knowledge**
- **Customer and Personal Service** - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- **Management of Financial Resources** - Determining how money will be spent to get the work done, and accounting for these expenditures.
- **Administration and Management -** Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
- **Applied Business Knowledge** - Understanding market dynamics, enterprise level objectives and important aspects of the company’s business to accurately diagnose strengths and weaknesses, anticipate opportunities and risks, identify issues, and develop strategies and plans. Aligning individual and team actions with strategies and plans to drive business results.
- **Management of Material Resources** - Obtaining and seeing to the appropriate use of equipment, facilities, and materials needed to do certain work.

**CORE WORK ACTIVITIES**

**Developing and Maintaining Food and Beverage/Culinary Goals**
- Sets expectations and holds food and beverage leadership team accountable for demonstrating desired service behaviors.
- Reviews financial reports and statements to determine how Food and Beverage is performing against budget.
- 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 operation and performance.
- Strives to improve service performance.

**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.

**Leading Food and Beverage/Culinary Team**
- Utilizes interpersonal and communication skills to lead, influence, and encourage others; advocates sound financial/business decision making; demonstrates honesty/integrity; leads by example.
- Encourages and builds mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
- Achieves and exceeds goals including performance goals, budget goals, team goals, etc.
- Serves as a role model to demonstrate appropriate behaviors.
- 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 team. Ensures direct r