Regional Food&Beverage Director - North Africa & Levant

Job description

A fantastic new opportunity, in our renowned Food & Beverage Strategy Team, with a crucial role in our unparalleled growth in the North Africa & Levant region.

Reporting to the Senior Director of F&B Development, Openings & Operations MEA, you are responsible for supporting and driving the commercial F&B performance of the North Africa & Levant region of managed hotels, delivering high quality profitable and innovative food and beverage concepts and solutions for both existing and pipeline managed hotels across all brands. A key element will be supporting the hotels to deliver high quality guest experiences. You will also be responsible for delivering the EMEA F&B strategy within region across all brands.

You will work with Hilton stakeholders and owner’s representatives on supporting hotel F&B openings within budget, agreed timescales and ensure both new and existing properties deliver against commercial performance, guest satisfaction metrics, brand, and legislative targets. You will need to represent North Africa & Levant with external stakeholders such as owners, asset managers, contractors, and investors. You will be required to support on key EMEA projects for example the Destination Venues programme, Breakfast Club and $10M Club to drive performance. A key directive will be landing Hilton agreed KPIs and the annual SVP Operations priorities within the existing managed hotels.

 

What will I be doing?

 

F&B Operations:

 

•             Support to deliver the EMEA F&B Strategy, annual plan, and key business objectives within the region.

•             Support hotels in driving experiential and profitable individual venues and large-scale Group Meetings & Events business.

•             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 forecast and annual budget processes.

•             Ensure that all properties work within Hilton brand standards, EMEA F&B Strategy, HACCP, food safety, health & safety, compliance, and local legislative requirements.

•             Support and foster a culture of performance management working with GMs and hotel property leadership to ensure that the hotel teams are attracting, employing, and retaining the highest calibre F&B teams, and that development programmes and succession planning is in place.

•             Support corporate involvement in the recruitment and promotion of senior F&B personnel within the hotel properties.

•             Support the hotel teams through coaching, site visits, one to ones and performance management to achieve best-in-class performance and deliver against budgets, KPIs, objectives and Hilton policies.

•             Support and lead on F&B initiatives such as ESG, technology innovation, F&B products and implement new Hilton or legislative requirements as they arise within their region.

•             Collaborate 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 within their region.

•             Work with Corporate & Regional HSM to ensure that all bars & restaurants are commercial and responding to consumer trends and that prototypes are relevant, commercial, and innovative.

•             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 Hotel and Commercial teams on Group C&E opportunities within the region using the best practice guide Rise To The Occasion to drive performance

•             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 on F&B Competitions, regional team activities such as Flavour & Flair, Roadshows, and Conferences

 

Key Business Partnerships:

•             VP F&B EMEA

•             EMEA F&B Team

•             MEA ExCom

•             F&B Global Brand Team

•             EMEA Brand and Central Operations Team

•             Area President MEA

•             SVP Brand and Central Operations Team

•             VP Operations

•             Hotel Property Teams

•             Hilton Corporate Teams specifically Development, AD&C, HR, O&T, Marketing, Revenue, Finance, HSM

•             Third Party Contractors

•             Owners and owner’s representatives

•             Commercial Finance Director - F&B

•             3rd Party F&B Partners

 

What are we looking for?

About you:

•             Ability to demonstrate extensive 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, communicator with excellent relationship building skills.

•             Strong 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.

•             Experience of managing multi-site F&B preferably at regional level.

•             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 skills and P&L proficient

•             Fluency in English is required, conversational Arabic beneficial and French would be desirable.

•             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.

•             Experience of international F&B markets and ideally MEA

What will it be like to work for Hilton?

Hilton is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-stay suites and mid-priced hotels. For nearly a century, Hilton has offered business and leisure travelers the finest in accommodations, service, amenities and value. Hilton is dedicated to continuing its tradition of providing exceptional guest experiences across its global brands .  Our vision “to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality” unites us as a team to create remarkable hospitality experiences around the world every day.  And, our amazing Team Members are at the heart of it all!