Assistant Bar Manager (Head Mixologist) at Kimpton Sevn Dubai (Pre-Opening)

IHG Hotels & Resorts; Dubai; On-site; AED 201,000 - 312,000; Full time

Job summary

Kimpton Sevn Dubai seeks an Assistant Bar Manager to join a luxury pre-opening team, helping to shape a new bar concept with energy, creativity, and a genuine passion for memorable hospitality.

You will lead the floor, uphold exceptional beverage standards, and foster a confident, knowledgeable bar team that delivers personalised guest experiences.

Qualifications

• Luxury or lifestyle hotel experience is highly desirable.
• Pre-opening experience is an advantage.
• Strong beverage knowledge and supervision skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead the floor and support smooth, energetic service during shifts.
• Maintain high beverage and service standards while coaching the team.
• Build genuine connections with guests and drive guest satisfaction.
• Lead recruitment, training, SOPs, and service standards for pre-opening.

Skills

Leadership

Guest service

People development

Communication

Team leadership

Creativity

Education

Diploma or degree in Hospitality/Hotel Management

Job description

A Role That Brings Personality, Craft & Great Hospitality Together – The Bar Identity

At Kimpton Sevn Dubai, the bar is more than a place to enjoy a drink.

It's where conversations begin, evenings unfold, and guests come to relax, connect, celebrate, and discover something unexpected.

From the first welcome to the final pour, every detail matters—the atmosphere, the music, the service, the storytelling, and of course, what's in the glass.

We are looking for an Assistant Bar Manager who brings energy, creativity, leadership, and a genuine passion for creating memorable bar experiences.

You won't simply help run a bar.

You’ll help create one people want to come back to.

One Drink. One Conversation. One Great Experience.

At Kimpton, great bar service isn't about being overly formal.

It's about being knowledgeable, intuitive, relaxed, and personal.

As Assistant Bar Manager, you will help create an experience that is:

• Warm, confident, and genuinely welcoming
• Creative without losing consistency
• Knowledgeable without feeling pretentious
• Energetic, social, and full of personality
• Focused on quality, service, and memorable experiences

Because the best bars aren't remembered only for what's in the glass.

They're remembered for how they made you feel.

Why This Role Matters

The bar is an important part of the Kimpton guest experience.

You will support the Bar Manager by:

• Leading the team and daily operation during your shifts
• Maintaining exceptional service and beverage standards
• Creating genuine connections with guests
• Building beverage knowledge and confidence across the team
• Driving consistency, creativity, and attention to detail
• Helping create an atmosphere that feels unmistakably Kimpton

Your goal is simple:

Make every guest feel welcome, looked after, and part of the experience.

The Gig

Reporting to the Food & Beverage Manager, the Assistant Bar Manager will support the leadership and operation of the bar at Kimpton Sevn Dubai.

• The Opportunity: Help build a new bar concept as part of a luxury lifestyle hotel pre-opening team
• The Focus: People, beverage excellence, atmosphere, and exceptional service
• The Impact: Help establish a bar that becomes a destination for both hotel guests and the local community

You won't be opening just another bar. You'll be helping create its personality from day one.

Stay Human

At Kimpton, hospitality should feel natural.

We want our guests to feel like they've walked into somewhere they belong.

In this role, you will:

• Lead with energy, warmth, and authenticity
• Encourage the team to bring personality into their service
• Create an environment where colleagues feel trusted and empowered
• Build genuine relationships with guests
• Encourage curiosity, creativity, and continuous learning
• Know when to follow the recipe—and when to create something memorable

Great bartending is about drinks. Great hospitality is about people.

Your Day-to-Day

No two days will look the same.

One moment you may be helping a guest discover their new favourite cocktail. The next, you're coaching a colleague through a busy service, creating a memorable celebration, or introducing the team to a new spirit, ingredient, or local experience.

Bar Operations

• Leading the floor and supporting smooth, energetic service
• Keeping the bar organised, polished, and ready for whatever the evening brings
• Monitoring service flow, guest satisfaction, and operational standards
• Working closely with F&B and hotel teams to make every service feel seamless

Guest Experience

• Building genuine connections and remembering the little details
• Recommending drinks based on each guest's mood, taste, and occasion
• Creating memorable moments, from spontaneous celebrations to late-night conversations
• Handling guest feedback with warmth, confidence, and creativity

Team Leadership

• Coaching, motivating, and developing the bar team
• Leading pre-shift briefings and keeping the team informed and inspired
• Sharing beverage knowledge, techniques, and service ideas
• Creating a culture where colleagues feel trusted to bring their personality to the experience

Beverage & Creativity

• Supporting cocktail development, tastings, and seasonal beverage initiatives
• Staying curious about new spirits, ingredients, techniques, and trends
• Ensuring every drink is delivered with consistency, creativity, and attention to detail
• Helping the team tell the story behind what they're pouring

Commercial & Operational Excellence

• Supporting beverage sales and thoughtful upselling
• Monitoring stock, wastage, portion control, and beverage costs
• Maintaining hygiene, safety, and responsible service standards
• Supporting the Bar Manager in achieving operational and financial goals

Pre-Opening

• Helping build the bar operation from the ground up
• Supporting recruitment, training, SOPs, recipes, and service standards
• Participating in tastings, mock services, and opening preparations
• Helping create the personality, energy, and service culture of the bar from day one

What Success Looks Like

• Guests feel welcomed, relaxed, and connected
• Consistently high beverage and service standards
• A confident, knowledgeable, and engaged bar team
• Strong guest satisfaction and positive feedback
• Healthy beverage sales and cost performance
• Minimal wastage and strong stock control
• A vibrant atmosphere that reflects the Kimpton personality
• Successful pre-opening preparation and a smooth launch

Who This Role Is Perfect For

• Passionate hospitality professional with luxury, lifestyle, or upscale bar experience
• Experienced bartender or bar supervisor ready for the next step
• Natural leader who enjoys developing people
• Strong beverage knowledge and genuine curiosity about the craft
• Confident, social, and comfortable engaging with guests
• Creative and commercially aware
• Calm and organised during busy service periods
• Passionate about creating experiences, not just serving drinks
• Excited by the opportunity to build something new

What We Need From You

Education

• Diploma or degree in Hospitality, Hotel Management, or a related field preferred
• Relevant beverage or bartending qualifications are an advantage

Experience

• 3–4 years of Food & Beverage or bar experience within upscale or luxury hospitality
• Previous supervisory or team-lead experience preferred
• Strong cocktail, spirits, wine, and beverage knowledge
• Luxury or lifestyle hotel experience highly desirable
• Pre-opening experience is an advantage
• GCC/Dubai experience beneficial

Personal Attributes

• Warm, confident, and naturally engaging
• Passionate about drinks, people, and hospitality
• Creative without losing attention to detail
• Strong communication and leadership skills
• Calm, organised, and solutions-focused under pressure
• Curious and always looking to learn
• Commercially aware with strong operational discipline
• Passionate about coaching and developing others
• Authentic, energetic, and unmistakably human

The Kimpton Bar Difference

We believe a great bar isn't just about what's being poured.

It's the music.

The energy.

The conversation.

The bartender who remembers your favourite drink.

The unexpected recommendation.

The place where you planned to stay for one—and somehow stayed for three.

That's the bar experience at Kimpton Sevn Dubai.

And we want you to help create it.

The Kimpton Difference

We believe luxury isn't about creating distance.

It's about creating connection.

The recommendation that feels like a secret.

The table that somehow became available.

The unexpected experience that becomes the highlight of the trip.

The feeling that someone genuinely cared.

That's Concierge at Kimpton Sevn Dubai.

What You Can Expect from Us

At Kimpton Sevn Dubai, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts, we believe our success begins with our people.

We invest in you through competitive compensation, global travel privileges, and meaningful career growth opportunities within one of the world’s most respected hospitality groups.

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing fair and inclusive employment opportunities to all colleagues and applicants, regardless of race, colour, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital or family status, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

Through our myWellbeing framework, we actively support the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of our teams—because when our people are supported and thriving, they create exceptional experiences for our guests and each other

Kimpton Sevn Dubai: A Culture of Connection, Craft & Care

At Kimpton Sevn Dubai, you are not simply joining a team—you are becoming part of a culture that is personal, thoughtful, and distinctly human.

We are a close-knit, collaborative community where trust is earned, individuality is valued, and excellence is shaped through genuine care for people and experience.

We believe diverse perspectives strengthen our culture and inspire creativity. We seek individuals who are naturally intuitive, detail-oriented, and passionate about creating memorable moments that feel both effortless and meaningful.

At Kimpton, hospitality is bold yet refined, expressive yet intentional. More than a place to stay, we create spaces where guests feel connected, inspired, and truly welcomed—and where our teams feel empowered to bring their personality, creativity, and craftsmanship to everything they do.

Ready to Shape Something Distinctive?

If you do not meet every requirement but believe you bring the right energy, creativity, and passion for people, we would still love to hear from you.

Join Kimpton Sevn Dubai and be part of shaping a luxury lifestyle experience where individuality is celebrated, ideas are valued, and every detail contributes to something memorable.