Job Description
Regional Director Food & Beverage Arabian Peninsula (MEA011W8)
Work Locations
Hilton - Regional Office - Dubai Building 1 Level 4, Innovation Hub P.O. Box 500200 Dubai 500200
Reporting to the Senior Director of F&B Development, Openings & Operations MEA, the role is responsible for supporting and driving the commercial F&B performance of the Arabian Peninsula 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 of the role will be supporting the hotels to deliver high quality guest experiences, driving the STAY score targets and delivering the Hilton Customer Promise. You will also be responsible for delivering the EMEA F&B strategy within region across all brands supporting the VP Food & Beverage Development and Strategy.
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. The candidate will need to represent North Africa & Levant with external stakeholders such as owners, asset managers, contractors, and investors. The candidate will be required to support on key EMEA projects for example the Destination Venues programme. Breakfast Club and 10M USD Club to drive performance. A key part of the role 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.
 
- Drive the commercial performance of the regional F&B
 
- 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
 
- Ensure that all properties work within Hilton brand standards, EMEA F&B Strategy, food safety, health & safety, compliance, and local legislative requirements.
 
- 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.
 
- Support corporate involvement in the recruitment and promotion of senior F&B personnel within the hotel properties.
 
- Support and foster a culture of performance management working with GMs and hotel property teams to maximize F&B performance through talent attraction and retention.
 
- Support the hotel teams 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 within their region.
 
- 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 within their region.
 
- Work with Corporate & Regional HSM to ensure that all bars & restaurants are commercial and responding to consumer trends. Bar 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 hotels on Group C&E opportunities within the region using best practice guide Rise to the Occasion.
 
- 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
- F&B Global Brand Team
 
- EMEA Brand and Central Operations Team
 
- SVP Brand and Central Operations Team
 
- VP Operations
 
- Hotel Property Teams
 
- Hilton Corporate Teams specifically Development, AD&C, GM&E, Marketing, Revenue, Finance, HSM
 
- Third Party Contractors
 
- Owners and owner’s representatives
 
- Commercial Finance Director - F&B
 
What Are We 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, 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 Skills & 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 and P&L proficient
 
- Fluent in English. Arabic 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