State Food & Beverage Manager (fixed term)

The Commons Group; City of Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discount on Commons locations

Free counselling sessions

Birthday leave

Work across locations

Weekly events program

Additional paid parental leave

Education support

Job summary

The Commons Coffee & Bar, part of The Commons Group, seeks a State Food & Beverage Manager to lead café and licensed venues across Victoria on a fixed-term, 12-month parental leave contract. You will oversee day-to-day operations, drive profitability, and coach site leaders to deliver outstanding guest experiences.

You will collaborate with the National Food & Beverage Manager and other teams to execute seasonal menus, events and catering, ensuring compliance and cost control.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading multi-site hospitality operations across cafés, licensed venues and catering.
• Experience developing frontline hospitality leaders and coaching teams.
• Strong commercial acumen with understanding of venue P&L, labour, COGS and profitability.
• Passion for hospitality and creating exceptional guest experiences.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management across a diverse business.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operation of cafés, licensed venues and catering across the state.
• Coach and develop Café and Venue Supervisors, building capability as leaders.
• Set clear operational standards and ensure consistent delivery across venues.
• Drive sales, profitability and productivity with focus on labour, wages, COGS and performance.
• Analyse venue performance and identify opportunities to improve operations and revenue.
• Collaborate with other teams to increase venue utilisation and catering opportunities.
• Ensure exceptional member and guest experiences and respond to feedback to improve.

Skills

Hospitality leadership

Multi-site ops

Team development

Commercial acumen

Staffing planning

Communication

Job description

State Food & Beverage Manager (fixed term)

About The Commons Coffee & Bar

The Commons is an ecosystem of entrepreneurs, businesses, and curious minds working, connecting, and growing under a common roof. Driven by the sincere desire to see people flourish, we support curiosity and believe in the collective power of people to instigate change. Our focus is on building and strengthening community, and we challenge the status quo in an effort to innovate.

Our in-house café and wine bar offer a seamless all-day experience, from specialty coffee and a high-quality, modern Australian food menu to curated wines and cocktails in the evening. We focus on local and sustainable produce, pairing it with warm, attentive service and a strong sense of community.

The space serves as a vibrant meeting point for members, whether it’s for a morning coffee, a relaxed lunch, or after-work drinks. Our concise food menu balances fun and nostalgia, complemented by a seasonal all-Australian wine list, classic cocktails made with local spirits, and a reserve 'vault' selection of international favourites.

About the role

We’re looking for a State Food & Beverage Manager to lead our food and beverage operations across Victoria on fixed-term parental leave basis (12 month contract).

Reporting to the National Food & Beverage Manager, you’ll lead a team of Café and Venue Supervisors and oversee the day-to-day performance of our cafés, licensed venues and catering operations.

This is a hands-on leadership role with a strong focus on operational excellence, commercial performance and creating great experiences for our members and guests. You’ll work closely with our National Food & Beverage Manager, Group Executive Chef, Events, Health Club, Community and Workspace teams to bring our food and beverage strategy to life across our venues.

You’ll be visible across the operation, supporting your leaders, solving problems, identifying opportunities and making sure our teams have what they need to deliver consistently high standards.

What you'll do

• Lead the day-to-day operation and performance of our cafés, licensed venues and catering services across the state.
• Lead, coach and develop our Café and Venue Supervisors, building their capability and confidence as hospitality leaders.
• Set clear operational standards and ensure they’re consistently delivered across all venues.
• Drive sales, profitability and productivity, with a strong focus on labour, wages, COGS and overall venue performance.
• Analyse venue performance and identify opportunities to improve operations, revenue and profitability.
• Work closely with Community, Health Club and Workspace teams to identify opportunities to increase venue utilisation, catering and food and beverage sales.
• Champion an exceptional member and guest experience, ensuring our venues deliver genuine, memorable hospitality.
• Respond to member and guest feedback and use insights to continuously improve the experience.
• Work closely with the Group Executive Chef to execute seasonal menus, promotions and operational changes, ensuring quality, consistency and presentation standards are maintained.
• Partner with Events, Community, Health Club and Workspace teams to deliver food and beverage for meetings, workplace catering, functions, activations and external events.
• Ensure teams are appropriately staffed, stocked and operationally ready for events and activations.
• Support new venue openings, activations and other business initiatives requiring food and beverage leadership.
• Oversee stock management, ordering, stocktakes, waste and supplier relationships to maintain effective cost control.
• Ensure all venues operate in line with food safety, liquor licensing, RSA, workplace health and safety and company requirements.
• Identify and implement continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen operational consistency and commercial performance.

You'll bring

• Proven experience leading multi-site hospitality operations, ideally across cafés, licensed venues and catering.
• Experience leading and developing frontline hospitality leaders, with a genuine interest in coaching and building capability.
• Strong commercial acumen and an understanding of venue P&L performance, labour, COGS, productivity and profitability.
• A genuine passion for hospitality and creating exceptional experiences for members and guests.
• Strong operational planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple venues and competing priorities.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build strong relationships across a diverse business.
• A practical, solutions-focused approach and the confidence to make decisions in a fast-paced environment.
• A visible and hands‑on leadership style — you’re comfortable getting into the venues, supporting your teams and leading from the front.
• A collaborative approach and the ability to balance commercial outcomes with people, service and operational excellence.
• A strong alignment with The Commons values and a desire to create positive experiences for both our members and our teams.

Why You’ll Love Working with Us

At The Commons, you’ll be part of a team that values creativity, collaboration, and growth all within a culture built on community.

We offer:

• Discount on all Commons Cafe and Bar locations
• Free counselling sessions
• Birthday leave
• Ability to work across different locations
• Weekly events program e.g. breakfast club, yoga & drinks
• Additional paid parental leave
• Further education program to support pers onal and professional development

Our Values

At The Commons, our values guide how we work, collaborate and show up for one another every day. We're looking for people who genuinely embody these values in the way they think, act and contribute.

• Putting Our Members First
• Fostering Community
• Working Together as a Team
• Constantly Learning & Growing