Head of F&B Premium

Compass Group UK & Ireland; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading catering company is seeking a Head of F&B Premium in Birmingham to optimize food and beverage revenue and enhance guest experiences at major venues. The candidate will develop strategies and lead a specialized team to ensure exceptional service, operational efficiency, and financial performance. Strong leadership and commercial strategy skills are required. This role offers an exciting opportunity to shape a premium dining experience in a dynamic event environment.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Opportunities for career growth

Progressive working environment

Qualifications

• Proven experience developing and executing commercial strategies that drive measurable revenue growth.
• Demonstrated success in enhancing guest experience in a fast-paced restaurant or event environment.
• Strong ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt quickly to operational changes.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement long- and short-term commercial strategies for F&B.
• Maximize commercial performance in alignment with the Premium business plan.
• Lead the creation of a dedicated Premium operations team.

Skills

Commercial strategy development

Guest experience enhancement

Operational management

Financial management

Excellent leadership skills

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Job description

This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK's leading over-50s age inclusive jobs board.

Job Introduction

Overview:

Levy is the vibrant and exciting sector of Compass Group, the world's largest catering company. We work at some of the greatest venues in the world, delivering legendary experiences in food, drink, and hospitality.

We are proud to have a wealth of long-standing partnerships with venues across sport, entertainment, and events. Our partnerships include venues such as Wimbledon, Twickenham, Edgbaston, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa Football Club, Principality Stadium, Scottish Event Campus (SEC) and ExCel London.

We are strategic venue partners, putting our clients and guests at the centre of what we do and are passionate about. At the core of our culinary beliefs is that sustainably sourced great food and drink, coupled with exceptional service is key to creating legendary experiences.

Whilst food and drink is our heartbeat, our partnership services go much further, we have expertise in data insights, technology solutions, interior design, project delivery, merchandise, conference and events, hospitality and luxury travel sales and sponsorship execution.

With our range of expertise, we have the scope and ability to be the ideal partner for any large-scale venue, whether that be in the sports, entertainment or events sector.

Focused on 'doing the right thing' for our people and the planet. sustainability, wellbeing, diversity, and inclusion are at the heart of what we do.

We have a commitment to significant decarbonization by 2027, are official partners of the British Paralympic Association, and are proud to pay all our team members at least the Real Living Wage or London Living Wage.

Role Purpose:

Levy have entered into a new long-term partnership to elevate the food and beverage proposition across the NEC. This collaboration will bring enhanced quality, choice, and innovation to the guest experience at the NEC, ICC, Vox, Utilita Arena Birmingham, BP Pulse LIVE, and several regional partner venues.

As part of our exciting new partnership with NEC, we are seeking a dynamic Head of F&B Premium to lead and maximise food and beverage revenue within the Premium lounges at both the Utilita & BP Pulse Arenas. This role will be responsible for developing and executing the F&B strategy, driving sales growth, optimising operational efficiency, and inspiring the team to consistently deliver an exceptional guest experience.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategy and Planning

• Develop and implement long- and short-term commercial strategies for F&B within the Premium Arena, focusing on delivering exceptional customer experiences on event days.
• Identify and promote opportunities to increase revenue on non-event days and through billed sales.

Revenue and Contribution Growth

• Maximize commercial performance in alignment with the overall Premium business plan across the Arenas, including F&B.
• Drive growth in non-event day business and billed sales to boost overall revenue.

Operations

• Lead the creation and management of a dedicated Premium operations team to deliver an outstanding customer experience.
• Oversee the day-to-day F&B operations within the Premium Arena, ensuring innovation, consistency, and alignment with customer expectations while meeting contribution targets.
• Manage team performance against agreed KPIs for every event, ensuring a consistently excellent guest experience.
• Ensure all operations comply with health & safety regulations, licensing policies, and legal requirements.
• Coach and develop managers and team members to meet KPIs and uphold high operational standards.

Financial Management

• Manage the Premium Arena F&B budget to deliver sustained contribution growth.
• Control operational costs effectively to ensure financial sustainability and profitability.
• Monitor performance, identify cost-saving opportunities, and implement strong financial controls.

Compliance and Safety

• Ensure all Premium F&B activities comply with food safety standards, allergen regulations, and relevant compliance requirements.

Person Specification:

• Proven experience developing and executing commercial strategies that drive measurable revenue growth.
• Demonstrated success in enhancing guest experience and elevating the overall guest experience in a fast-paced restaurant or event environment.
• Strong ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt quickly to operational changes typical in large-scale arena venues.
• Experience planning and delivering 'green field' (new or bespoke) events within arena settings.
• Exceptional attention to detail, ensuring operational excellence and consistent service delivery.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables and data analysis to monitor performance and inform decision-making.

Leadership

• Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire, develop, and motivate teams to achieve high performance and deliver outstanding customer experiences.
• Experienced in coaching and mentoring managers and frontline staff in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Ability to foster a positive, inclusive, and collaborative culture aligned with NEC and Levy UK values.

Sustainability

• Commitment to driving sustainable practices within F&B operations, including waste reduction, responsible sourcing, and energy efficiency.
• Experience embedding sustainability initiatives into day-to-day operations and team culture.

This role profile is a guide to the work you will initially be required to undertake, it may be changed from time to time to incorporate changing circumstances and business priorities. It does not form part of your contract of employment.