Restaurant Manager - Rydges Wellington

Rydges Hotels & Resorts; Wellington; On-site; NZD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

50% dining & stays

Movie tickets & discounts

Seasonal perks at Thredbo

Career growth

Paid parental leave

Community & volunteering

Job summary

Rydges Wellington, home to Portlander, is seeking an exceptional Restaurant Manager and people leader to steer operations through a brand refresh. You will shape the restaurant's next chapter while upholding high standards of food, service and ambiance Portlander is known for.

Reporting to the Director of Food and Beverage, you will recruit and develop a team, manage budgets, plan events and drive guest satisfaction across a busy, high-quality venue.

Qualifications

• Experience as Restaurant Manager in a high-quality venue.
• Favourable Licence Controller Qualification or General Manager's Certificate.
• Strong knowledge of F&B service standards and costs.
• Proven leadership and change management capabilities.
• Commercial acumen with ability to identify opportunities.
• Resilience to work under pressure.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day restaurant operations, including staff scheduling.
• Lead Portlander brand refresh, upholding and enhancing its reputation for excellence in food, service and ambiance.
• Recruit, train and motivate servers, bartenders and support staff.
• Ensure exceptional guest experience and handle feedback promptly and professionally.
• Develop and manage budgets, monitoring financial performance and identifying opportunities for cost savings and revenue growth.
• Plan and execute events, promotions and marketing initiatives with the marketing team.
• Oversee inventory levels and procurement, managing vendor relationships and negotiating terms.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations and company policies.
• Generate regular reports on key performance indicators and use data/feedback to inform decisions.

Skills

Restaurant management

Leadership

Cost control

Customer service

Education

Licence Controller Qualification

General Manager's Certificate

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

Rydges Hotels & Resorts – Wellington Central, North Island

Restaurant Manager — Portlander, Rydges Wellington Reporting to the Director of Food and Beverage

About EVT

Proudly owned and operated in Australia and New Zealand, Rydges offers refreshingly local stays in city, regional and resort-style hotels. We're not just in the neighbourhood, we're part of it. Every hotel is designed for ease, connection and quality. From check-in to check-out, our local heroes bring a can-do attitude and \"too easy\" service. Whether it's for work or a well-earned break, our place feels like home with the charm of somewhere new. Join us to help make every moment memorable.

EVT has an endless range of roles and career paths to explore across over 140 entertainment experiences like Event Cinemas and Moonlight Cinemas, 150 award winning restaurants and bars, and 80+ hotels, including QT, Rydges, Atura, LyLo, Independent Collection and Australia's most loved year round alpine resort, Thredbo. Our ventures include a ~$2.3B property portfolio and hotel management, just to name a few. Once you're in, there's no limits on where your career could take you.

About the Role

Rydges Wellington is a 4.5-star, eco-certified hotel in the heart of Pipitea, close to Te Papa and the CBD. Within it sits Portlander, one of Wellington's best-known grill restaurants and bars — a locally-driven steakhouse concept known for its seasonal produce, an extensive wine and whisky list, and an atmosphere that draws as many locals through the door as hotel guests.

Reporting to the Director of Food and Beverage, we're looking for an exceptional Restaurant Manager and people leader to take the reins at Portlander through an exciting brand refresh. You'll bring your own knowledge and expertise to the role, shaping the next chapter of the restaurant while maintaining the high standards of food, service and ambiance Portlander is known for.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day restaurant operations, including staff scheduling, inventory management and quality control.


• Lead Portlander's team through the brand refresh, upholding and enhancing its reputation for excellence in food, service and ambiance.


• Recruit, train and motivate a team of servers, bartenders and support staff, fostering a positive, collaborative work environment.


• Ensure an exceptional guest experience, addressing feedback and concerns promptly and professionally.


• Develop and manage budgets, monitoring financial performance and identifying opportunities for cost savings and revenue growth.


• Plan and execute special events, promotions and marketing initiatives, working with the marketing team to drive business growth.


• Oversee inventory levels and procurement, managing vendor relationships and negotiating favourable terms.


• Ensure compliance with health and safety regulations and company policies and procedures.


• Generate regular reports on key performance indicators, using data and feedback to inform decisions.

What You'll Bring

• Proven experience as a Restaurant Manager or in a similar supervisory role within a busy, high-quality venue.


• A License Controller Qualification or General Manager's Certificate would be favourable.


• A strong understanding of food and beverage service standards, and restaurant financials and cost control.


• Demonstrated ability to lead, motivate and develop a team through change.


• Sound commercial thinking, with the ability to identify and secure new business opportunities.


• The resilience to work productively under pressure and maintain a positive outlook.

How You Work

• Obsess over customers — prioritise the guest experience end-to-end and act on feedback fast.


• Ignite outcomes — mobilise the team, remove barriers and lead with energy.


• Owner's mindset — acts on data/feedback; ships improvements.

Perks from Day One

As part of EVT, you unlock Elevate Perks from your first day. Parity for all levels — no ivory towers.

• 50% off dining and stays across EVT hotels – QT, Rydges, Atura, LyLo and more.


• $2 movie tickets + discounts on Gold Class, Moonlight Cinema and Candy Bar.


• Seasonal perks at Thredbo.


• Rapid career growth across our hotel & entertainment network.


• Paid parental leave; community & volunteering opportunities.

Join Portlander at Rydges Wellington and become an EVT experience creator, opportunity taker, the ultimate Daymaker.

Join and make a positive impact on our people, communities, and environment every day.

We welcome applicants from all backgrounds.