Corporate Director, F&B Development

Proper Hospitality; Santa Monica, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 175,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Wellness program

401(k) with match

Employee Assistance Program

Hotel stay benefits

Dining discounts

Parking benefit

Job summary

Proper Hospitality is seeking a Corporate Director, F&B Development to lead the concepting, design development, technical planning, and commercial structuring of food and beverage experiences across our growing portfolio of hotels, resorts, residences, and clubs. Reporting to the COO, this role translates ambitious F&B concepts into financially sound, operable businesses.

The position oversees concepting, design coordination with consultants, equipment specifications, budgets, plan reviews, and

Qualifications

• Eight or more years across F&B concept development and hotel or restaurant operations.
• Experience opening multiple F&B outlets from concept through opening.
• Experience managing kitchen and OS&E consultants directly.
• Reads and redlines architectural, kitchen, and MEP drawings competently.
• Working knowledge of commercial kitchen and bar equipment and codes.
• Has run an F&B equipment and OS&E budget through specification and buyout.
• Negotiated or structured operator or licensing agreements; defend pro forma line by line.
• Comfortable arguing against popular deals when needed.

Responsibilities

• Concept and reconcept F&B across the portfolio from design through plan approval.
• Coordinate with design, consultants, and partners to finalize layouts and equipment.
• Drive F&B equipment specification, budget, and OS&E selections.
• Lead F&B plan reviews and pre-opening design workstreams.
• Shape partner operator and licensing structures and pro formas.
• Own the F&B design intent through plan approval and handoff to openings.

Skills

F&B concept development

Hotel/restaurant operations

Budgeting for F&B equipment/OS&E

Managing consultants (kitchen/OS&E)

Reading architectural/kitchen drawings

Negotiation of operator agreements

Job description

• Pay or shift range: $175,000 USD to $225,000 USD
  The estimated range is the budgeted amount for this position. Final offers are based on various factors, including skill set, experience, location, qualifications and other job-related reasons.
• Travel Required : Yes

Description

Proper Hospitality is seeking a Corporate Director, F&B Development to lead the concepting, design development, technical planning, and commercial structuring of food and beverage experiences across our growing portfolio of hotels, resorts, residences, and clubs. Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this role will translate ambitious F&B concepts into thoughtfully designed, financially sound, and operationally executable businesses.

Position Overview
The Corporate Director, F&B Development will concept and reconcept F&B across the portfolio, carry those concepts through design and technical development to approved plans and specified equipment, and shape partner deals so that what gets signed can actually be operated. The seat carries no operating P&L on purpose, which is what allows it to underwrite partner economics independently of the team that will run the outlet.

Responsibilities

Concepting and Reconcepting

• Develop F&B concepts for new properties and new outlets
• Reconcept underperforming existing outlets, including positioning, format, service model, and daypart strategy
• Build the concept narrative and positioning that carries through design, brand, and PR

Design and Consultant Coordination

• Work closely with the VP of Design on layout, kitchen and bar design, back of house adjacency, and buildout
• Serve as the F&B point of contact for the kitchen consultant, OS&E consultant, and specialty consultants including acoustics, lighting, AV, and MEP where F&B is affected
• Translate concept and service model into the operating requirements consultants design against: production volume, menu format, service sequence, storage and receiving, waste flow, and staffing positions
• Review and comment on kitchen and bar drawings at each milestone, and hold consultants to the operating program
• Own the F&B design intent through plan approval

Equipment and OS&E

• Drive F&B equipment specification with the kitchen consultant, including make, model, capacity, utility requirements, and lifecycle cost
• Review and approve F&B OS&E specifications and quantities against the concept and cover assumptions
• Validate specification against the F&B equipment and OS&E budget, and flag variance early rather than at buyout
• Coordinate with the purchasing agent and procurement on F&B packages, including long lead items and delivery sequencing against the construction schedule
• Verify installed equipment against specification at turnover, and log punch items

Plan Review and Pre Opening

• Lead F&B plan review at each design milestone
• Build the operating assumptions behind each concept: labor model, cover assumptions, average check, cost of goods targets
• Deliver F&B pre opening design and technical workstreams through plan approval and equipment turnover, then hand to Openings and Transitions

Partner Deal Shaping

• Shape partner operator and licensing structures, including fee structure, term, exclusivity, non compete, and IP treatment
• Build and stress test pro formas, including a Proper operated counterfactual on every partner deal
• Present recommendations with the operating case and the risk case stated separately

Decision Rights

• Decides:Concept direction, narrative and positioning, F&B design intent through plan approval, the operating program consultants design against, F&B equipment specification recommendations, pro forma methodology and assumptions.
• Requires Approval:No concept or partner term sheet advances to LOI without written sign off from the Senior Corporate Director, F&B on labor model, pro forma assumptions, and opening staffing plan. Equipment and OS&E specification requires sign off from the Corporate Director, Culinary on kitchen equipment and the Corporate Director, Beverage on bar equipment, since they own the SOPs those specs have to support.
• Budget:Specifies within the approved F&B equipment and OS&E budget. Overage requires COO approval.
• Handoff:At plan approval and equipment turnover, execution and opening staffing transfer to Corporate Director, Openings and Transitions. Development stays available as a consulting resource, not as an owner.
• Escalation:Unresolved disagreements with the VP of Design or a consultant escalates to the COO.

Year One Measures

• Concepts delivered on schedule for the active pipeline, including Lake Tahoe, Shelborne, Montauk Yacht Club, Avalon, and Cal Neva
• F&B plans approved on the construction schedule with no F&B driven delay to permit or buyout
• Equipment and OS&E specified within budget, with variance flagged before buyout rather than at it
• No F&B equipment change orders traceable to an operating requirement that was known at design
• Every partner deal presented with a Proper operated counterfactual, not only the partner case
• Pro forma assumptions on approved concepts tracking within a defined tolerance against actuals at ninety days post opening
• Clean handoff to Openings at plan approval on every project, with no duplicated pre opening ownership

Qualifications

• Eight or more years across F&B concept development and hotel or restaurant operations, with real operating time; pure agency or pure design backgrounds do not fit this seat
• Has opened multiple F&B outlets from concept through opening, including at least two ground up or full renovation projects
• Has managed kitchen consultants and OS&E consultants directly, and can hold them accountable to a program
• Reads and redlines architectural, kitchen, and MEP drawings competently
• Working knowledge of commercial kitchen and bar equipment, utility requirements, and health department and code requirements across multiple jurisdictions
• Has run an F&B equipment and OS&E budget through specification, buyout, and installation
• Has negotiated or structured operator, licensing, or management agreements, and can defend a pro forma line by line
• Comfortable being the only person in the room arguing against a deal that is popular
• $175,000-225,000 base

Culture of Growth & Belonging

• Culture of Growth: A collaborative, design-forward environment that values creativity, intelligence, and curiosity — where learning and excellence are a daily practice.
• Guided Skills Development: Access to training, leadership programs, mentorship, and cross-property mobility to encourage achievement and discovery.
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging: We honor individuality while fostering a culture of respect and belonging across all teams.
• Community Engagement: Opportunities to give back through local volunteerism, sustainability, and charitable partnerships.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Medical, dental, and vision plans through Aetna, designed to fit a range of personal and family needs.
• Wellness Access: Company-subsidized memberships with Equinox and ClassPass, plus wellbeing workshops and mental health resources.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Confidential support for emotional wellbeing, financial planning, and life management through Unum.

Time Off & Flexibility

• Paid Time Off: Flexible PTO plus 11 paid holidays each year for corporate team members.
• Paid Parental Leave: Paid time off for eligible employees welcoming a new child through birth, adoption, or foster placement.
• Flexible Work Practices: Hybrid schedules for eligible roles and an emphasis on work-life balance.

Financial Wellbeing & Core Protections

• 401(k) Program: Company match of 50% of employee deferrals, up to the first 4% of eligible compensation.
• Employer-Paid Life & Disability Insurance: Core protections with optional additional coverage.
• Financial Education: Access to planning tools and workshops to support long-term stability and growth.
• Hotel Stay Benefits: 75% off BAR (floor of $100) across the Proper portfolio.
• Design Hotels Partnership: 50% off participating Marriott Design Hotels.
• Dining Discounts: 75% off food & beverage at all Proper Hospitality outlets.
• Lifestyle Perks: Complimentary or subsidized parking, cell phone reimbursement, and exclusive hospitality and retail discounts.

Why Join Proper Hospitality
At Proper, we build experiences that move people — and that begins with the team behind them. As a best-in-class employer, we’re committed to creating one of theBest Places to Workin hospitality by nurturing a culture where creativity, excellence, and humanity thrive together.

Everything we do is grounded in the belief that hospitality is more than a profession - it’s an opportunity to care for others and make lives better. Guided by thePillars of Proper, we show up with warmth and authenticity (Care Proper), strive for excellence in everything we do (Achieve Proper), think creatively and resourcefully (Imagine Proper), and take pride in the style and culture that make us who we are (Present Proper).

We believe our people are our greatest strength, and we invest deeply in their wellbeing, growth, and sense of belonging. From comprehensive benefits to meaningful development programs, Proper is designed to help you build a career, and a life, that feels as inspiring as the experiences we create for our guests.

Our Commitment: Building the Best Place to Work
Our Best Place to Work initiative is a living commitment — a continuous investment in our people, our culture, and our purpose. We listen, learn, and evolve together to create an environment where everyone feels empowered to imagine boldly, achieve confidently, care deeply, and present themselves authentically.

At Proper, joining the team means more than finding a job — it means joining a community that believes inbuilding beautiful experiences together, for our guests and for one another.

Travel Required

Yes .

Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.