Principal Lounge Food & Beverage Manager
Alaska Airlines, Inc.
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Alaska Airlines is seeking a Principal Lounge Food & Beverage Manager to lead the lounge and club F&B strategy across Alaska and Hawaiian lounges. This advanced individual contributor defines the 12-month roadmap for menu strategy, supplier pipelines, and operating standards while guiding cross-functional teams in product, hospitality, and branding initiatives.
The role focuses on guest satisfaction, safety, and financial performance with responsibility for budgeting, forecasting, and vendor
Qualifications
- 7 years of experience in food and beverage, hospitality operations, product management, supplier management, culinary program management, guest experience, or related area.
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a related discipline or additional two years of relevant training/experience.
Responsibilities
- Serves as the lead subject matter expert for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines Lounge and Club food and beverage programs, owning standards, governance, and execution for complimentary and for-purchase offerings across the portfolio.
- Defines and manages the 12-month Lounge and Club food and beverage roadmap, including menu strategy, seasonal refreshes, guest journey enhancements, supplier and product pipelines, operational readiness, and launch sequencing.
- Leads complex cross-functional initiatives that improve food quality, beverage assortment, service consistency, safety, cost performance, and brand differentiation across Alaska and Hawaiian Lounges and Clubs.
- Establishes and maintains food and beverage operating standards, including menu specifications, product requirements, buffet and bar presentation, replenishment expectations, quality assurance, compliance, and vendor performance measures.
- Partners with Lounge Operations, Procurement, Finance, Marketing, Training, Guest Experience, Legal, Safety, airport teams, and third-party providers to resolve ambiguous business issues and implement scalable solutions.
- Owns food and beverage performance insights, including guest feedback, competitive benchmarking, operational observations, quality data, cost trends, waste, and supplier performance; translates insights into recommendations for senior leaders.
- Manages Lounge and Club food and beverage financial discipline, including budget inputs, cost modeling, forecasting support, variance analysis, menu cost implications, and recommendations that balance guest experience with financial commitments.
- Influences across the company and up to senior leadership to secure alignment, resources, and timely decisions for food and beverage initiatives, supplier changes, new lounge openings, renovations, and Alaska/Hawaiian integration priorities.
- Highlights Alaska & Hawaiian Lounges through high-impact activations, international route launches, marketing pop-ups, and surprise & delight moments to reinforce the brand and elevate the premium experience.
- Owns product experience and room standards across the Alaska and Hawaiian Lounge and Club network that elevate consistency, ensure brand integrity, and enable teams to maintain high-quality spaces across the network.
Skills
Education
Tools
Job description
Guided by our purpose, core values, and leadership principles, we are creating an airline people love. Our corporate teams set the strategies and operational plans to ensure the success of our company. Whether we use our expertise in accounting, human resources, finance, planning, legal, marketing, or any of our operational divisions, our shared passion for travel and our guests is what motivates us to achieve excellence each day. If you share our passion for creating an airline people love, we want to hear from you.
The Principal Lounge Food & Beverage Manager serves as the lead subject matter expert and single process owner for food and beverage strategy, program governance, and execution across Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines Lounges and Clubs. As an advanced individual contributor, this role defines the 12-month food and beverage roadmap for the Lounge and Club portfolio, translates premium hospitality strategy into scalable menu, supplier, equipment, service, and operating standards, and exercises considerable latitude and initiative to solve complex cross-functional business problems. This role drives guest satisfaction, operational consistency, food safety, brand differentiation, and financial performance by influencing Lounge Operations, Commercial, Finance, Procurement, Marketing, Training, airport teams, and third-party partners across the Alaska and Hawaiian networks.
- Serves as the lead subject matter expert for Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines Lounge and Club food and beverage programs, owning standards, governance, and execution for complimentary and for-purchase offerings across the portfolio.
- Defines and manages the 12-month Lounge and Club food and beverage roadmap, including menu strategy, seasonal refreshes, guest journey enhancements, supplier and product pipelines, operational readiness, and launch sequencing.
- Leads complex cross-functional initiatives that improve food quality, beverage assortment, service consistency, safety, cost performance, and brand differentiation across Alaska and Hawaiian Lounges and Clubs.
- Establishes and maintains food and beverage operating standards, including menu specifications, product requirements, buffet and bar presentation, replenishment expectations, quality assurance, compliance, and vendor performance measures.
- Partners with Lounge Operations, Procurement, Finance, Marketing, Training, Guest Experience, Legal, Safety, airport teams, and third-party providers to resolve ambiguous business issues and implement scalable solutions.
- Owns food and beverage performance insights, including guest feedback, competitive benchmarking, operational observations, quality data, cost trends, waste, and supplier performance; translates insights into recommendations for senior leaders.
- Manages Lounge and Club food and beverage financial discipline, including budget inputs, cost modeling, forecasting support, variance analysis, menu cost implications, and recommendations that balance guest experience with financial commitments.
- Influences across the company and up to senior leadership to secure alignment, resources, and timely decisions for food and beverage initiatives, supplier changes, new lounge openings, renovations, and Alaska/Hawaiian integration priorities.
- Highlights Alaska & Hawaiian Lounges through high-impact activations, international route launches, marketing pop-ups, and surprise & delight moments to reinforce the brand and elevate the premium experience.
- Owns product experience and room standards across the Alaska and Hawaiian Lounge and Club network that elevate consistency, ensure brand integrity, and enable teams to maintain high-quality spaces across the network.
Required
- 7 years of experience in food and beverage, hospitality operations, product management, supplier management, culinary program management, guest experience, or a related area.
- Bachelor’s degree with a focus in hospitality, business, marketing, culinary management, operations, or a related discipline, or an additional two years of relevant training/experience in lieu of this degree.
- Demonstrated ability to serve as a subject matter expert, define functional strategy, and lead complex initiatives through influence without direct authority.
- Strong knowledge of food and beverage program design, menu lifecycle management, quality standards, supplier performance, food safety, and hospitality service expectations.
- Experience using business data, guest insights, operational feedback, and financial information to develop recommendations and improve program outcomes.
- Working knowledge of budgeting, forecasting, cost management, and performance metrics for food and beverage programs.
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to present clear recommendations, risks, tradeoffs, and implementation plans to leaders, project teams, vendors, and operational stakeholders.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, create structure in ambiguity, and deliver through cross-functional partners in a fast-paced operational environment.
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- Minimum age of 18.
- Based in SEA and willing to travel up to 20% of the time.
- Must be authorized to work in the U.S.
Preferred
- Experience managing third-party food and beverage vendors, culinary partners, suppliers, or service level agreements.
- Experience supporting airport lounge, airline, hospitality, restaurant, hotel, club, or premium guest-facing operations.
- Experience with Profit & Loss management, menu costing, procurement strategy, supplier negotiations, or performance dashboards.
- Embody our values to own safety, do the right thing, be caring and kind, and deliver performance.
- Promote a culture of safety, care, hospitality, inclusion, and operational excellence across Alaska and Hawaiian Lounge and Club food and beverage work.
- Lead through influence by building trust with peers, project teams, vendors, airport teams, and senior stakeholders; communicate timely recommendations, risks, and tradeoffs.
- Deliver outcomes by defining priorities, holding self and partners accountable, improving business metrics, and balancing short-term operational needs with longer-term Lounge and Club strategy.
Pay will be based on multiple factors, including and not limited to location, relevant experience/level and skillset while balancing internal equity relative to other Alaska/Hawaiian/Horizon employees. Alaska/Hawaiian/Horizon is committed to fair, unbiased compensation along with competitive benefits in all locations in which we operate.
Note: We don’t typically hire at the top of the range.
Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air pay and benefits can vary by company, location, number of regularly scheduled hours worked, length of employment, and employment status.
- Free stand-by travel privileges on Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines & Horizon Air
- Comprehensive well-being programs including medical, dental and vision benefits
- Generous 401k match program
- Annual bonus plans
- Generous holiday and paid time off
For more information about Alaska/Hawaiian/Horizon Total Rewards please visit our career site and view benefits.
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement
It is the policy of Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment and to ensure equal opportunity in all terms, conditions, and benefits of employment or potential employment.
We also prohibit discrimination and harassment against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected categories.
We have established an EEO Compliance Program under Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (“Section 503”) and the Vietnam Era Veteran’s Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (“VEVRAA”). All applicants and employees are treated without regard to their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. In addition, we have established an audit and reporting system to allow for effective measurement of its equal employment opportunity activities.
To implement this policy, we will:
(1) Recruit, hire, train and promote qualified persons in all job titles, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information and any other legally protected categories;(2) Ensure that employment decisions are based only on valid job requirements; and(3) Ensure that all personnel actions and employment activities such as compensation, benefits, promotions, layoffs, return from layoff, Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air sponsored programs, and tuition assistance will be administered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information and other legally protected categories.
Employees and applicants for employment will not be subjected to harassment, intimidation, threats, coercion or discrimination because they have engaged or may engage in (1) filing a complaint, (2) opposing any act or practice made unlawful by, or exercising any other right protected by, any Federal, State or local law requiring equal opportunity, including Section 503 and the equal opportunity provisions of VEVRAA, or (3) assisting or participating in any investigation, compliance evaluation, hearing, or any other activity related to the administration of any Federal, State or local law requiring equal opportunity, including Section 503 and the equal opportunity provisions of VEVRAA.
Government Contractor & Department of Transportation (DOT) Regulations
Alaska Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines & Horizon Air are regulated by the Department of Transportation (DOT – regulations, 49 CFR part 40) and all applicants are advised that post-offer and/or pre-employment drug testing will be conducted to determine the presence of marijuana, cocaine, opioids, phencyclidine (PCP) and amphetamines or a metabolite of these drugs prior to any offer or employment or transfer into a safety-sensitive position. Failure to submit to testing or positive indications of drug use will render the applicant ineligible for employment with Alaska Airlines/Hawaiian Airlines/Horizon Air and any employment offer will be withdrawn.
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