Director of Food And Beverage

Position Summary

A premier upscale event and entertainment venue in New York City is seeking an accomplished Director of Food & Beverage to lead all food, beverage, banquet, and event-service operations.

This high-profile leadership position requires a sophisticated hospitality professional with significant experience overseeing high-volume, luxury events and premium Food & Beverage operations . The Director will be responsible for delivering exceptional experiences across corporate events, galas, weddings, social celebrations, brand activations, entertainment events, VIP functions, and large-scale private events.

The ideal candidate combines the service standards of luxury hospitality and fine dining with the operational expertise required for a complex, high-volume NYC event environment .

This individual will work closely with the Executive Chef, Event Sales, Operations, Production, Finance, and senior leadership to ensure every event is executed seamlessly while achieving revenue, profitability, service, and guest-satisfaction objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Food & Beverage Leadership

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for all Food & Beverage activities throughout the venue.
• Oversee banquet service, bars, beverage operations, event dining, VIP service, and other F&B experiences.
• Maintain an active, highly visible leadership presence during events.
• Establish and maintain sophisticated service standards appropriate for a premier NYC event destination.
• Ensure consistency in food presentation, beverage quality, service, ambiance, and overall guest experience.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive F&B SOPs, service procedures, and operating standards.
• Partner closely with culinary leadership to ensure seamless coordination between front- and back-of-house operations.

Event Operations & Execution

• Oversee the F&B execution of a diverse calendar of high-profile and high-volume events .
• Review BEOs, event timelines, floor plans, menus, staffing requirements, beverage needs, and special client requests.
• Lead operational planning meetings and event pre-shifts.
• Ensure appropriate staffing and management coverage based on event complexity and guest counts.
• Coordinate event setup, service execution, transitions, breakdown, and post-event review.
• Anticipate operational challenges and resolve issues quickly and discreetly.
• Maintain exceptional execution regardless of event size or complexity.
• Partner with Event Sales and Production teams to ensure the client's vision is translated into flawless operational execution.

Luxury Guest & Client Experience

• Create a culture centered around personalized, intuitive, and elevated hospitality.
• Serve as a senior F&B presence for VIP clients, event hosts, corporate executives, celebrities, and other distinguished guests.
• Anticipate client and guest needs throughout the event experience.
• Personally manage sensitive service-recovery situations.
• Build relationships with repeat clients and key accounts.
• Ensure every event reflects the venue's reputation for sophistication, professionalism, and exceptional hospitality.

Beverage Program

• Provide executive oversight of the venue's wine, spirits, cocktail, beer, and non-alcoholic beverage programs.
• Develop elevated beverage offerings appropriate for luxury private events and premium clientele.
• Partner with beverage leadership on signature cocktails, wine selections, event packages, and customized client offerings.
• Maintain relationships with premium wine, spirits, and beverage partners.
• Oversee beverage purchasing, inventory, pars, controls, and cost management.
• Ensure responsible alcohol service and compliance with all applicable regulations.
• Identify opportunities to increase beverage revenue through premium offerings and strategic upselling.

Financial Performance

• Develop and manage annual F&B operating budgets and forecasts.
• Monitor event profitability, revenue, labor, beverage costs, food costs, operating expenses, and departmental margins.
• Analyze F&B performance by event and identify opportunities to improve profitability.
• Establish effective purchasing and inventory controls.
• Monitor staffing and labor productivity against event requirements.
• Develop strategies to increase average spend and maximize F&B revenue without compromising the guest experience.
• Partner with Finance and executive leadership on forecasts, budgets, and financial reporting.
• Maintain accountability for departmental P&L performance.

Team Leadership & Development

• Recruit, hire, train, coach, and develop F&B managers, banquet leaders, bartenders, servers, captains, and support teams.
• Build a strong bench of hospitality professionals capable of executing sophisticated events.
• Establish comprehensive training programs focused on service standards, product knowledge, wine and beverage, guest engagement, and event execution.
• Conduct pre-shift meetings and communicate clear expectations for each event.
• Create a culture of professionalism, accountability, teamwork, and hospitality.
• Mentor management talent and develop future leaders.
• Ensure staffing levels align with event volume while maintaining appropriate labor controls.

Culinary & Event Collaboration

• Partner closely with the Executive Chef on menu development, event customization, service flow, and culinary presentation.
• Collaborate with Event Sales on proposals, tastings, client requests, and F&B packages.
• Participate in tastings and high-level client meetings when appropriate.
• Assist with developing creative culinary and beverage experiences that differentiate the venue within the competitive NYC events market.
• Coordinate closely with Production, Security, Facilities, and Operations to ensure seamless execution.

Compliance & Operational Standards

• Ensure compliance with New York City and New York State requirements related to food safety, sanitation, alcohol service, labor, licensing, and workplace safety.
• Maintain inspection readiness throughout all F&B areas.
• Ensure proper handling, storage, rotation, and security of food and beverage inventory.
• Maintain clean, organized, and professionally presented front- and back-of-house areas.
• Ensure equipment, banquet supplies, glassware, tabletop, and service pieces are maintained at premium standards.

Qualifications

Required

• 7+ years of progressive Food & Beverage leadership experience within luxury hospitality, upscale event venues, catering, private clubs, fine dining, entertainment venues, or comparable operations.
• Minimum 3+ years in a senior F&B leadership or director-level role preferred.
• Significant experience managing high-volume private events, banquets, catering, or large-scale F&B operations .
• New York City hospitality or event experience strongly preferred.
• Proven experience leading sophisticated front-of-house and beverage operations.
• Strong understanding of BEOs, banquet service, event timelines, staffing models, and large-scale event execution.
• Demonstrated financial expertise including budgeting, forecasting, labor management, purchasing, inventory, and F&B cost controls.
• Strong wine, spirits, cocktail, and beverage knowledge.
• Proven ability to recruit, train, and lead large event-service teams.
• Exceptional communication, organization, and leadership skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment with constantly changing event demands.
• Availability to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and extended hours based on event schedules.

Preferred Qualifications

• Luxury hotel, premium event venue, high-end catering, or private-event background.
• Experience with galas, weddings, corporate events, fashion events, entertainment productions, brand activations, and VIP functions .
• Experience overseeing multi-million-dollar F&B operations.
• Strong knowledge of the New York City luxury events market.
• Union environment experience is highly desirable.
• WSET, Court of Master Sommeliers, or other recognized wine/beverage education is a plus.
• Experience working with celebrity chefs, prominent culinary teams, premium caterers, luxury brands, or high-profile clientele.
• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business, or related discipline preferred.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a polished, dynamic, hands-on Food & Beverage executive who understands that luxury event hospitality requires a different level of precision, flexibility, and attention to detail.

This individual should be equally comfortable reviewing a multimillion-dollar F&B budget, leading a 500+ guest gala, discussing wine selections with a client, conducting an event pre-shift, managing VIP service, and stepping onto the floor during a high-volume event to ensure flawless execution.

The successful candidate will bring:

• Exceptional luxury hospitality instincts.
• Significant high-volume event experience.
• Strong financial and operational discipline.
• Sophisticated food, wine, spirits, and beverage knowledge.
• A highly visible and engaging leadership style.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Strong client-facing skills.
• Calm decision-making under pressure.
• The ability to develop and inspire high-performing teams.
• A genuine passion for creating memorable events and guest experiences.

The Opportunity

This is an exceptional opportunity for a high-caliber Food & Beverage leader to oversee the hospitality experience of one of New York City's upscale event operations .

The Director of Food & Beverage will have significant influence over service culture, beverage programming, event execution, team development, financial performance, and the overall reputation of the venue.

The successful candidate will combine luxury-level hospitality with the operational horsepower necessary to execute sophisticated, high-volume New York City events at an exceptional level.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive executive-level salary
• Performance-based bonus opportunity
• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits
• 401(k) program
• Paid time off
• Dining and hospitality benefits
• Professional development opportunities
• Significant leadership role within a premier NYC hospitality and events operation