Maitre'D | World's 50 Best | NYC

Job Description

Job Description

An internationally acclaimed hospitality brand is seeking an experienced and polished Maître'D to join the opening leadership team of a highly anticipated restaurant debut in New York City's West Village. This is a unique opportunity to become part of the U.S. launch of one of the world's most celebrated restaurant groups. We are seeking a hospitality professional who is passionate about creating exceptional first and lasting impressions, thrives in a refined dining environment, and understands that genuine hospitality begins well before guests are seated. The ideal candidate is a confident, gracious, and highly organized leader with exceptional guest recognition skills, strong emotional intelligence, and the ability to manage a dynamic, high-profile dining room with warmth and professionalism. Experience within South American or Latin-inspired restaurant concepts is highly preferred.

Key Responsibilities

Guest Experience

• Serve as the face of the restaurant, providing a warm, genuine, and personalized welcome to every guest.
• Manage reservations, guest flow, and seating to maximize both hospitality and operational efficiency.
• Build meaningful relationships with regular guests while creating memorable first-time experiences.
• Anticipate guest needs and resolve concerns with professionalism, discretion, and confidence.
• Collaborate closely with the management and service teams to deliver a seamless dining experience.

Dining Room Operations

• Oversee daily reservation management and seating strategy using reservation platforms.
• Balance walk-in demand, VIP reservations, and service pacing while maintaining the integrity of the guest experience.
• Communicate effectively with managers, servers, and kitchen leadership throughout service.
• Maintain an organized and welcoming reception area that reflects the restaurant's hospitality standards.

Team Leadership

• Lead and mentor the host team through coaching, training, and ongoing development.
• Establish hospitality standards for guest greetings, reservation management, and telephone etiquette.
• Support pre-shift meetings and communicate daily reservation notes, VIP arrivals, and special accommodations.
• Foster a collaborative, positive culture built on professionalism, teamwork, and accountability.

Opening Support

• Assist with pre-opening training, service rehearsals, and operational readiness.
• Help establish reservation systems, guest communication standards, and opening procedures.
• Partner with leadership to ensure a successful opening and ongoing operational excellence.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience as a Maître d', Lead Host, Guest Relations Manager, or similar leadership role within an upscale or fine dining restaurant.
• Exceptional guest engagement and relationship-building skills.
• Experience managing high-volume reservation books and coordinating service flow.
• Familiarity with reservation platforms such as Resy, OpenTable, or SevenRooms.
• Experience within South American or Latin-inspired restaurant concepts is highly preferred.
• Spanish speaking is strongly preferred but not required.
• Strong communication, organizational, and multitasking abilities.
• Ability to remain calm, composed, and solution-oriented in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Experience

• Experience opening new restaurants or participating in high-profile restaurant launches.
• Strong understanding of the New York City dining scene and hospitality landscape.
• Ability to travel internationally for pre-opening training.
• Full availability throughout the opening and training period.

Personal Qualities

• Warm, charismatic, and genuinely hospitality-driven.
• Poised, polished, and confident interacting with high-profile clientele.
• Emotionally intelligent with excellent interpersonal skills.
• Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail.
• Calm under pressure with the ability to anticipate guest needs before they arise.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary based on experience
• Performance-based bonus opportunity
• Health insurance
• Laundry service
• Cell phone reimbursement
• Opportunity to join an internationally acclaimed hospitality brand during an exciting U.S. expansion