Director of Guest Experience

Job Description

Job Description

Sweetwaters a modern, seafood-forward, waterfront restaurant is opening in Fort Lauderdale, built around polished service, exceptional ingredients, and a high-level of hospitality .

We are assembling the founding leadership team that will set the culture, the standards, and the guest experience from day one.

This is an opportunity to help create a restaurant that feels refined without being formal, elevated without being pretentious, and deeply hospitality-driven at every level.

Polished / Upscale Dining | $8–10M Volume | Hospitality-Driven Leadership

We are seeking a hospitality-driven Guest Experience Manager to lead and elevate the full guest journey in an ambitious, polished dining environment designed to set a new benchmark for service excellence.

This is not simply an operations role, it is a leadership opportunity for someone who believes hospitality is an art form .

Our concept blends high-energy volume ($8-10M annually) with the precision, warmth, and sophistication of a maître d'-level experience. We serve discerning guests with high expectations, and we are building a team that rises confidently to meet them.

If you are passionate about shaping guest moments, refining service standards, and leading with empathy and precision, we want to meet you.

What You Will Do

Own the Guest Experience

• Lead and manage the full guest dining experience, ensuring every touchpoint, from arrival to departure is seamless, personalized, and memorable.
• Act as a champion of Sweetwaters' service philosophy, setting the tone for elevated hospitality standards across the restaurant.
• Oversee the experience of VIPs, regular patrons, and first-time guests, ensuring each visit exceeds expectations.
• Build genuine connections with guests, creating a sense of recognition, warmth, and loyalty.
• Anticipate needs and deliver intuitive, detail-driven hospitality at every stage of service.

Drive Service Excellence

• Work closely with front-of-house and culinary leadership to maintain consistency, timing, and excellence in service delivery.
• Manage reservation systems, optimize table flow, and ensure seamless coordination between the host stand and service team.
• Maintain exceptional standards in hospitality, cleanliness, ambiance, and overall presentation.
• Introduce and implement service enhancements that elevate guest satisfaction and strengthen brand identity.
• Continuously refine service through attention to detail, innovation, and operational alignment.

Lead and Develop the Team

• Train, coach, and support service staff to deliver attentive, intuitive, and polished hospitality.
• Foster a culture rooted in accountability, collaboration, and genuine care for the guest experience.
• Lead pre-shift meetings that energize the team and reinforce service standards and priorities.
• Support ongoing development to ensure consistent growth in both performance and professionalism.

Elevate Through Insight

• Monitor guest feedback, online reviews, and service performance metrics to identify areas for refinement and enhancement.
• Address and resolve guest concerns with professionalism, empathy, and prompt, thoughtful decision-making.
• Translate insights into actionable improvements that drive guest satisfaction and long-term loyalty.
• Partner with leadership to strengthen reputation, increase repeat business, and elevate overall performance.

Who You Are

• A polished hospitality professional with demonstrated leadership experience in guest experience, restaurant operations, or front-of-house management within an upscale or fine dining environment.
• Experienced in high-volume restaurants ($5M+ preferred; $8–10M experience a plus).
• Deeply knowledgeable in elevated hospitality standards and skilled at translating them into daily execution.
• An exceptional communicator with strong interpersonal and problem-solving abilities.
• A guest-first leader with high emotional intelligence and meticulous attention to detail.
• Experienced in analyzing guest feedback and implementing meaningful service improvements.
• A collaborative and motivating leader who builds alignment and inspires teams at every level.

Why This Role Matters

This Guest Experience Manager will play a defining role in shaping how Sweetwaters is experienced and remembered.

From the first impression to the final farewell, you will set the standard for hospitality, creating an environment where guests feel genuinely welcomed, consistently impressed, and eager to return.

Competitive Benefits:

• Industry-leading compensation package
• Comprehensive Health Plans that include, a variety of medical and dental plans, employer contribution HAS for yourself and dependents.
• Lifestyle Spending Account benefit, which supports you and your family in numerous ways such as through gym memberships, childcare, student loans & more!
• Variety of Supplemental Benefit Plans for life's unknowns
• 401k with annual employer match after 12 months employment
• Employer paid life Insurance throughout the length of employment
• Monthly Reward Dollars to use at various company locations.
• Accrued Paid Vacation
• Paid/Floating holidays for 5 major holidays
• Paid Sick Time renewed yearly
• Education Assistance Program (EdAP) for hospitality related education growth
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to assist with work life balance
• Management Referral Program with up to a $4,000 payout for qualifying management positions

Pay $80,000-$90,000 per year

If you thrive in a setting where precision meets personality, and where hospitality is both an art and a discipline, this is your opportunity to help build something truly exceptional.