Assistant Director, Food & Beverage

The Assistant Director, Food & Beverage reports to the Director of Food & Beverage and plays a key leadership role in the day-to-day operation of Fairmont Southampton’s diverse food and beverage outlets, including restaurants, bars, banquets, and special events.

This position supports operational excellence, guest satisfaction, financial performance, and colleague engagement. The ideal candidate is a hands-on hospitality professional with strong leadership skills, operational knowledge, and a passion for delivering exceptional guest experiences in a luxury resort environment.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership & Execution

• Oversees daily Food & Beverage operations across assigned outlets, ensuring alignment with Fairmont standards
• Ensures consistent, high-quality food and beverage service and presentation
• Collaborates with culinary and beverage teams on menu execution, service delivery, and product quality
• Monitors inventory, waste reduction, and portion control to support operational efficiency
• Assists in scheduling and staffing to ensure optimal coverage during peak periods.
• Maintains a strong on-the-floor leadership presence, actively managing service flow and guest engagement during key meal periods.
• Partners with Culinary and Beverage teams to execute approved menus, service styles, and product standards.
• Monitors outlet-level labor efficiency, service pacing, and staffing deployment to ensure smooth operations.

Financial & Business Support

• Supports achievement of departmental revenue, cost, and productivity goals.
• Assists with budgeting, labor management, and monitoring financial performance metrics
• Helps implement promotional initiatives, events, and upselling programs to enhance profitability.
• Monitors daily outlet performance, including labor efficiency, cost awareness, and service productivity.
• Supports implementation of approved promotions, upselling initiatives, and special events.
• Assists with financial reporting, forecasting, and performance reviews as requested by the Director of Food & Beverage.

People & Culture

• Supervises, trains, and motivates Food & Beverage team members to deliver excellence.
• Coaches and develops future leaders and supervisors through mentorship and performance feedback.
• Reinforces Fairmont’s Service Culture, Heartist values, and diversity & inclusion initiatives.
• Fosters a positive, inclusive, and high-performing work environment.
• Provides hands-on coaching and mentorship to supervisors and emerging leaders.
• Identifies high-potential team members and supports leadership development and succession planning.
• Reinforces Fairmont’s Service Culture and Heartist values through daily leadership behaviors.

Guest Experience & Service Excellence

• Ensures exceptional guest service across all assigned Food & Beverage areas.
• Actively engages with guests, responding to feedback and resolving concerns promptly and professionally.
• Supports service recovery efforts to enhance guest satisfaction and loyalty.
• Leads by example on the floor, maintaining a visible and approachable presence.
• Proactively engages with guests to gather feedback and identify service improvement opportunities.
• Leads service recovery efforts at outlet level, ensuring timely and professional resolution of guest concerns.

Brand Representation & Collaboration

• Represents Fairmont Southampton with professionalism on and off property
• Works collaboratively with other departments to deliver seamless guest experiences
• Supports Sales & Marketing initiatives, special events, and resort-wide activations.
• Acts as a key liaison between outlets, Culinary, Stewarding, Sales & Marketing, and Rooms divisions.
• Supports resort-wide activations, events, and peak operational periods as directed.

Sustainability, Compliance & Safety

• Supports Accor and Fairmont sustainability initiatives within Food & Beverage operations
• Ensures compliance with health, safety, sanitation, and regulatory standards
• Enforces safe work practices and loss prevention procedures
• Assists with training colleagues on safety, hygiene, and operational standards
• Actively enforces loss prevention, food safety, and sanitation standards at outlet level.

Performs other duties as assigned

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions: ·

Experience

• 5+ years of Food & Beverage experience in luxury hospitality, with supervisory or assistant management experience
• Experience in multi-outlet operations, menu development, and event management
• Exposure to budget management, payroll, and financial oversight
• Experience in a unionized environment is an asset

Education

• Degree or diploma in Hospitality Management or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience

Competencies / Knowledge / Skills

• Proven ability to lead and coordinate multiple F&B outlets and operational teams effectively
• Extensive knowledge of fine dining standards, luxury service, and Food & Wine
• Strong leadership, team-building, and coaching skills with focus on staff development and succession planning
• Exceptional customer service, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Creative and strategic thinker with ability to support and execute innovative F&B concepts
• Skilled in problem-solving and maintaining service excellence under pressure
• Proficient in Microsoft Windows applications and operational F&B systems
• Able to work independently and collaboratively as part of a leadership team
• Highly reliable, responsible, and adaptable in fast-paced, high-volume environments

Personal Attributes, Culture & Values

• Highly organized, self-motivated, results-oriented and committed to continuous improvement.
• Professional presence, adaptability, cultural sensitivity, and calmness under pressure.
• Commitment to embodying Fairmont’s “Make Special Happen” philosophy through visible leadership
• Embrace the Fairmont brand promise and luxury in your role and in all of your interactions.
• Foster an inclusive environment where every individual feels valued and respected
• Create an environment where colleagues are empowered, supported and recognized
• Drive top performance to achieve exceptional results
• Articulate and passionately embody the brand’s values and vision to inspire stakeholders

Circumstances

• Ability to work flexible hours, including weekends, holidays, and peak operational periods, as required by hotel operations.

Employee Benefits:

Join our team and enjoy a range of exclusive colleague perks, including complimentary upgrades, extended stays, discounted stays across Fairmont & Raffles properties, special dining and wellness discounts, and added luxuries to enhance your experience. We believe in taking care of our team, ensuring that your hard work is rewarded with exceptional benefits. Add any other benefits relevant to your property.

What’s in it for you?

As part of Accor, a global hospitality leader with over 5,500 hotels worldwide, you’ll enjoy:

• Opportunities for growth and development, mentorship, and international mobility
• Health insurance, retirement savings plans, and comprehensive wellness programs
• Worldwide travel discounts and preferred rates across the Accor portfolio
• A supportive, inclusive culture grounded in respect, teamwork, and professional development

Start your journey with us today and explore the possibilities! #BeLimitless

Our Values

Respect: We value the needs, ideas and individuality of others. We treat everyone with fairness and dignity.

Excellence: We make genuine connections, and we cherish every opportunity to make the people around us feel special.

Belonging: We celebrate our differences. We support each other and we always stand together.

Empowerment: We have authority to take initiative and anticipate moments that create unforgettable experiences.

Integrity: We build trust through mutual respect and being authentic.

Your team and working environment:

Fairmont Southampton is a premier luxury resort and regarded as a leader in the hospitality industry. Our mission is to turn moments into memories for our Guests. An exciting hospitality career awaits you if you are committed to providing our Guests with an authentically local experience through providing warm and engaging service.

Our Heartists work cohesively as part of the team in a demanding, multi-cultural diverse environment.

Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:

Fairmont is committed to creating an inclusive environment where diverse talent thrives. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds to join our team.