Director, Food and Beverage

The Director Operation F&B and Culinary leads operational support for onboard and onshore disciplines across new and existing emerging businesses within Marriott Internationals portfolio. This role supports global culinary and F&B strategy optimizing guest experiences through innovative product development system enhancements and collaboration with the business owner Brand Discipline and Continent leadership. Reporting to Senior Director RCYC the Director applies market research and trend analysis to long- and short-term planning delivering high-quality culinary experiences aligned with strategic growth goals. The role also supports cross-company initiatives and projects across Marriotts brands as needed.

Key Responsibilities

• Facilitate collaboration between design development and implementation of culinary restaurant and bar concepts for business operations.

• Collaborate with the Brand Discipline and owners leadership to innovate and elevate guest F&B experiences.

• Review and approve design and renovation plans with key executives ensuring design integrity and operational efficiency align with Marriotts strategy and owners goals.

• Manage multiple projects balancing competing priorities across disciplines brands continents and the business owners.

• Mentor and guide culinary and F&B development teams fostering professional growth.

• Serve as a subject matter expert for culinary standards and operational best practices including Forbes F&B requirements.

• Drive sustainability initiatives and support culinary training programs globally.

• Represent Marriott at industry events boards and meetings facilitating knowledge sharing and partnerships.

• Conduct market research and competitive analysis to identify trends and opportunities.

• Utilize design thinking to champion customer-centric innovation and improve guest engagement initiatives.

Candidate Profile
Education & Experience

• Bachelors degree in Business Administration Hotel & Restaurant Management Culinary Science or related field.

• Minimum 8 years of leadership experience in luxury culinary restaurant and bar operations preferably with multi-unit corporate or cruise/hotel/rail experience.

Preferred Skills & Qualifications

• Deep understanding of Luxury and Forbes Five Star standards

• Deep expertise in culinary and F&B operations with a passion for superior product quality and innovative flavor profiles.

• Proven success leading projects and initiatives in matrix organizations.

• Excellent project management and change leadership capabilities.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills; ability to influence at executive levels.

• Experience designing and delivering creative culinary concepts from ideation to implementation.

• Ability to read blueprints and floor plans; passion for design trends and operational challenges.

• Strong business acumen and financial management skills including budgeting and cost analysis.

• Demonstrated ability to foster cross-functional collaboration and work effectively under pressure.

Design & Development

• Facilitate collaboration and support multi-disciplinary teams to develop customer-centric profitable culinary and F&B solutions.

• Translate strategic requirements into engaging products and services that enhance brand loyalty.

• Develop visual models prototypes and storyboards to communicate concepts.

• Ensure project milestones budgets and quality standards are consistently met.

• Promote innovation by integrating guest feedback operational constraints and trend insights.

Culinary Leadership

• Support culinary operations training and sustainability initiatives globally.

• Facilitate collaboration across departments and manage timelines and budgets for culinary projects.

• Facilitate collaboration efforts in menu innovation kitchen design and culinary product development.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Provide clear communication and project updates to executive leadership and stakeholders.

• Build strong relationships across the business owners Brand Discipline and Continental teams to align goals and resources.

• Drive a culture of creativity continuous learning and innovation within the team and broader organization.