Assistant Director of Food & Beverage

Situated in Downtown’s Second Street District, Austin Proper Hotel & Residences is a luxury lifestyle hotel in Austin, just steps from Lady Bird Lake, the legendary Austin City Limits music venue and nearby boutiques. With inspiring interiors by Kelly Wearstler and culinary offerings in collaboration with MML Hospitality, Austin Proper offers 238 rooms and suites, a dedicated spa and fitness center, and 14,000 square feet of meeting and event spaces, including a rooftop pool deck offering small-batch tequilas and majestic lake views. Anything less just wouldn’t be Proper.

Job Overview
Reporting to the Director of Food and Beverage, The Assistant Director of Food and Beverage functions as the strategic business partner of the property’s food and beverage/culinary operation, including Restaurants, Bars, Room Service and Banquets/Catering. The position assists in ensuring the food and beverage/culinary operation meets the brand’s target customer needs, ensures employee satisfaction, and focuses on growing revenues and maximizing the financial performance of the department. Develops and implements property-wide strategies that deliver products and services to meet or exceed the needs and expectations of the brand’s target customer and property employees and provides a return on investment.

Key Responsibilities

Developing and Maintaining Food and Beverage/Culinary Goals

• Models expectations and holds food and beverage leadership team accountable for demonstrating desired service behaviors.
• Reviews financial reports and statements to determine how Food and Beverage is performing against budget.
• Works with food and beverage leadership team to determine areas of concern and develops strategies to improve the department’s financial performance.
• Establishes challenging, realistic and obtainable goals to guide operation and performance.
• Strives to improve service performance.

Maintaining Budgets

• Assists in managing Food and Beverage budget.
• Monitors the department’s actual and projected sales to ensure revenue goals are met or exceeded and opportunities are identified and addressed.
• Ensures cash control and liquor control policies are in place in food & beverage areas and followed by all related employees.
• Focuses on maintaining profit margins without compromising guest or employee satisfaction.

Leading Food & Beverage/Culinary Team

• Utilizes interpersonal and communication skills to lead, influence, and encourage others; advocates sound financial/business decision making; demonstrates honesty/integrity; leads by example.
• Encourages and builds mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
• Achieves and exceeds goals including performance goals, budget goals, team goals, etc.
• Serves as a role model to demonstrate appropriate behaviors.
• Develops means to improve profit, including estimating cost and benefit, exploring new business opportunities, etc.
• Identifies opportunities to increase profits and create value by challenging existing processes, encouraging innovation and driving necessary change.
• Ensures that regular, on-going communication occurs in all areas of food and beverage (e.g., pre-meal briefings, staff meetings, culinary team).
• Establishes and maintains open, collaborative relationships with direct reports and entire food & beverage team. Ensures direct reports do the same for their team.
• Develops a food and beverage operating strategy that is aligned with the brand’s business strategy and leads its execution.
• Identifies the developmental needs of others and coaches, mentors, or otherwise helps others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Stays aware of market trends and introduces new food and beverage products to meet or exceed customer expectations, generate increased revenue and ensure a competitive position in the market.

Ensuring Exceptional Customer Service

• Ensures Food & Beverage concepts align with the hotel's brand identity and creates a unique, luxurious guest experience.
• Builds and nurtures relationships with local suppliers, curating exceptional offerings from regional producers.
• Works closely with the sales and marketing team to create promotional events and packages that drive F&B sales.
• Maintains close relationships with VIP guests and the local community, promoting the hotel’s Food & Beverage outlets as a destination for both guests and locals.
• Provides services that are above and beyond for customer satisfaction and retention.
• Improves service by communicating and assisting individuals to understand guest needs, providing guidance, feedback, and individual coaching when needed.
• Reviews findings from guest feedback channels with F& B team and ensures appropriate corrective action is taken and to identify areas of improvement.
• Empowers employees to provide exceptional guest service.
• Estimates cost and benefit ratio, maintaining balance between profit and service satisfaction.
• Shares plans to take corrective action based on guest satisfaction results with property leadership.

Managing and Conducting People-Related Activities

• Provides guidance and direction to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• Coaches and supports food & beverage leadership team to effectively manage wages, food & beverage cost and controllable expenses (e.g., restaurant supplies, uniforms, etc.).
• Hires food & beverage leadership team members who demonstrate strong functional expertise, creativity and entrepreneurial leadership to meet the business needs of the operation.
• Sets goals and expectations for direct reports using the performance review process and holds staff accountable for successful performance.
• Ensures that expectations and objectives are clearly communicated to subordinates; subordinates are also open to raise questions and/or concerns.
• Brings issues to the attention of People & Culture as necessary.
• Ensures employees are treated fairly and equitably.
• Coaches team by providing specific feedback to improve performance.

Additional Responsibilities

• Informs and/or update the executives, the peers and the subordinates on relevant information in a timely manner.
• Provides information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
• Analyzes information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
• Estimate food, liquor, wine, and other beverage consumption to anticipate amounts to be purchased or requisitioned.
• Order and purchase equipment and supplies.

Company Overview
Proper Hospitality is made up of a diverse group of passionate individuals who share a common love for hotels and the art of hospitality. Our philosophy is simple: There is a right way to do things and anything less just isn’t proper. We are seeking out the “best of the best” from inside and outside of the industry to work alongside us as we grow a new kind of lifestyle Hospitality Company inspired by a centuries-old tradition. The work is challenging, fast-paced, and rewarding above all.

We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, genetics, or any other federal/state protected category.

Proper Hospitality will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with local Fair Chance Hiring Ordinances.