Director Food & Beverage Operations UKI

Food and Beverage Regional Director

Reporting to the Senior Director of UK&I F&B Operations and EMEA Culinary, this role is responsible for driving commercial F&D performance across the UK, Ireland, and Israel (UKI&I), delivering high-quality, profitable, and innovative food and drink concepts for both existing and pipeline managed hotels across all Hilton brands. The role will be responsible for leading a regional F&B team, and supports the execution of the EMEA F&B strategy in collaboration with the Senior Director of UK&I F&B Operations and EMEA Culinary.

You will work closely with Hilton stakeholders and owner representatives to develop and open hotel F&B venues within budget and agreed timelines, ensuring new and existing properties meet commercial, guest satisfaction, brand, and legislative targets. Additionally, the role involves representing Hilton UKI&I F&B with external stakeholders, including owners, asset managers, contractors, and investors—and leading key EMEA projects and initiatives such as the Destination Venues programme.

What Will I Be Doing?

F&B Operations

• Support the Senior Director UK&I F&D Ops and EMEA Culinary deliver the EMEA F&B Strategy, annual plan, and key business objectives.
• Partner with SVP/VP Operations to drive the performance of regional F&B
• Lead and direct a team to support all managed properties deliver agreed budgets, forecasts and commercial KPIs.
• Builds and develops relationships within the wider industry to engage and support the Hilton F&B strategy and vision.
• Partner with F&B Commercial Finance Director to identify trends and opportunities to maximize F&B performance across the region.
• Support Hiltons commercial forecasts and annual budget process.
• Lead and direct a team to ensure that all properties work within Hilton brand standards, EMEA F&B Strategy, food safety, health & safety, compliance, and local legislative requirements.
• Lead and support a team to ensure that the hotel teams are employing and attracting the highest calibre F&B teams and that development programmes and succession planning is in place.
• Lead corporate involvement in the recruitment and promotion of senior F&B personnel within the hotel properties.
• Support and foster a culture of performance management to ensure the team are working with GMs and hotel property teams to maximize F&B performance through talent attraction and retention.
• Support the team through coaching, site visits, one to ones and performance management to achieve best in class performance and deliver against agreed budgets, KPIs, objectives and Hilton policies.
• Support and lead on F&B initiatives such as ESG, innovative technology innovation, F&B products and implement new Hilton or legislative requirements as they arise.
• Work with the Senior Culinary Director to ensure that all food brand standards are implemented.
• Work with UK Operations team and HSM to ensure that all bars are commercial and responding to consumer trends.
• Work with Brand Services & Product Development to ensure that Prototypes and Bespoke concepts are relevant for owners, Hilton brand, commercial and will meet the needs of Hilton guests.
• Partner with HSM to ensure that F&B purchasing is driving best in class product, innovation, and commercial opportunities for the hotel F&B operations.
• Partner with Sales & Commercial to look at Group C&E opportunities within the region.
• Partner with F&B Brand team to understand and analyze F&B trends and incorporate them in Hilton F&B concepts where relevant and commercially viable.
• Work with Senior Marketing Director to ensure that EMEA strategy in terms of destination venues, pop ups, innovation and digital marketing are all in place.
• Support and lead F&B teams to deliver Hilton 2030 goals.
• Support and lead on F&B Competitions, regional team activities such as Flavour & Flair, Roadshows, and conferences

Openings & Development

• Own the F&B Development process end to end delivering relevant F&B concepts in line with brand standards and ownership requirements that are commercially viable.
• Partner with Feasibility and Development to ensure that F&B input is considered on all potential deals in terms of Commercials, Brands and F&B concepts within the properties.
• Partner with AD&C and Openings team to deliver all F&B concepts as per the agreed openings & development process.
• Partner with F&B Brand Services & Product Development to ensure that all F&B programming is as per Hilton brand standards, owner's requirements, commercially viable and will deliver innovative and compelling F&B propositions.
• Partner with F&B Business Development to programme and launch successful third-party concepts.
• Support Openings & Hotel Property teams launch new F&B concepts.
• Partner with AD&C, Real estate and hotel property teams and lead on the F&B Masterplans, Capex or PIPs in terms of F&B

You will lead and manage the team to deliver the Canvas model – including delivery of the full retail proposition including:

• performance management
• menu development
• marketing
• pricing
• legislative dietary controls
• supplier product switching
• POS management and
• recipe management

Direct Reports

• Director of Food & Drink Systems and Room Efficiencies
• F&B Administrator
• F&D Director of Operations
• Menu Development Chef

What Are We Looking For?

Qualifications

• A minimum of five years F&B experience within the hotel, independent or retail sector
• Strong knowledge of F&B concept creation, project management and openings
• Good knowledge of both front of house and back of house equipment, layouts, and operating equipment
• Strong networker, first-class communicator with excellent relationship building skills.
• First-class commercial skills. A thorough understanding of F&B profit and loss and driving commercial performance in the sectors of hotel, independent or retail F&B
• Strong leadership skills and an absolute passion for food and beverage
• A good understanding of F&B trends, marketing, and PR
• An understanding of technology within F&B
• An appreciation of food and beverage digital media
• Up to date on social media trends
• Passionate about ESG in F&B

Required Qualifications

• Minimum Education: Degree or equivalent or clear evidence of having worked their way up in the field of hospitality, F&B, or retail. A mix of corporate and independent F&B experience would be highly desirable.
• Strong experience in an F&B Regional Director or equivalent company level position.
• Experience of leading teams or projects with a variety of stakeholders at various levels
• Strong knowledge and passion for F&B
• Good commercial acumen, analytical and P&L proficient
• Fluent in English
• PC Self Sufficient and good knowledge of MS Office (Word, Excel, Internet, PowerPoint as a minimum)
• Experience of social media platforms and application to F&B would be a benefit.
• Experience of the UKI&I market.

To be successful in this position you will demonstrate the following capabilities and distinctions:

• Minimum Education: Degree or equivalent or clear evidence of having worked their way up in the field of hospitality, F&B, or retail. A mix of corporate and independent F&B experience would be highly desirable.
• Strong experience in an F&B Regional Director or equivalent company level position.
• Experience of leading teams or projects with a variety of stakeholders at various levels
• Strong knowledge and passion for F&B
• Good commercial acumen, analytical and P&L proficient
• Fluent in English
• PC Self Sufficient and good knowledge of MS Office (Word, Excel, Internet, PowerPoint as a minimum)
• Experience of social media platforms and application to F&B would be a benefit.
• Experience of the UKI&I market.

What will it be like to work for Hilton?

Hilton is the leading global hospitality company, spanning the lodging sector from luxurious full-service hotels and resorts to extended-