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Food & Beverage Director – Waterford

Are you an ambitious Food & Beverage leader looking for a role that offers genuine autonomy, strong support, and the opportunity to make a real impact?

We’re partnering with a well-established, independently owned hotel in Waterford to recruit an exceptional Food & Beverage Director. This is an exciting opportunity to join a thriving property that has built an excellent reputation for hospitality, dining, weddings, and events.

This hotel enjoys a busy year-round trade, with an especially strong wedding season throughout the summer months. Supported by an experienced management team, you’ll have the freedom to shape the guest experience, develop your people, drive performance, and truly put your own stamp on the food and beverage offering.

Unlike many senior hospitality positions, this role offers something genuinely unique – the ability to manage your own schedule and roster, allowing for a healthier work-life balance while still delivering exceptional results. If you’re looking for a supportive environment where your expertise is trusted, valued, and encouraged, this could be the perfect next step in your career.

What You’ll Do

• Lead all Food & Beverage operations across multiple outlets, ensuring exceptional guest experiences at every touchpoint.
• Inspire, coach, and develop a committed team of managers and supervisors, creating a culture of engagement, accountability, and service excellence.
• Work closely with the Executive Chef and senior leadership team to continuously enhance the hotel’s dining and event offering.
• Drive revenue growth and profitability through effective planning, innovation, upselling, and cost management.
• Oversee the smooth planning and execution of weddings, banqueting events, conferences, and special occasions.
• Take ownership of the hotel’s exceptionally busy summer wedding season, ensuring flawless service delivery and memorable guest experiences.
• Monitor financial performance, budgets, payroll, forecasting, and departmental KPIs.
• Review operational procedures and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Ensure all health, safety, food hygiene, and licensing regulations are adhered to at all times.
• Foster a positive working environment where team development and staff wellbeing remain a priority.

What We’re Looking For

• Proven experience in a senior Food & Beverage leadership role within a busy hotel or hospitality environment.
• Strong knowledge of restaurant, bar, banqueting, wedding, and event operations.
• A commercially minded leader with experience managing budgets and driving profitability.
• Exceptional people management skills and a genuine passion for developing high-performing teams.
• A hands-on and visible management style with the ability to motivate teams through busy service periods.
• Experience managing large-scale weddings and events would be highly advantageous.
• Excellent organisational, leadership, and communication skills.
• Someone who thrives in a guest-focused environment and understands what it takes to consistently deliver unforgettable experiences.
• A proactive problem solver who enjoys taking ownership and driving positive change.

Why You’ll Love This Role

• Enjoy working in one of Waterford’s most scenic hospitality destinations, attracting guests from across Ireland and beyond.
• You’ll be joining a hotel where collaboration is valued, ideas are welcomed, and senior leadership genuinely supports one another.
• You’ll have the autonomy to manage your own roster and schedule, giving you greater control over your work-life balance than you would find in many comparable hotel leadership positions.
• From busy restaurants and bars to weddings, banqueting and events, no two days are ever the same.
• The hotel is a sought-after wedding venue with an exciting and energetic summer season that keeps the operation buzzing.
• As Food & Beverage Director, you’ll have a genuine voice in decision-making and the opportunity to shape the future direction of the business.
• Thinking about making the move to Waterford? The hotel can provide accommodation for your first few months, allowing you to settle into the area and find your own permanent accommodation at your own pace.
• This is a hotel where people enjoy coming to work, where teams support one another, and where long-term careers are built.
• Competitive salary and bonus.

Ready for Your Next Challenge?

This is more than just another Food & Beverage Director role. It’s an opportunity to join a successful independent hotel where you’ll have the freedom to lead, the support to succeed, and the work-life balance that is so often promised but rarely delivered.

If you’re a passionate hospitality leader who loves creating memorable guest experiences, developing great teams, and being part of a hotel that’s constantly evolving and improving, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply today for a confidential discussion.

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