Director of Restaurants & Bar

Recognized as the #2 Best Canadian Hotel in Travel + Leisure's 2024 World's Best Awards, Fairmont Empress is located in Victoria, BC, overlooking the city's sparkling Inner Harbour. A Forbes recommended and MICHELIN key hotel that offers 431 beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites, Fairmont Spa with signature West Coast experiences, and Q at the Empress featuring Pacific Northwest cuisine, an award-winning wine list, and regionally focused cocktail culture. World-famous Tea at the Empress is served in the Lobby Lounge with stunning harbour views. The magnificent property completed a $60+ million restoration in 2017 that celebrated its proud history while moving the hotel into a new era of modern luxury and transforming the iconic property into a must-visit destination. In 2023, the property introduced a revamped Fairmont Gold Experience, including a major renovation to the Fairmont Gold floor. 88 Fairmont Gold rooms and a newly renovated lounge are ready to accommodate guests. Located on Vancouver Island, Canada's Castle on the Coast is the ideal starting point to explore British Columbia's stunning natural and expansive beauty. Historic Hotels Worldwide recognizes the property's prestigious grounds as the Top 25 Most Magnificent Gardens in the World.

At Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, exceptional service and inspired food & beverage are the hallmarks of every dining experience. Utilize your leadership skills as a Director, Restaurants & Bars, where your passion for both guest service and our food & beverage offerings will ensure an engaged team, consistent guest satisfaction and outstanding operating results.

What is in it for you:

• Employee benefit card offering discounted rates in Accor worldwide
• Discounted food & beverage offerings at our Vancouver sister properties
• Learning programs through our Academies
• Opportunity to develop your talent and grow within your property and across the world!
• Ability to make a difference through our Corporate Social Responsibility activities
• Complimentary meals through our colleague dining program (taxes apply)
• Complimentary dry cleaning of business attire
• Access to our full benefits package, including extended health, dental, vision benefits; life and disability insurance; pension with company match, Registered Retirement Savings Program (RRSP) with company contribution, and a Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA)
• Paid time off including vacation, sick days and holidays
• Competitive salary starting at $80,000 

What you will be doing:

Reporting to the Director, Food & Beverage, you will be an active and contributing member of the execution of strategic goals of the Food and Beverage Division. You will lead the Restaurants & Bars by promoting a positive hotel culture and ensuring effectiveness of our luxury guest services, employee performance & development, and service enhancements. You will oversee the strategic development of Q at the Empress, Veranda, In-Room Dining, The Bengal, Grab and go, and any occasional and seasonal venue operations. Analytical skills, planning, creativity, and leading others are your strengths. Your responsibilities include:

• Lead, mentor and train the Food & Beverage operations team to deliver on our Service Culture and leadership promise
• Develop sincere relationships with guests, colleagues, and departments in a warm atmosphere
• Use your emotional intelligence to create unforgettable guest experiences by understanding each guest as a unique individual, engaging with empathy, anticipating guest needs, and delivering a flawless experience
• Inspire your team to provide our guests with a flawless, meaningful and authentic luxury experience delivered in a personal way
• Act as an Ambassador and collaborate with the operations team by responding in a professional, timely and consistent manner to guest, colleague, and third party concerns, with the goal of always improving and when necessary, recovering remarkably
• Demonstrate a commitment to Service Excellence through a visible presence on the floor, responding to and analyzing guest feedback through our Voice of Guest platform, and leading improvement activities based on guest and colleague feedback
• Set service levels and standards based on the LQA and FORBES standards, ensuring ongoing training and internal auditing of the standards and deliver on audit reports
• Strategize on new products, service offerings, and upsell opportunities
• Create and achieve F&B goals aligned with our four hotel vision (colleague, guest, owner, brand)
• Drive revenue and profit through the development and implementation of strategies, practices and promotions while in keeping with the overall concept
• Effectively manage the departmental budget
• Create an F&B leadership succession plan by coaching and developing leaders through ongoing conversation and feedback, annual performance reviews, developmental plans, and career paths
• Lead F&B division in employee engagement initiatives and action planning based on colleague feedback and engagement survey responses
• Host and empower departmental leaders to hold monthly departmental meetings related to hotel goals and planning, guest satisfaction, financial results, employee engagement, health & safety, employee recognition, sustainability, brand standards, etc.
• Actively participate in hotel committees for recognition, sustainability, health & safety, and diversity & inclusion, and promote and champion committee initiatives
• Network with peers in the PNW region and industry to understand industry trends and develop innovative service and product ideas
• Develop and maintain strong partnerships with corporate and tourism sponsors
• Other duties as assigned

• 5 years’ of previous experience and food & beverage
• 2 years’ of previous experience in a senior leadership role in food & beverage
• Previous experience creating wine menus, including pairing, costing and inventory
• Previous opening experience preferred
• Previous experience working in a union environment preferred
• University degree/diploma in Hotel Management, Hospitality, or related discipline an asset
• Serving It Right & Food Safe Certification
• Strong Microsoft program knowledge including outlook, excel and word
• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills
• Proven ability to analyze data and trends, create strategies for improvement, and take risks
• Highly organized and ability to work well under pressure
• Flexibility and ability to adapt to changing priorities
• Vision and ability to lead and motivate others

Physical Aspects of Position (include but are not limited to):

• Requires long periods of standing and walking throughout the shift.  
• Regular movement to monitor and support various sections of the floor, including carrying light items such as menus or small trays when needed 

Visa Requirements: Must be legally eligible to work in Canada. The hotel is unable to assist candidates in obtaining Canadian work authorization.

Your team and working environment: Welcome to Canada’s Castle on the Coast. The Empress Hotel sits proudly at the centre of culture and history in Victoria, British Columbia. This is the best of all worlds – where contrast meets distinction, opulence blends harmoniously with the understated and fabled history meshes with contemporary affairs. This award-winning Victoria hotel and National Historic Site is an alluring blend of classic and contemporary, vintage and cutting-edge: Where Modern meets Iconic. Come join our wonderful team of hospitality experts!

Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:
We are an inclusive company and our ambition is to attract, recruit and promote diverse talent.

Why work for Accor?
We are far more than a worldwide leader. We welcome you as you are and you can find a job and brand that matches your personality. We support you to grow and learn every day, making sure that work brings purpose to your life, so that during your journey with us, you can continue to explore Accor’s limitless possibilities.
By joining Accor, every chapter of your story is yours to write and together we can imagine tomorrow's hospitality. Discover the life that awaits you at Accor, visit https://careers.accor.com/

Do what you love, care for the world, dare to challenge the status quo! #BELIMITLESS