Director, Culinary and F+B Operations

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Job Summary

The Director, Culinary and F+B Operations leads operational support for onboard and onshore disciplines across new and existing emerging luxury businesses within Marriott International’s 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, Emerging Businesses, 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 Marriott’s brands as needed.

Ideal Background / What Success Looks Like

Successful candidates bring proven, hands-on operational leadership in luxury Food & Beverage—covering both front of house (service, bar, dining operations) and culinary/back of house—and have led teams through multi-site / multi-unit execution with measurable results (guest satisfaction, quality scores, margin, and consistency). Experience in cruise, rail, or other complex mobile hospitality environments is strongly valued. Candidates do not need every background listed, but those who match most of these experiences tend to be most successful in this role.

Key Responsibilities

• Facilitate collaboration between Luxury 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 Marriott’s 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, and Michelin 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

Required Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Hotel & Restaurant Management, Culinary Science, or related field (or equivalent, directly relevant experience).
• Minimum 8 years of leadership experience with proven results in luxury Food & Beverage operations, spanning both front of house (service, bar, dining operations) and culinary/back of house (kitchen operations, menu execution, training, sanitation/quality).
• Multi-unit / multi-site experience leading standards and execution across multiple venues, concepts, or properties (e.g., multiple restaurants/bars, shipboard venues, rail dining programs, or a portfolio of luxury outlets).
• Experience in cruise, rail, or other high-complexity/mobile hospitality operations is a strong plus (onboard service delivery, space constraints, provisioning/logistics, safety and regulatory requirements).
• Excellent project management and change leadership capabilities.
• Deep understanding of luxury guest expectations, demonstrated through direct leadership in both front of house and back of house environments (e.g., Forbes/LQA or equivalent quality programs, brand standards, training and service culture, culinary execution and consistency).

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.

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.

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.

Preferred Skills & Qualifications

• Proven luxury F&B operator with depth across both culinary and service disciplines; able to translate elevated concepts into repeatable, scalable operating models.
• Strong differentiator: cruise or rail F&B experience (or similarly complex, high-volume luxury operations) with responsibility for onboard/remote execution, training, and consistent delivery.
• Strong differentiator: multi-unit leadership (standardization, quality assurance, coaching, and performance improvement across multiple outlets/locations).
• Experience in Forbes Five Star environments and familiarity with FTG/LQA standards
• Proven success leading projects and initiatives in matrix organizations.
• 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.

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At Marriott International, we are dedicated to being an equal opportunity employer, welcoming all and providing access to opportunity. We actively foster an environment where the unique backgrounds of our associates are valued and celebrated. Our greatest strength lies in the rich blend of culture, talent, and experiences of our associates.  We are committed to non-discrimination on any protected basis, including disability, veteran status, or other basis protected by applicable law.