Associate Director, Food & Beverage

at  Stratford Festival

WHO WE ARE:

Based in Stratford, Ontario, the Stratford Festival is one of the world’s foremost repertory theatre companies. It operates year-round, presenting a season of about a dozen plays each year between the months of April and November, a rich stream of digital content and hundreds of events designed to deepen understanding of the plays. For every person a theatregoer sees on our stages, we have seven people working behind the scenes, some of the world’s most dedicated and experienced arts workers.
The Stratford Festival is committed to ongoing work to support equity, inclusion, anti-racism and anti-oppression in all areas of our work. These areas include play selection, casting, marketing and public relations efforts, education programs, production, design, recruitment of staff and volunteers, and the composition of the Board of Directors.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• ​​University undergraduate degree (four year program) or equivalent (i.e. BA, BSc, BComm, etc)​ in ​in Food & Beverage/Hospitality plus advanced knowledge of all regulations affecting the food service and liquor sales industry.​
• ​​4 to 6 years​ of related experience.
• ​​Ability to build rapport and effective working relationships with internal and external clients, vendors and staff.
• ​Ability to work in high-pressure situations and apply solid problem solving skills.
• ​Ability to delegate and work independently anticipating event and team needs
• ​Proven ability to manage multiple projects and events simultaneously
• ​Advanced financial acumen, including demonstrated proficiency in forecasting, pricing, and ongoing alignment to budgets that exceed $2M in annual revenues.
• ​Strong culinary management background considered an asset.​

• ​​Lead a multi-functional business unit to drive revenue that supports Stratford Festival’s financial targets.
• ​Oversee the culinary team to ensure operational efficiency, effective food cost management, enforcement of standards, and waste reduction.
• ​Responsible for overseeing menu development for the organization, including comprehensive pricing analysis to ensure profitability of food services at the Festival.
• ​Serve as the initial contact for event booking and planning services for both internal and external clients. Distribute the event booking schedule and liaise with other departments to manage events, ensuring appropriate planning and staffing in collaboration with the Events Manager.
• ​Forecast Food & Beverage budgets and collaborate with the team to achieve revenue and expense targets aligned with aggressive profit objectives.
• ​Develop and implement strategies to increase sales and minimize expenses while maintaining a focus on delivering an excellent guest experience.
• ​Regularly manage a core leadership team and oversee 50+ seasonal employees, including culinary and service staff.
• ​Support the leadership team in liaising with third-party suppliers to address daily departmental needs and negotiate vendor deals to manage costs effectively.
• ​Review daily reports and support leadership team to solve operational issues that affect staff satisfaction and guest experience.
• ​Resolve escalated guest issues, including both internal and external clients.
• ​Assist Audience Engagement senior leadership in developing and executing ‘Sense of Occasion’ strategies to ensure the delight of audiences and event guests.​
• Recruit, manage and provide direction and support to employees, fostering professional development, effectively managing performance, and maintaining a caring and inclusive work environment.
• Adhere to the Stratford Festival Health & Safety Commitment and Procedures and ensure that safe work practices and policies are supported and enforced within reporting structure.
• Perform other duties as assigned