Director of Food & Beverage
Rydges Resort Hunter Valley is part of EVT, and being a part of EVT means believing in changing the game. Why? Because no one wants ordinary. If you're seeking to be part of the kind of wow-factor moments you can help shape, then you've come to the right place.
Located in the heart of Australia’s premier wine region, situated across an enormous slice of pristine countryside. Rydges Resort Hunter Valley is a vibrant 419 room resort and an all-encompassing destination for leisure, conferences, and unforgettable events. As home to the award-winning Hunter Valley Conference and Events Centre, we offer an expansive range of event spaces - from intimate boardrooms for 10 to grand celebrations for over 1,100 guests.
Whether it's a corporate gathering, elegant gala, or poolside cocktail party, our diverse venues and state-of-the-art facilities are designed to impress. With a dedicated events team, exceptional local cuisine, and immersive wine and food experiences, we bring every occasion to life with flair.
Proudly Australian & New Zealand owned, Rydges Hotels & Resorts provides a diverse range of elevated city, suburban, and resort-style hotels. From classic charm to sophisticated style, our properties have every detail considered to deliver a refreshingly local experience with exceptional comforts catering to all guests. Join our team of local heroes dedicated to enhancing every guest’s stay.
2025 & 2026 Hunter Valley Legends Awards
Hunter Valley Accommodation Operator of the Year
2025 & 2026 Accommodation Australia NSW Awards for Excellence Winner
Best Health & Wellbeing Practices
The resort features three distinct Food and Beverage outlets. The breakfast buffet in Gather Restaurant is renowned to both locals and in house guests. In the evening, we transform this space to an elevated Modern Australian menu featuring local Hunter Valley produce. Vista Bar is the resort lobby bar featuring classic cocktails and pre-dinner snacks. For a lively indoor scene or laid-back beer garden, Lovedale Brewbar serves up everything from pizzas, steaks and burgers matched with beers and ciders from Sydney Brewery, brewed right here on site! Alongside all of this, the resort also boasts being the largest Regional Conference and Events Centre in New South Wales and has room to accommodate intimate gatherings of 10 or milestone moments hosting up to 1,100 attendees in our largest venue, or across all 15 meeting rooms.
Outside of work, you will be living the Hunter Valley lifestyle with great food and wine at your doorstep, and only 1 hour to the stunning beaches and city vibe of Newcastle!
Position Overview:
As Director of Food & Beverage you will lead the day to day operations of all hotel Food & Beverage outlets and are responsible for the effective running of Hotel Services Food and Beverage to ensure the achievement of established EVT quality, guest and employee standards along with departmental revenue and profit goals. This role combines day- to-day business execution with organisational, coordination, and support responsibilities. This is a critical position requiring proven capability in creating a positive and productive work environment. Your strength will be your ability to build, motivate, and lead an effective team that delivers results and is highly engaged.
Key Responsibilities:
- Respond appropriately to guest comments and complaints (including social media), solicit feedback and build relationships that drive continuous improvements in guest satisfaction
- Ensure that guest satisfaction data is analysed and that plans are developed and implemented to achieve established goals. Regularly review guest feedback and ratings and consider corrective actions to be implemented.
- Monitor budget and control expenses with a focus on food, beverage, and labour costs.
- Manage and closely monitor payroll efficiency and productivity through careful personnel planning, payroll productivity meetings and the use of EVT scheduling tools such as EmpLive.
- Actively drive recruitment, succession planning and onboarding across hotel operations and maintain a climate that attracts, retains, and motivates top quality talent.
- Ensure the hotel services team are up-to-date with core and essential trainings; and a continuous succession planning programme is in place.
Manage performance of team through EVT tools ensuring all team members receive regular performance feedback, quarterly check in conversations, annual performance review and that robust Personal Development Plans are in place. Overseeing all disciplinary procedures in line with EVT guidelines.
- Drive eNPS participation and maintain a continuous improvement approach to departmental engagement action plans.
- Drive revenue - you will be an expert in maximising occupancy and average rate to ensure we perform competitively against the market. You’ll use company systems and processes to maximise total revenue through walk-ins, up selling, promotions and incentive schemes.
- Ensure all credit and financial transactions are handled in a secure manner, CSA compliance is understood and executed by all team members. In consultation with Finance Lead, maintain policies procedures for security of monies, credit and financial transactions, guest security and inventory control.
- Drive collaboration and quality service across the hotel through daily communication and coordination with other departments.
- Conduct routine inspections of the hotel’s outlets and public areas and take immediate actions to correct any deficiencies.
- Drives development and implementation of the annual and quarterly action planning to achieve optimum guest satisfaction and hotel compliance with all standards and requirements including Food Safety & Risk Management.
- Collaborate with Culinary lead on development of Food menus and Assistant Managers on beverage offerings across all areas of the hotel including restaurant, bar, in room dining, events and VIP amenities.
- Ensure stock control and ordering are in line with business needs – maintain 100% compliance to the hotel’s ordering platforms and budget. This includes conducting accurate monthly stock takes without any gaps in process or time.
- Champion the identification and reporting of hazards, evaluation or risks, and design and implementation of hazard and control measures. Facilitate the reporting and investigation of injuries and illnesses arising from workplace activities, recommending corrective actions to prevent or minimise the chance of recurrence
- Take the lead in a crisis in alignment with the hotel’s Crisis Manual. Conversant with the Emergency Response Team prepare emergency procedures upon advice from relevant authority that cover such emergencies as Fire, Power Outrage, Bomb Threat etc.
- Demonstrate an understanding of Code of Conduct, Crisis Management, HACCP & WH&S policies and procedures, ensuring the dissemination of information the team.
- Ad-hoc duties –you’ll support the team operationally and other hotel departments as required
Skills & Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree / higher education qualification / equivalent in Hotel Management and/or Business Administration.
- Four years of guest service/hotel experience in a management capacity across Rooms and Food & Beverage, or an equivalent combination of education and experience Comprehension of Hotel systems and revenue management principles.
- Excellent understanding of hotel systems and revenue management principles.
- Excellent project management abilities, and experience both working independently on projects as well as collaborating across functions and departments.
- Great communication skills (written and verbal), passion for delivering results and developing people and self.
- Ability to manage complex relationships along with demonstrated ability to interact with guests, staff, and third parties that reflects highly on the Hotel, the brand and EVT.
- Valid Certifications including NSW Responsible Service of Alcohol, First Aid, and a driver's license are required.
- Flexibility – early, late, weekend, night and holiday shifts are all part of the job.
Benefits and Perks:
- Paid Parental Leave for all full-time employees.
- Paid Wellbeing Day for all full-time employees.
- Wellbeing program that includes access to coaching sessions each year plus access to a variety of well-being resources for you and your family.
- Free duty meals on shift provided, free golf, free onsite carparking plus an extensive list of hotel benefits!
- 50% off stays at EVT hotels – Rydges, QT, Atura, Lylo and more.
- $2 movie tickets, plus Moonlight, Gold Class, Candy Bar discounts and more.
- Awesome winter and summer savings and discounts at Thredbo.
- Rapid career growth opportunities through our EVT network.
- Local community involvement, volunteering and charitable giving.
- Become part of Australia and NZ’s largest and most diverse experiences company!
Join Rydges Resort Hunter Valley and become an EVT experience creator, opportunity taker, the ultimate Daymaker. Join and make a positive impact on our people, communities, and environment every day.
When you click apply, you’ll be taken to our secure EVT careers portal (powered by Dayforce). This is our official system for managing applications across the EVT Group. You’ll simply enter your details and answer a few quick screening questions so we can get to know you better.
