Hotel Senior Assistant Food & Beverage Manager - Elysee New York

ABOUT ELYSEE NEW YORK

Elysee New York is entering a new chapter as an intimate luxury boutique hotel in the heart of Midtown Manhattan. The hotel blends the elegance of a historic New York residence with the warmth and cultural spirit of a European luxury hotel, delivering a guest experience built on genuine hospitality, considered detail, and quiet discretion. Elysee New York by Wunderkind Hotels is managed by Crescent Hotels & Resorts, one of North America's leading hospitality management companies.

ABOUT SALON SANSSOUCI

At the heart of Elysee New York is Salon Sanssouci, the hotel's intimate, residential-style lounge, inspired by the elegance and relaxed hospitality of Sanssouci Palace in Potsdam, Germany. More than a hotel lounge, Salon Sanssouci is the social and cultural living room of the hotel, which has been a New York City icon for 100 years. Salon Sanssouci is a place where guests begin their morning, gather throughout the day, and settle into evening conversation. True to its French meaning "without worries," Salon Sanssouci carries the details, so guests never have to. The experience is refined but never formal, handled with warmth and discretion.

POSITION OVERVIEW

Elysee New York is seeking an experienced, service-driven Senior Assistant Food & Beverage Manager to help direct the daily operations across Salon Sanssouci and the hotel's food and beverage operations. Reporting to the Food & Beverage Manager and the Director of Operations, this individual supervises front-of-house associates, maintains service and cleanliness standards, and serves as the manager on duty for Salon Sanssouci during assigned shifts. The Food & Beverage operation runs to Leading Quality Assurance and Forbes 5-Star standards, and the Senior Assistant Food & Beverage Manager is responsible for translating those standards into daily service behavior, team coaching, and consistent execution. This position requires flexibility across mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays based on occupancy and business demands.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

GUEST EXPERIENCE AND SALON SANSSOUCI LEADERSHIP

• Assist in managing the daily operations of the restaurant, lounge, in-room dining, and other assigned Food & Beverage outlets.

• Lead by example in providing exceptional hospitality: greeting guests, monitoring the dining experience, resolving concerns, and ensuring prompt service recovery.

• Serve as the manager on duty for the restaurant during assigned shifts, assuming leadership responsibilities in the Restaurant Manager's absence.

• Review guest comments, online reviews, guest satisfaction scores, and loyalty program feedback to identify service improvement opportunities.

TEAM LEADERSHIP AND DEVELOPMENT

• Supervise restaurant associates during assigned shifts, ensuring exceptional guest service and compliance with Elysee New York and brand standards.

• Assist with recruiting, interviewing, onboarding, training, coaching, scheduling, and evaluating restaurant associates.

• Conduct daily pre-shift meetings to review occupancy, reservations, VIP arrivals, menu changes, promotions, safety topics, and service expectations.

• Foster a positive, inclusive, and respectful work environment through coaching, recognition, communication, and accountability.

OPERATIONAL AND BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

• Monitor staffing levels and assist in adjusting schedules based on business volume, occupancy forecasts, and special events, helping control labor costs.

• Ensure restaurant opening, shift transition, and closing procedures are completed accurately and on schedule.

• Monitor inventory levels of food, beverages, linens, china, glassware, silverware, menus, and operating supplies, communicating replenishment needs to management.

• Assist in controlling food, beverage, labor, and operating costs by minimizing waste and maximizing productivity.

• Monitor point-of-sale transactions, cash handling, discounts, voids, and shift reconciliations to ensure compliance with company procedures.

• Complete administrative responsibilities including daily reports, shift logs, coaching documentation, payroll review, scheduling support, inventory records, and operational checklists.

QUALITY, SAFETY, AND COORDINATION

• Partner with the Executive Chef and culinary team to ensure efficient communication, timely food delivery, menu consistency, and Leading Quality Assurance and Forbes 5-Star standards.

• Monitor food quality, beverage presentation, cleanliness, and overall guest experience throughout each shift.

• Ensure compliance with all food safety, sanitation, personal hygiene, HACCP, and health department regulations, including proper food labeling, dating, storage, rotation (FIFO), and temperature monitoring.

• Promote responsible alcohol service and ensure compliance with all applicable liquor laws and company policies.

• Coordinate restaurant operations with Front Office, Housekeeping, Engineering, and Sales to ensure seamless service for hotel guests and group events.

• Inspect restaurant furniture, fixtures, equipment, and facilities, reporting maintenance concerns and following up to ensure timely resolution.

• Serves as the Storytelling Champion for Salon Sanssouci and Elysee New York

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Minimum three years of progressive food and beverage experience within an upscale, luxury, lifestyle hotel, private-club, or fine-dining environment, including at least three years of management experience overseeing restaurant, lounge, bar, or hotel food and beverage operations, ideally within the New York City market.

• Strong leadership presence and a genuine passion for luxury hospitality, with the ability to lead confidently from the floor using emotional intelligence, discretion, sound judgment, problem-solving, and service-recovery skills.

• Thorough knowledge of food, wine, spirits, cocktails, luxury beverage service, fine dining, lounge, and bar operations.

• Demonstrated experience operating within Leading Quality Assurance or Forbes Five-Star service standards, including the ability to translate luxury criteria into daily service, training, coaching, and team preparation for quality assessments.

• Experience opening, reopening, repositioning, or launching a hotel, restaurant, lounge, or new hospitality concept.

• Previous experience with The Leading Hotels of the World or a comparable luxury organization is preferred.

• Food Protection Manager and TIPS Certification, or the ability to obtain both within thirty days of hire, and experience with MICROS or a comparable point-of-sale system.

• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Stand and walk for extended periods throughout the shift.

• Frequently bend, stoop, kneel, push, pull, reach, and lift.

• Lift and carry up to 40 pounds regularly, and occasionally up to 50 pounds with assistance.

• Work in restaurant, kitchen, lounge, and hotel environments with exposure to heat, cold, steam, noise, and cleaning chemicals.

• Ability to respond quickly to changing operational demands.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• Competitive salary, benefits package, 401(k) eligibility, professional development opportunities, and hotel travel benefits available through eligible programs.

WHY JOIN ELYSEE NEW YORK by WUNDERKIND HOTELS

Joining Elysee New York is an opportunity to help shape the re-emergence of a legendary New York hotel and to build a new standard of intimate, personalized luxury hospitality. The Assistant Food & Beverage Manager helps bring the Food & Beverage guest journey to life from its earliest days, work that is considered, genuine, and built to last, on a platform toward future hotel leadership growth opportunities. We invite candidates who believe that luxury is defined not by formality alone, but by generosity, discretion, and the ability to make every guest feel genuinely seen, to join us and help build a place where every guest, and every team member, belongs.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

Elysee New York Hotel, managed by Crescent Hotels & Resorts, is an Equal Opportunity Employer, including Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the applicable Know Your Rights notice from the United States Department of Labor.

NOTE:

This description excludes non-essential and marginal functions of the position that are incidental to the performance of the fundamental job duties. Furthermore, the specific examples in each section are not intended to be all-inclusive. Rather, they represent the typical elements and criteria considered necessary to perform the job successfully. Other job-related duties may be assigned by the associate's supervisor.

Furthermore, this description is subject to change, in the sole discretion of the Company, and in no way creates an employment contract, implied or otherwise; each associate remains, at all times, an "at will" associate.