Assistant Director of Food

We are currently recruiting for a dynamic, innovative and results driven Assistant Director of Food & Beverage at Ashford Castle, to provide quality service to our guests, in line with the Forbes Five Star standards and The Red Carnation Hotels standards . Who are we? In choosing to join Ashford Castle, you become part of a significant piece of history, both of Ireland and the Red Carnation Hotel Collection. Through the grand stone gates, a royal adventure begins. This remarkable 800-year-old castle, widely recognised as Ireland's top hotel destination and once home to the Guinness family, is exceptional in every sense. Discover exquisite interiors, delicious cuisine, a wealth of unique activities and a state-of-the-art spa. The extraordinary characters of the castle passionately care about each and every guest experience. Ashford Castle, voted No. 1 in Top 10 Resort Hotels in the UK and Ireland in Travel + Leisure 'World's Best' Awards 2020 and awarded Five Stars by Forbes Travel Guide 2021 and retained in 2024. Working alongside our Director of Food and Beverage and our Food and Beverage team directly, the duties will include: Financial: Accountability for beverage cost of sales in line with monthly stock taking Ensure the beverage offering is constantly evolving in line with world trends and be a leader in the market with these trends. Keep on track of all price changes and ensure margins are kept for all beverages Overseeing weekly rostering in line with business demands and with the right level of staffing Working with the HOD's to ensure weekly staffing requirements are in line with the companies financial goals and within agreed payroll costs. People Management: Help train, develop and coach Supervisors in their roles to be the best managers and leaders. Provide strong engagement with the managers and supervisors to better lead their teams. Collaborate with all training on a people management requirement, including 1-2-1 training appraisal and follow up with these managers and supervisors. Operational: Work with Heads of Department and/or Training Manager to ensure all training is up to date and recorded. Provide training where required and ensure training needs are followed up in a timely manner. Take ownership of the Forbes 5 Star Standards to ensure these are correctly followed on an operational level and provide feedback, training and further monitoring to ensure all service standards are adhered to. Ensure all equipment is in a working condition and ensure stock takes are done where required. Take ownership and drive across all departments the need to look after equipment, provide solutions where needed and follow up to ensure equipment needs across the outlets are to the required stock level. General: Support with the strategic objections as agreed with the Director of F&B and Executive Management. Support the Executive Chef and senior kitchen team with the Operational team to ensure cross departmental objectives are clearly communicated. What's in it for you? Professional, award winning training and development opportunities Discounted accommodation rates with Red Carnation Hotel Collection Annual Staff Appreciation Party and other Employee Recognition Events Discounted rates with many local businesses and third party service providers (including Estate Activities) Heavily subsidised accommodation (subject to availability) Free meals on duty Complimentary dry cleaning of business attire Recommend friend and family bonus scheme Two paid volunteering days each year Holiday allowance increasing with length of service up to 25 days Hotel based recognition incentives Free access to Employee Assistance Programme Join us in this incredible new opportunity We are an equal opportunities employer. The successful candidate must also be legally eligible to work in Ireland