Director, Restaurant Openings & Concept Development

The Director, Restaurant Openings & Concept Development is accountable for end‑to‑end Food & Beverage (F&B) readiness for New Hotel Openings (NHOP) and Re-concept/Renovations across the Luxury & Lifestyle and Managed hotel portfolio. This role owns the F&B concept development process, critical path, and governance, ensuring concepts are brand‑aligned, market‑relevant, operationally viable, and delivered on time to support development timelines.

Concept development serves as the primary upstream input into restaurant openings readiness. The role operates primarily as a process owner and orchestrator, coordinating internal stakeholders and external agency partners, while selectively leading creative concept development for halo assets and priority projects where bespoke differentiation is required.

Your day to day

NHOP F&B Readiness & Governance

• Owns NHOP F&B critical path and governance, serving as the single point of accountability for F&B readiness milestones.

• Coordinate with key internal and external stakeholders including Design, Operations, Commercial, Development, etc.

• Accountable for all NHOP F&B readiness deliverables, including:

• Concept sign‑off where applicable

• Agency alignment

• Design and development inputs

• Menu and bar readiness

• Training schedule, timeline and delivery

• Ensures alignment between F&B concept development milestones and overall development timelines.

• Leads issue resolution and escalation to maintain schedule, quality, and readiness standards.

• Manages deployment schedules for F&B task force and works in tandem with finance to ensure task force program is billed accordingly

Concept Development

• Serves as process owner and orchestrator for agency‑led and internally created concept development

• Defines scope, briefs, timelines, and governance for external agency partners.

• Oversees agency outputs to ensure alignment with brand intent, market context, operational feasibility, and cost discipline.

• Owns and maintains relationships with third party agency from approved/preferred partner lists.

• Acts as the readiness gatekeeper for concept progression prior to Brand and Operations sign‑off.

• Personally leads creative concept development for select halo assets and priority projects.

• Develops or directly shapes for halo / select in-house bespoke concept development:

• Market Research

• Concept narrative and positioning

• Menu and bar direction

• Guest experience intent

• Serves as the strategic owner of scalable F&B concepts across the L&L portfolio.

• Owns the evolution, adaptation, and readiness of core concepts for deployment across markets.

• Ensures concepts remain commercially relevant, operationally viable, and aligned to brand intent.

• Partners with Brand, Design, and Operations to translate concepts into deployable toolkits and NHOP‑ready assets.

• Attend development pitches and represent the Food & Beverage organization to potential owners

• Communicate status updates to ownership groups and internal stakeholders on NHOP and Concept readiness and timelines

What we need from you

• Bachelor's degree preferred. Experience leading cross-functional teams in a global hospitality company
• At least 10 years of relevant experience with at least 6 years of experience at the Director level or above. Operational experience as a GM or Head of Food & Beverage in a Full Service or Luxury property; Experience and expertise in the development and roll out of Food & Beverage Programs and Products in the hospitality industry.
• Is proficient in the use of Microsoft Office, Avero, Revinate, JD Edwards and Vantage.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams in a global hospitality company.
• Operationally savvy: Can walk in the shoes of hotel owners and operators; aware of the realities and challenges of hotel restaurant operations.
• Strategic vision: Ability to pull together consumer and commercial priorities to envision how Kimpton''s products should evolve.
• Leadership skills: Ability to build, inspire and focus a team on delivery; passionate and committed; able to build a strong culture.
• Results orientated: Completer/finisher - pushes projects through and delivers tangible change in the business; ability to execute.
• Collaborative team player: Politically savvy; great at building consensus and relationships across all levels, effectively coordinates effort.
• Resourcefulness/Organizational savvy: Knows who to ask for what and when to do it; can navigate the organization with minimal guidance. Collaborates with Regional Vice Presidents/Directors of Operations to build ownership support.
• Innovative: Creative thinker with the ability to transform ideas into a practical strategy.
• Dialed In: Commits to continuous education and ongoing networking within the market/industry.
• Commercial focus: Good financial understanding and broader business perspective; commercial, action orientated mindset.
• Credible: Can win trust of senior stakeholders up to and including EC (Executive Committee) level.
• Communication skills: Exceptional communication ability to build and maintain strong relationships. Communicates expectations, deadlines and needs/progress.

Travel - 30%

Location - Remote: Candidate must reside in the United States within 1 hour proximity to a major US airport; OR Atlanta, GA: Our hybrid work structure is an expectation of three (3) days a week in office. This expectation may be adjusted to evolve with the changing needs of the business.

The salary range for this role is $120,000.00 to $160,000.00. This role is also eligible for bonus pay (as applicable). We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance, 401K, and other benefits to employees.

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At IHG, we've made a promise. As one of the world's leading hotel groups, we're here to deliver True Hospitality for Good. Making our guests and colleagues feel welcome, cared for, recognised and respected - wherever they are in the world. Want to be part of the journey?