Head of Restaurants

Job Introduction

Are you looking for a new challenge that gives you the chance to get creative and use your experience to join our Food and Restaurants team as Head of Restaurants? Looking for a company that wants to help further your career as well as provide you with an exciting, inspiring and fun place to work? 

If the answer to all of these questions is ‘yes’ then you’re just the kind of person we’re looking for!

Role Responsibility

The Head of Restaurants is a leadership role within Selfridges that leads innovation, concept development, and operations across our food and hospitality offer. We plan to make significant changes and additions to our current dining and hospitality offer and the Head of Restaurants will lead the strategy and delivery of these.

With a blend of own bought restaurants and partner sites across 4 stores, the Head of Restaurants will be creatively and commercially balanced in their approach, and will have a high level of external awareness and curiosity for the emergence of new dining trends and concepts. They will underpin this skill with deep operational experience and will be charged with delivering market-leading execution, service and clientelling.

As Head of Restaurants you will: 

• Create an exciting strategy for the reinvention of the restaurant and hospitality offer across the Selfridges estate. With creativity underpinned by robust business rationale, you will refresh and redevelop the dining offer in our stores, and also introduce new dining concepts to inspire and delight our customers
• Consider the place of dining and hospitality as a critical component in the overall customer journey and our ambition to encourage our customers to view Selfridges as a destination. Utilise customer insights as a core part of concept development and then focus on new and existing quantitative and qualitative metrics to determine the success of our offer.
• Work in partnership with Finance, Property, People and Legal teams to develop concepts from ideation through to delivery and to actively manage the performance and service delivery of incumbent brand partners. Lead on negotiation with brand partners, ensuring a collaborative and commercially robust approach to our shared success. Manage the P&L for all current and new in-store restaurants and services. Lead a programme of operational effectiveness that ensures the most robust catering and service standards and the optimization of the customer experience
• Analyse and interpret product, market and customer dynamics and behaviours. Share insights regarding local and international market activity and dynamics in food, beverage and hospitality
• Provide inspirational leadership for the team, setting clear direction and providing feedback and support to enable great performance. Leading and executing the Restaurant People Plan
• Promote and develop a collaborative working relationship with the Foodhall team
• Develop individuals through effective feedback and coaching, both ad hoc and through formal processes such as P&D reviews
• Coach our teams to think differently about our ways of working and make operational excellence the hallmark of the Selfridges hospitality experience.

The Ideal Candidate

• Innovative, knowledgeable and passionate about the food and restaurants industry, you bring both significant external market insights and competitor knowledge, utilising both to drive new and unique experiences for our customers
• A commercial business leader. You will have specific experience in the development of robust business plans and will confidently manage your business area to success and sustainable profitability
• Experienced in operating a business of complexity and scale, driving change and innovation and creating environments of service and hospitality excellence.
• Focused and self-motivated. You continually strive for excellence with the ability to develop and implement strategic plans while considering the bigger picture
• An exceptional communicator. You are both collaborative and influential, with an ability to deliver a message at all levels, from presenting strategy at board level, to coaching our teams within the restaurants, you adapt your approach and lead with confidence
• Highly organised and proactive, with the ability to manage pressing and competing deadlines. As well as adept at managing the challenges of multiple restaurants across numerous sites
• An example of our values, a trusted and respected colleague

This job is a brilliant opportunity to join a close-knit team who are incredibly passionate. If you’re looking to come into a new role and make a real impact, then this will be perfect for you.

About the Company

Our creative spirit

We are more than a shop. We are a social space where culture and commerce collide to release an energy that we call the Selfridges spirit. We are here to make our world brighter, and everyone is welcome.

Our awards cabinet

We’re not ones to brag, but since you asked...Selfridges has won the award for The World’s Best Department Store an unprecedented four times at the IGDS awards, with an additional award for the Best Sustainability Campaign. 

Our future

Since 1909 we have been at the forefront of retail and today our stores in London, Manchester and Birmingham – alongside selfridges.com and the Selfridges App – continue to redefine the way we shop and socialise. As a Selfridges team member, you will learn what it takes to consistently drive innovation, success and amazing customer experiences.

THE FUN STUFF

There are lots of reasons to be excited about joining Team Selfridges – from our fantastic team member communities to volunteer days and behind-the-scenes Selfridges experiences throughout the year.

Other benefits and rewards include:

• Generous bonus and/or commission scheme

• Discounted gym memberships

• Pension contributions 

• Annual travel pass and cycle to work schemes

• A volunteer day for all team members

• Access to a wide range of training programmes to help your career development

Selfridges