Food & Beverage Operations Director

Job Description

Join us in shaping the future of holiday experiences across our P&O Cruises ships as the Food & Beverage Operations Director, a key senior management person within our P&O Cruises Department. At Carnival UK, we believe in the power of diversity to drive success, valuing a blend of backgrounds, experiences, and skills.

If you’re a business professional with a strategic mindset and a track record of overseeing a large department, let’s talk. We’re searching for someone who can bring fresh ideas and a new perspective to our team.

Role Overview

The P&O Cruises Guest Experience team is at the heart of our fleet operation. As the first point of contact for our shipboard leadership team, we help them to navigate between ship and shore as a source of advice and support. We plan to meet the changing needs of our guests, and we inspire and guide our crew to SHINE as they deliver our guest service programme. And when things aren’t quite right, we do what it takes to recover brilliantly.

As a Food & Beverage Operations Director, you’ll play a pivotal role in steering the direction of P&O Cruises, ensuring we continue to deliver unforgettable holiday happiness. Your direction will not only influence our health of our business, but also inspire a team of professionals to excel in their roles.

Key Accountabilities

• Oversee all aspects of the F&B operation, including bars, restaurants, galleys, and hotel stores.

• Drive operational efficiencies and improvements across the department, focusing on the guest experience and continuous enhancement to meet objectives within the fleet’s largest sub-Hotel Department.

Job Requirements

This role demands a blend of strategic vision & technical expertise. We’re looking for someone with:

• A strong commercial background, with expertise in identifying business opportunities, driving revenue growth, and aligning strategies with financial and market goals to ensure long-term success.

• The ability to deliver on revenue targets by driving sales growth, optimizing strategies, and effectively managing resources to consistently meet or exceed financial objectives.

About You

Your ability to think strategically, drive results with integrity, and inspire your team is what sets you apart. You’re not just a Food & Beverage professional; you’re a visionary person who’s ready to make a significant impact.

• Foster a collaborative and engaging environment by encouraging open communication, teamwork, and positive relationships across all levels.

• Demonstrate a methodical approach to tasks, ensuring attention to detail and accuracy while delivering high-quality results.

• Adapt to challenges with a balanced approach, combining creativity with analytical thinking to solve problems and drive continuous improvement.

Why Join Us?

Positioned within our internal structure from CUK15 (entry level) to CUK1 (Brand President), this role is classified as a CUK05, offered as a full-time position, on a permanent basis, with an offering of hybrid work including up to two days from home.

We’re more than just a holiday company; we’re a community that values work-life balance, personal growth, and wellbeing. As part of our team, you’ll enjoy:

• Annual bonus

• Employee Discounted Cruising plus Friends and Family offers

• A friendly welcome with help settling in

• Regular office events including live entertainment, lifestyle events and charity partner fundraisers

• Extensive learning and development opportunities

• Minimum 25 days leave, bank holiday allowance and holiday trading scheme

• Employee-led networks

• Employee Assistance and Wellbeing programmes

• Recognition scheme with prizes and awards

• Contributory Defined Contribution Pension scheme

• Company paid private medical and dental insurance and health assessment

• In-house Occupational Health help and access to digital GP

• Life Assurance

• Parental and adoption leave

• Employee Shares Plan

• Electric Car and Cycle to Work schemes

• Onsite restaurant offering range of healthy cooked and grab and go meals

• Discounted retail and leisure via discounts portal

Application Note

Due to the high volume of interest in our roles, we encourage early applications. This is your chance to contribute to a company that’s setting the standard for holiday experiences. Apply today to be part of our journey to create joy and memories for our customers—and for you.

Don’t let this opportunity sail away. Join us in making holiday dreams come true while advancing your career to new horizons.

#LI-Hybrid

#Job Functions: Strategy / Planning; Product Management;

#LI-HC1

About Us

Holidays are one of life’s greatest pleasures. Having the chance to relax, escape and explore is a magical thing. And there is no better holiday than a cruise.

No one knows cruising like Carnival UK, where talented people from across the globe come together to create unforgettable holiday happiness. As part of the world’s largest holiday travel and leisure company, we take enormous pride in bringing to life two of the most iconic brands from Britain’s rich seafaring heritage, P&O Cruises and Cunard. Collectively they have been delivering unbridled joy, boundless adventure and lifelong memories to millions of people for over 350 years. And in a multi-million pound global holiday market, where cruising has barely scratched the surface, we have the opportunity to do that for many, many more people.

Our diverse yet tight knit teams share high standards, heartfelt values and passion for our purpose. Our Culture Essentials describe the expectations we have for ourselves and of each other, in building a culture that supports safe, sustainable, compliant operations and celebrates diversity, equity and inclusion.

It’s through the successful delivery of these extraordinary travel experiences for our target markets and our distinctive culture, that we hope to become Travel’s Employer of Choice.