Job Vacancy: Café Bar Manager

The IFI is seeking to appoint a Café Bar Manager to join the management team. The successful candidate should possess the energy and acumen to build on what has been achieved, and contribute to bringing the IFI Café Bar into the next exciting phase of its development. This is a unique opportunity to develop and shape the future direction and vision for the IFI Café Bar, under the guidance of the Head of Food and Beverage, ensuring it is a popular, good quality, commercially successful eating and drinking destination in the heart of Dublin’s city centre.

This job description provides an outline of the key day-to-day and strategic responsibilities of the role.

Key Job Purpose:

The Café Bar Manager is responsible for helping to build the business of the IFI Café Bar. Responsibilities include the following key areas:

• Food and Beverage Management
• Financial Management
• Customer Service and Sales
• Staff Management/HR
• Health and Safety
• Deputising for the Head of Food and Beverage

Food and Beverage Management:
The Cafe Bar Manager is responsible for the day to day delivery of the excellent food and beverage service at the venue. (S)he is responsible for ensuring the highest quality and consistency in the food delivery and presentation.

Duties include:

1. Work towards increasing standards and generating income;
2. Contribute towards menus and offerings to ensure the IFI Café Bar offers attractive and popular fare with a view to increasing footfall;
3. Implement procedures and systems to ensure the food and beverage function is being run at its most efficient level;
4. Ensuring a high standard of communication with staff of the kitchen, bar and servers, ensuring they are sufficiently briefed on events, daily service in areas of food production and service delivery;
5. Working with the Head Chef, contributing to the creation of, and implementing Standard Operating Procedures in relation to all menus on offer in the Café Bar;
6. Working with the Head Chef on ensuring the full implementation of a HACCP system in the kitchen and throughout the Food and Beverage operation.

Financial Management

The Café Bar Manager must contribute to the maximisation of the financial performance of the IFI Café Bar as follows:

1. Achieving (and working towards exceeding) sales targets;
2. Responding to weekly stock variance and margin data to ensure that all queries and variances are adequately and properly explained in a timely manner;
3. Safeguarding and managing stock in the bar and kitchen;
4. Working within the payroll and other costs parameters;
5. Monitor and review financial trends for all products and proactively respond to those trends, using the IFI sales system;
6. Ensuring that all procedures of cash handling are carried out efficiently and securely;
7. Ensuring that any administrative reports are completed as required;
8. To ensure that purchase orders are drawn up in line with expected levels of turnover and upcoming events.

Customer Service and Sales

The Café Bar Manager will have responsibility for ensuring that customers enjoy a high quality experience at the IFI Café Bar. The Café Bar Manager will work with the Head of Food and Beverage in this regard. Responsibilities include:

1. Creating and implementing a service model of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs);
2. Ensuring that all dining (and associated) areas are attractive, clean and welcoming at all times;
3. Ensuring that customers experience a warm and welcoming atmosphere;
4. Ensuring that the operation is supervised at all times;
5. Overseeing the Café Bar staff to ensure customers are receiving excellent service at all times as per the Standard Operating Procedures;
6. Ensuring staff communicate IFI deals and offers to customers at every opportunity;
7. Ensuring that  staff are constantly looking to upsell and maximise sales.
8. Ensuring all staff respond and resolve customer complaints in a courteous and efficient manner at all times;
9. Ensuring staff are well presented and groomed at all times, and adhering to uniform guidelines and standards.

Staff Management / HR
The Café Bar Manager has responsibility for the Supervisors, Head Chef, Bar / Waiting staff and Kitchen staff. Duties include:

1. Ensuring all IFI HR policies and procedures are implemented and adhered to at all times;
2. Implementing and training all team members in areas of Service, and Food / Beverage production in line with the Standard Operating Procedures;
3. Preparing staff rosters and time and to always operate according to the Working Time Act;
4. Contributing to a positive and motivated work environment;
5. Ensuring clear and efficient communication at all times within the Food and Beverage Department, with all other departments of the IFI, and all external bodies of the IFI;
6. Embracing the implementation of the Performance Appraisal System already in place.

Other

1. Adhering to licensing regulations and ensure sales of alcohol are made responsibly;
2. Management and implementation of maintenance plans;
3. Having a high level of health and safety awareness, following all necessary reporting structures;
4. Following instructions of all Heads of Departments as appropriate;
5. Liaise regularly with the Box Office Manager to ensure the Food and Beverage works smoothly with all upcoming events throughout the IFI;
6. Deputise for the Head of Food and Beverage in their absence;
7. Undertaking any task as per senior management instructions.

Person Specification

The IFI requires that the successful candidate be able to demonstrate strong examples from their past experience highlighting that they have both the capability and desire for this role. Specifically, it is seeking someone who has:

Experience and Knowledge

• Significant food and beverage experience including at least 3 years working at a similar level;
• An excellent and comprehensive knowledge of different types of cuisine and offerings;
• Proven experience and success in devising and implementing food and beverage menu offerings that are appealing to customers and which maximise profit and margins;
• Can demonstrate from previous role(s) that they can implement change with people.

Personal Qualities / Attitudes

• Strong people management skills and the ability to build, lead and motivate the IFI Café Bar team and foster a positive culture and environment;
• A positive attitude and exemplary team skills;
• A natural capacity to facilitate productive relationships with suppliers, staff, the wider management team at IFI etc.;
• Someone who combines vision with the ability to make things happen, and can work on their own initiative;
• A track record of working to budgets;
• An effective communicator;
• Problem solver;
• Strong organisational skills and an ability to work to tight deadlines;
• A good manager that will lead, adhere to and implement IFI standards and codes of practice for managers.

Terms and Conditions of Employment

The Café Bar Manager is a functional management role.

The IFI is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. It operates a model of cultural enterprise, using its Arts Council subsidy to procure diverse income streams, which are then invested back into its 3 core activities, EXHIBIT, PRESERVE, EDUCATE.

The position is offered as a fixed term contract with a six month probationary period and is based at the IFI flagship venue on Eustace Street in Dublin.  The Terms of Contract and remuneration will be offered to the successful candidate commensurate with experience.

Application Process:

Please email letter of application with CV to aisherwood@irishfilm.ie by Wednesday July 13th.

Interviews and Selection methods

• Short-listing of candidates will be on the basis of the information contained in their CV and covering letter
• Candidates who are short-listed will be invited to attend for an initial interview to be held in July
• The first interview may reduce the initial short list and remaining candidates will be invited for a subsequent second interview
• One of the interviews will require candidates to make a presentation
• Both interviews will be with an interview panel made up of the Head of Food and Beverage and may include an external expert