Director of Food & Beverage in Bluffton, South Carolina at Berkeley Hall Club Inc

BERKELEY HALL CLUB, INC.

POSITION: Director of Food & Beverage

DEPARTMENT: Food & Beverage

REPORTS TO: Assistant General Manager

EXEMPT/NON-EXEMPT: Exempt

SUPERVISES EMPLOYEES: Yes

Club Description:

Nestled along the banks of the Okatie River in the heart of South Carolina’s Lowcountry, Berkeley Hall Club is seeking an exceptional Food & Beverage Director to lead and elevate the Club’s front-of-house operation and member dining experience.

Recognized as one of the Southeast’s premier private golf communities, Berkeley Hall Club offers a refined, yet welcoming lifestyle experience centered around championship golf, exceptional cuisine, and personalized service. As a private, member-owned club, Berkeley Hall is dedicated to creating extraordinary experiences for its members and guests while fostering a culture of excellence, teamwork, and hospitality.

Berkeley Hall’s culture is centered around delivering exceptional service within a warm, gracious, and understated atmosphere. Recognized as one of the Top 10 Employers in South Carolina and proudly holding Platinum Clubs of the World designation, Berkeley Hall is committed to excellence in both member experience and workplace culture. The Club values both its members and employees as its greatest assets and seeks leaders who are passionate about service excellence, team development, and creating memorable experiences.

Honors

Platinum Club of America

Platinum Club of the World

Distinguished Club Award

Best Residential Courses-North & South Course - Golfweek

Top 100 Golf Communities - Travel + Leisure

Top 100 Premiere Properties – Links Magazine

*Club is open 6 days per week, 12 months per year.

SUMMARY

The Food & Beverage Director serves as a key member of the Club’s leadership team and oversees the entire front-of-house operation, leading service execution while creating memorable dining and social experiences for members and guests.

This role works in close partnership with the Executive Chef, who oversees culinary operations and back-of-house functions. The ideal candidate will thrive in a collaborative environment and work exceptionally well alongside a highly energetic Executive Chef who maintains elevated execution standards and a strong commitment to culinary excellence. The relationship is intentionally collaborative, with both positions serving as equal leaders responsible for delivering a seamless and elevated overall member experience.

The successful candidate will be highly visible and engaged in the operation. This is not a desk-bound or oversight-only role. Berkeley Hall Club is seeking a leader who enjoys being present on the floor, supporting the team, engaging with members, coaching staff in real time, and setting the tone for service excellence.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Club Dining & Operations

• Strong and growing Food & Beverage operation serving an active private club membership
• Multiple dining venues include clubhouse dining, member events, social functions, and outdoor dining experiences
• Highly seasonal membership activity with strong year-round engagement
• Lunch and dinner service throughout the year
• Robust calendar of member events, wine dinners, holiday celebrations, and golf-related social programming
• Focus on elevated yet approachable dining experiences and exceptional personalized service

Leadership Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a front-of-house team including managers, servers, bartenders, and support staff
• Recruit, train, mentor, and inspire team members while fostering a positive and accountable culture
• Partner closely with the Executive Chef to create a seamless member dining experience
• Maintain a highly visible presence throughout service periods and Club events
• Oversee beverage programming with a strong emphasis on wine and beverage knowledge
• Develop annual Food & Beverage budgets and meet or exceed departmental financial goals
• Manage inventory controls, purchasing, and beverage cost performance
• Oversee payroll management and operational financial performance
• Lead event planning and execution to ensure exceptional member experiences
• Deliver service standards that consistently exceed member expectations
• Deliver operational consistency through reliable training, accountability, and standardized service systems
• Advance and elevate the Club’s beverage program, including wine programming, wine locker program development, and member wine experiences

Ideal Candidate

• Proven success in Food & Beverage leadership within a private club, luxury hospitality, resort, or similar high-touch environment
• Strong leadership presence with a hands-on and team-oriented management style
• Strong knowledge of beverage operations, wine programs, and inventory management
• Sommelier Level 1 or Level 2 certification, or advanced wine education (CMS, WSET, or equivalent), strongly preferred
• Experience managing and supporting J-1 seasonal staffing programs preferred
• Financial acumen with experience managing budgets, inventory, payroll, and cost controls
• Passion for training and staff development
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• A service philosophy centered around creating exceptional member experiences

Berkeley Hall Club’s leadership team embraces a people-first philosophy focused on supporting team members, removing barriers, and creating an environment where individuals can thrive and deliver exceptional experiences.

Physical Requirements

• Capable of working extended hours, to include weekends and holidays as necessary.
• Able to see well enough to read faint or partially obscured writing or printing, with corrective lenses if needed.
• Must be able to speak English in a clear and understandable voice so that various types of communications may be conducted with people of various levels of education and capabilities.
• Position involves kneeling, stooping, bending, pushing, shoving, lifting, carrying and moving objects that can weigh up to 50 lbs. This can occur throughout the day.
• Must be able to interact with all types of individuals, be mentally alert, detail oriented, and with good reasoning skills.
• Must be able to transport oneself throughout the property. Must have a valid state driver’s license.

This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, efforts or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job when circumstances change, e.g., emergencies, rush jobs, changes in personnel, workload, technological developments, etc.

JOB TYPE: Full-Time

SALARY/BENEFITS

Salary is open and commensurate with qualifications and experience.

The club offers an excellent employee benefit package including:

• Employer sponsored medical, dental, vision & life insurance
• 401K match plan
• Retention Bonus for every year worked starting at $500
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays
• Paid Life Insurance
• Free lunch meal while working
• Golf privileges (on select days) and Pro Shop discounts
• Continuing education and professional development support