Head of Food Development

Carnival UK is in search of a Senior Food and Dining Product Development Manager who will be responsible for food and dining new product strategy, development and product lifecycle management, whilst also leading the design and concept creation for refits and new builds across our P&O Cruises fleet.

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 lead 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 and Dining Product Development Senior Manager, you’ll play a pivotal role in defining our Food and Dining product strategies and standards for our P&O Cruises fleet (and liaising closely with our Cunard brand team to share learnings & best practice). Designing activities and plans which maximise onboard revenue and guest satisfaction whilst also managing associated costs in line with agreed budgets. At P&O Cruises, food is fundamental to our brand proposition, and we are searching for a Senior Manager Food/Head of Food Development to drive our dining concept delivery.

If you have proven experience of driving food concept strategies and menu development lifecycle change management, then we would love to hear from you. Our guests' choice of food options is broad, between included offers like our main dining room and buffet restaurant to upgrading to a range of speciality dining concepts, and we know how important food quality and food choice are across that offer. This role is the driving force in designing our food offer of the future, identifying guest or commercial opportunities and working with our culinary development & operational teams to bring that innovation to life.

Accountabilities include:

• To deliver on strategic commercial goals and deliver forecast against all food lines through design and execution of defined strategy.
• Conduct full lifecycle analysis for all Food and Dining products, influencing support functions to highlight any required improvements in commercial reporting, which could aid optimisation of food sales.
• Working closely with analytical support functions to highlight food and dining opportunities and design activities/plans to maximise food and dining sales, supporting the overall design, development, implementation, and performance review of all food and dining products/concepts.
• Design & optimise Food and Dining product propositions (e.g., pricing strategies, service-ware, technology, service procedures, range, etc.) which in turn drive onboard revenue and guest satisfaction.

This role is classified as a CUK06 offered as a full-time position, on a permanent basis, with hybrid work including up to two days from home.

Requirements:

Your Expertise and Leadership

To thrive as a Food and Dining Product Development Senior Manager, we’re looking for:

• Strong Financial & Commercial acumen, with an understanding and experience of managing revenue and cost budget lines.
• Broad exposure or knowledge of a range of food and dining environments, including multi-site and high-volume businesses.
• Experience of liaising and influencing multidisciplinary stakeholders in an established, complex environment.
• Proven track record in dining product development.

About You:

A Catalyst for Change

We believe that diversity enriches our team. We’re interested in candidates who:

• Provide Leadership and direction: Taking responsibility for self and team actions, ensuring a positive impact on both culture and behaviours.
• Work collaboratively and engage others, with a focus on accountability and team spirit.
• Drive change and improvement through all actions, ensuring this is cascaded through team and cross-departmental engagements.

Why Join Us?

Working with us is about more than a job. It’s about creating unforgettable holiday happiness for our guests and a fulfilling career for you. Our benefits package reflects our commitment to your wellbeing:

• 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

Ready to Lead? If guiding a F&B Product Development team to new heights excites you, we’re eager to hear from you. Apply now to start your journey with us, where your performance-led leadership will make a difference in our shared success.