Buffet Supervisor for MSC Cruises

We are looking for a candidate with a proven track record in the food and beverage industry, particularly in a similar supervisory role within the cruise line or hospitality industry.

Your experience should include the following:

• Managing Buffet Operations: Overseeing the daily operations of a buffet area, ensuring food quality, service efficiency, and cleanliness are maintained at all times.
• Handling Guest Complaints: Addressing and resolving guest concerns or issues promptly to ensure satisfaction and maintain the high standards of service our guests expect.
• Maintaining Health and Safety Standards: Ensuring that food safety, hygiene, and other health regulations are adhered to, keeping the buffet area and kitchen safe and compliant with industry standards.
• Supervisory Experience: Leading a team, including organizing shifts, providing training, and ensuring your team adheres to service standards and operational procedures.
• Efficiency Under Pressure: Ability to work in a high-pressure environment, ensuring smooth operations even during peak dining times, while maintaining attention to detail.
• Commitment to Customer Service: A strong passion for delivering exceptional service, continuously striving to enhance the dining experience for guests.

Key Responsibilities:

• To provide and supervise the efficient operation of all meals and meal services at the buffet, including early morning beverage service, breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and where required because of logistics and catering requirements, dinners.
• To inspect all Buffet Lines & service stations for cleanliness and correct mis-en-place before and after every meal.
• To make a regular check to verify that the Buffet Lines are in good order, that music is playing correctly at all meals, that menus & Food Labels are placed on time, tables are clean and aligned, table bases, chairs and carpets & floor are clean, table numbers, other tableware is in its specified position, and buffet lights working and at correct level.
• To check the buffet team, waiters and assistant waiters when they arrive in the Buffet & Speciality restaurants, ensuring they have showered, shaved, hair neat, no more than one plain ring on one hand, have a clean and pressed uniform, that they are using effective deodorant, the name badge is on the left side of the jacket, and that they are not carrying cigarettes or mobile telephones.
• To comply with Company and MSC SANITATION STANDARDS sanitation procedures, training and self-inspections, whether or not the vessel is trading in MSC SANITATION STANDARDS-regulated areas.
• To provide familiarization and training for the buffet team as soon as possible after they embark.
• To make sanitation inspections of all buffet areas as required by the Maitre d’Hotel.
• To update the Buffet noticeboards with all menus applicable for the area.
• To assemble the Buffet team each day for refresher and pre-meal meetings.
• To train, coach, and direct all subordinates to identify a logical replacement in the event of illness or absence for any reason.
• To actively supervise the food and beverage service offered by the Buffet team as required by Passengers.
• To investigate and resolve quickly any passenger complaints about culinary quality and service, always with a view to provide passenger satisfaction.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise:

• Qualifications: Relevant experience in food and beverage management, preferably in a cruise line or large-scale hospitality environment.
• Languages: Fluent in English (oral and written). Proficiency in an additional European language is an advantage.
• Experience: Proven supervisory experience in a buffet or similar dining service environment onboard cruise ships or in large-scale hotels and restaurants.
• Skills: Strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills. Ability to handle multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment. Knowledge of health and safety regulations, food safety standards, and exceptional customer service practices.
• Other Requirements: Ability to work in a multicultural team. Must be flexible and adaptable to changing situations, with a strong sense of accountability and initiative.