Director of Operations - Food & Beverage Hospitality | Etihad Park

THE ROLE

The Director of Operations-Food & Beverage Hospitality will lead the strategy, planning, and execution of the food and beverage operations at NYCFC’s new world-class stadium. This role is responsible for delivering seamless, efficient, and high-quality experience across all hospitality spaces. The Director will drive operational excellence, ensuring all systems, processes, and teams are aligned to support a best-in class fan and guest experience.

In addition to overseeing pre-opening readiness, the Director of Operations will lead all day-to-day stadium operations once the venue is open, ensuring smooth execution of matchdays and major events while continuously improving performance, efficiency, and guest satisfaction for New York City Football Club.

THE PROJECT

The New York City Football Club is a professional soccer club competing in Major League Soccer. The club is preparing to open its first-ever soccer-specific stadium, a state-of-the-art 25,000-seat venue at Etihad Park in Queens, New York. Scheduled to open for the 2027 season, the stadium will set a new standard for fan experience, with premium hospitality playing a central role in its design and offerings.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Lead day-to-day stadium hospitality operations, ensuring seamless execution across all food and beverage outlets.
• Oversee event and matchday operations, delivering efficient, high-quality service at scale.
• Lead a team of managers and supervisors across all major hospitality spaces.
• Develop and implement operational policies, procedures, SOPs and service standards.
• Regular review of performance.
• Ensure all operations meet health, safety, and sanitation regulations.
• Drive operational efficiency, cost control, and labor optimization.
• Partner with culinary teams to execute menus and maintain quality standards.
• Interaction and liaison with the Client to ensure positive relationships are maintained.
• Deliver on agreed service experience and expectations.
• Lead crisis management and contingency planning for operational disruptions.
• Drive sustainability initiatives, including waste reduction and responsible sourcing practices.
• Ensure readiness and execution of non-matchday events, including concerts and private functions.
• Partner with technology teams to implement and optimize POS systems and operational tools.
• Recruit, lead, engage and develop a large, diverse workforce, including full-time, part-time, and event staff.
• Oversee staffing plans and scheduling to ensure event and game day success and a seamless guest experience.
• Drive innovation across hospitality operations by introducing new technologies, service models, and guest experience enhancements to improve efficiency and elevate the overall fan experience.
• Monitor and drive performance metrics, guest feedback, and KPIs to drive continuous improvement.
• Oversee inventory control processes, including ordering, tracking, and reconciliation, to ensure product availability while minimizing waste and loss
• Manage vendor relationships, procurement, and inventory control processes.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and financial performance of stadium operations.
• Act as senior on-site leader during events, resolving issues in real time and ensuring an exceptional guest experience.
• Practice safe work habits and complete company and venue safety and general compliance training.
• Maintain a pleasant and collaborative attitude towards customers, co-workers, and management.
• Adheres to the Legends Global and venue company policies.
• Complete other duties assigned by management.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, the candidate must be able to perform each essential duty above at the highest levels. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• 5 years + management experience in a hospitality setting, ideally stadiums or large-scale event operations.
• Bachelor's degree or higher in related field preferred.
• Proven track record of managing medium to large teams.
• Advantage if candidate has demonstrated experience of leading venue openings or major operational launches in a management position.
• Excellent communication and emotional intelligence skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Able to demonstrate flexibility and quickly adapt to changes.
• Ability to be self-motivated and work independently and work well as a team player.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.

COMPENSATION

Competitive salary range of $90,000 - $100,000 plus bonus potential commensurate with experience, and a generous