The Director, Dining Training & Development, builds and leads a comprehensive training strategy for all dining concepts and locations, creating scalable programs, tools, and standards from the ground up. This role owns core Dining training programs while partnering with brand partners and internal stakeholders to ensure alignment, integration, and consistent execution of brand partner training requirements.
Duties And Responsibilities
Training Strategy & Program Development
- Develop and lead the overall Dining training strategy across all concepts and locations, creating structure where limited training currently exists.
- Build foundational training programs for FOH and BOH, including onboarding, role-based training, service standards, product knowledge, and leadership development.
- Establish standardized learning paths, training timelines, and proficiency benchmarks for key roles (servers, bartenders, hosts, managers, cooks, barbacks, etc.).
- Create training “playbooks,” tools, and resources (SOPs, manuals, guides, checklists, videos, job aids) that ensure consistent execution.
Operational Readiness & Execution
- Partner with Dining Operations to ensure training supports labor models, staffing plans, opening readiness, and ongoing performance goals.
- Design and deliver pre-opening training plans for new venues and major launches, including training schedules, trainer deployment, and certification processes.
- Create and implement service standards training to ensure the guest experience is consistent, scalable, and aligned with brand expectations.
Leadership Development & Trainer Enablement
- Build a scalable “train-the-trainer” program and develop a network of certified trainers and training champions within the Dining organization.
- Create manager and leadership development programs focused on coaching, accountability, shift execution, and operational excellence.
- Coach leaders to effectively train, onboard, and develop teams at the unit level.
Measurement, Continuous Improvement & Performance
- Define training KPIs and targets (time-to-proficiency, certification rates, guest satisfaction metrics, quality scores, retention, etc.).
- Implement methods to evaluate training effectiveness, identify gaps, and continuously improve training content and delivery.
- Use operational feedback, audits, and performance data to refine training programs and improve consistency across locations.
Position Qualifications
- Proven ability to build training programs and infrastructure from the ground up in a multi-unit dining or hospitality environment.
- Strong operational knowledge of restaurant and bar service models and unit-level execution.
- Experience developing training content, learning paths, and certification standards for FOH/BOH roles.
- Strong communication, facilitation, and stakeholder influence skills.
- Highly organized, able to manage multiple priorities, and comfortable operating in a fast-changing environment.
- Analytical mindset with experience setting KPIs and using performance data to improve training outcomes.
Minimum Requirements
Legal Age: 18 years
Education or Equivalent Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality, Education, Training & Development, Business, or related field; or equivalent experience.
Supervisory/Managerial Experience: 3+ years
Function-Specific Experience
- 8–10+ years of restaurant/hospitality experience, including training or operations leadership.
- 3–5+ years leading multi-unit training programs, learning development, or large-scale training initiatives.
