Food & Beverage Manager | Virgin Lounge - Sydney

EXPRESSION OF INTEREST

Food & Beverage Manager - Virgin Australia Lounge, Sydney

Six-month temporary appointment | September 2026 - February 2027

The Opportunity

We are seeking an experienced leader to step into the Food & Beverage Manager role at our Virgin Australia Sydney Lounge for a six-month period, covering approved extended leave.

This is a full site leadership role with accountability for a team of approximately 60 staff, the site cost centre budget and the day-to-day client relationship with Virgin Australia. You will report to the National Operations Manager, Trippas White Group.

The site is well established with a capable 2IC and an experienced team, so day-to-day service is in good shape. What this appointment needs is a manager who can lift their head above the floor - set standards, hold people to them, and drive the people and compliance work that sits behind a well-run lounge.

What you will be responsible for

• Overall operation of the lounge: food and beverage standards, guest experience, presentation and compliance with Virgin Australia lounge standards
• Leading, coaching and managing the supervisor group and lounge team
• Rostering, payroll processing, ordering, invoicing and operational reporting
• Managing the site to budget, with weekly and monthly financial review
• WHS, food safety, incident reporting and Safety Culture compliance
• The client relationship with Virgin Australia at site level

Key focus areas for this appointment

• People and performance: Setting clear expectations, running structured performance conversations, and applying HR policy fairly and consistently with support from People & Culture.
• Safety and compliance: Full completion of Safety Culture reporting, mandatory training compliance, and closing out corrective actions within agreed timeframes.

What we are looking for

• Proven experience managing a large hospitality team, ideally in a high-volume or aviation environment
• Genuine strength in performance management, HR process and difficult conversations - this role needs someone comfortable holding accountability and following through
• Strong working knowledge of WHS obligations, incident management and Safety Culture.
• Excellent time management and the ability to prioritise across competing demands
• The ability to work at a strategic level while still knowing what is happening on the floor
• Calm, consistent and measured under operational pressure
• Confident with rosters, budgets and reporting

Eligibility

• Able to attain and hold an Aviation Security Identification Card (ASIC)
• Available for the full term, September 2026 through February 2027
• Endorsement from your current manager if internal application

How to apply

Submit a short expression of interest (no more than one page) addressing the criteria above, along with a current CV, to Thomas.harrop@trippaswhitegroup.com.au & Emilie.mathel@trippaswhitegroup.com.au by August 20. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to a formal interview. Questions about the role can be directed to Thomas.harrop@trippaswhitegroup.com.au & Emilie.mathel@trippaswhitegroup.com.au

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