Senior Director – Center for Food & Beverage Leadership

the CIA•Hyde Park, NY

About The Position

The Senior Director – Center for Food & Beverage Leadership (CFBL) will serve as a strategic partner and force multiplier for the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Initiatives, Industry Leadership and Impact. The Senior Director enhances executive effectiveness, drives cross-functional alignment, and ensures disciplined follow-up and execution of the Center’s strategic priorities, initiatives, budget and growth agenda. Working closely with the Vice President, the Senior Director – Center for Food & Beverage Leadership will help translate vision into action by coordinating initiatives, overseeing the departmental budget, supporting partnership development, and ensuring organizational follow-through. The Senior Director collaborates with internal departments and external stakeholders, helping the Center operate with clarity, cohesion, and operational excellence. The Senior Director is responsible for helping to maintain strategic partnerships, improving financial performance, and driving impact within the organization and across the global food, beverage, and hospitality industry. The Senior Director will combine strategic thinking, a growth mindset, operational rigor, financial acumen, and exceptional communication skills to support a culture of collaboration, efficient decision-making, and innovation.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, hospitality, public policy, organizational leadership, or a related field.
Minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in strategy, operations, food and beverage functions, and team leadership roles.
Proven ability to support a culture of collaboration, efficient decision-making, and innovation.
Broad business savvy, with a solid grasp of financial and operating goals.
Must have a track record of achieving measurable success for meeting objectives, managing costs and achieving change.
Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills required, including the ability to form and mobilize intra-organizational teams to accomplish goals.
Must have a history of developing programs to support strategic vision, partnering with stakeholder groups and effective problem solving and negotiation.
Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, stakeholders, and projects simultaneously.
High EQ and ability to contribute to a positive and collaborative team culture by example and mentorship.
Strong project management and organizational skills with close attention to detail.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including executive-level presentation abilities.
Ability to operate with discretion, judgment, and professionalism in high-visibility settings.
Proven ability to influence without authority and work effectively across functions and seniority levels.
High level of adaptability, initiative, and comfort with ambiguity.
Strong analytical capabilities and ability to synthesize complex information.
Cultural agility and ability to work across diverse stakeholders and environments.
Growth mindset, operational discipline, and strong affinity for innovation and technology.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree preferred.
Demonstrated experience supporting senior leaders or complex cross-functional initiatives.
Experience in higher education, hospitality, food, beverage, or innovation-driven organizations.
Experience working in dynamic environments with high-level stakeholders in business and government.

Responsibilities

Supports the Vice President in driving the Center’s strategic priorities by translating high-level objectives into actionable plans, timelines, and deliverables.
Ensures alignment, accountability, and progress across initiatives and partnerships.
Directs key CFBL operations and oversees execution of CFBL conferences and collaborative meetings.
Oversees the development and implementation of plans, timelines, registration, event management and sponsorship fulfillments associated with all CFBL operations, ensuring the delivery of exceptional conferences with smooth execution that meets or exceeds budget goals.
Oversees development and management of budgets in the Vice President’s portfolio, including metrics, dashboards, and reporting systems to track progress across partnerships and programs (e.g. conferences, collaboratives, partnership agreements, etc.).
Manages contracts with external partners in compliance with budgetary requirements and CIA guidelines.
Champions collaboration across CIA business units to ensure initiatives are effectively integrated into the broader institutional ecosystem by helping to remove barriers, resolve conflicts, and maintain momentum.
Oversees the development and management of strategic partnerships by coordinating internal preparation, supporting communications, and ensuring follow-up on commitments and opportunities.
Develops and executes long-term plans for elevating the work of the Center, ensuring that all CFBL products advance the overall mission of the CIA under Vision 2035.
Establishes and improves processes, workflows, and management systems that enhance organizational efficiency, decision-making, and execution capability.
Leads the development, recruitment, retention and performance management of direct reports in the CFBL organization.
Acts as a resource for team members and reinforces a culture of collaboration, accountability, and innovation by supporting communication, coordination, and organizational clarity.
Serves as a trusted advisor to the Vice President, helping manage priorities, prepare for key meetings and engagements, synthesize information, and support decision-making processes.
Leads and executes special projects and initiatives as directed by the Vice President.
Any and all other duties as assigned.