Maitre'D | World's 50 Best Opening | NYC

Full Time
posted today

An internationally acclaimed hospitality brand is seeking an experienced and polished Maître'D to join the opening leadership team of a highly anticipated restaurant debut in New York City's West Village. This is a unique opportunity to become part of the U.S. launch of one of the world's most celebrated restaurant groups. We are seeking a hospitality professional who is passionate about creating exceptional first and lasting impressions, thrives in a refined dining environment, and understands that genuine hospitality begins well before guests are seated. The ideal candidate is a confident, gracious, and highly organized leader with exceptional guest recognition skills, strong emotional intelligence, and the ability to manage a dynamic, high-profile dining room with warmth and professionalism. Experience within South American or Latin-inspired restaurant concepts is highly preferred.


Key Responsibilities

Guest Experience

  • Serve as the face of the restaurant, providing a warm, genuine, and personalized welcome to every guest.
  • Manage reservations, guest flow, and seating to maximize both hospitality and operational efficiency.
  • Build meaningful relationships with regular guests while creating memorable first-time experiences.
  • Anticipate guest needs and resolve concerns with professionalism, discretion, and confidence.
  • Collaborate closely with the management and service teams to deliver a seamless dining experience.

Dining Room Operations

  • Oversee daily reservation management and seating strategy using reservation platforms.
  • Balance walk-in demand, VIP reservations, and service pacing while maintaining the integrity of the guest experience.
  • Communicate effectively with managers, servers, and kitchen leadership throughout service.
  • Maintain an organized and welcoming reception area that reflects the restaurant's hospitality standards.

Team Leadership

  • Lead and mentor the host team through coaching, training, and ongoing development.
  • Establish hospitality standards for guest greetings, reservation management, and telephone etiquette.
  • Support pre-shift meetings and communicate daily reservation notes, VIP arrivals, and special accommodations.
  • Foster a collaborative, positive culture built on professionalism, teamwork, and accountability.

Opening Support

  • Assist with pre-opening training, service rehearsals, and operational readiness.
  • Help establish reservation systems, guest communication standards, and opening procedures.
  • Partner with leadership to ensure a successful opening and ongoing operational excellence.

Qualifications

  • 3+ years of experience as a Maître d', Lead Host, Guest Relations Manager, or similar leadership role within an upscale or fine dining restaurant.
  • Exceptional guest engagement and relationship-building skills.
  • Experience managing high-volume reservation books and coordinating service flow.
  • Familiarity with reservation platforms such as Resy, OpenTable, or SevenRooms.
  • Experience within South American or Latin-inspired restaurant concepts is highly preferred.
  • Spanish speaking is strongly preferred but not required.
  • Strong communication, organizational, and multitasking abilities.
  • Ability to remain calm, composed, and solution-oriented in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Experience

  • Experience opening new restaurants or participating in high-profile restaurant launches.
  • Strong understanding of the New York City dining scene and hospitality landscape.
  • Ability to travel internationally for pre-opening training.
  • Full availability throughout the opening and training period.

Personal Qualities

  • Warm, charismatic, and genuinely hospitality-driven.
  • Poised, polished, and confident interacting with high-profile clientele.
  • Emotionally intelligent with excellent interpersonal skills.
  • Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail.
  • Calm under pressure with the ability to anticipate guest needs before they arise.

Compensation & Benefits

  • Competitive salary based on experience
  • Performance-based bonus opportunity
  • Health insurance
  • Laundry service
  • Cell phone reimbursement
  • Opportunity to join an internationally acclaimed hospitality brand during an exciting U.S. expansion


Job Information

Offered Salary
90k/year - 120k/year