Senior Account Director - Food and Beverage

Senior Account Director - Food and Beverage =========================================== **Department:** Lifestyle **Employment Type:** Full Time **Location:** PURPLE New York **Compensation:** $120,000 - $130,000 / year ### Description PURPLE is a global lifestyle communications agency with offices in Los Angeles, Miami, New York, London & Hong Kong. We seek a **Senior Account Director** with an insatiable passion for food, mixology, and the magic of hospitality to lead high-profile restaurant, bar, and beverage accounts. You’ll blend PR strategy with creative genius to launch Michelin-starred concepts, curate immersive dining experiences, and turn chefs into household names. If you live for the buzz of a packed restaurant opening and dream in press headlines, this is your stage. ### Key Responsibilities **Culinary Storytelling & Campaign Leadership** 1. Design bold PR strategies for celebrity chefs, luxury hotel F&B programs, and emerging drink brands. 2. Brainstorm *experiential* campaigns—think pop-ups in unexpected locales, chef-artist collaborations, or viral cocktail competitions. 3. Craft narratives that transcend food: Position clients as cultural icons (e.g., linking Francis Mallmann’s fire feasts to sustainability trends). **Media Mastery** 1. Secure coverage in top-tier food, lifestyle, and business outlets (*NY Times Food*, *Eater*, *Food & Wine*, *Bloomberg Pursuits*). 2. Cultivate relationships with critics, editors, and influencers who shape dining trends. 3. Leverage global agency networks to amplify stories across APAC, EMEA, and Americas markets. **Client Partnership** 1. Serve as a trusted advisor to restaurant groups, chefs, hotel groups, and beverage innovators. 2. Navigate high-stakes moments: restaurant openings, crisis comms (e.g., supply chain scandals), and brand reinventions. **Team Mentorship & Growth** 1. Lead a team of account managers and creatives, fostering a culture of curiosity and precision. 2. Collaborate with in-house content creators, social media strategists, and event producers to deliver 360° campaigns. **New Business Innovation** 1. Identify and pitch prospects in emerging spaces: non-alcoholic spirits, farm-to-table tech, and Web3 dining experiences. 2. Develop proposals that showcase creative flair and ROI-driven results. ### Skills, Knowledge and Expertise * **8–10+ years** in PR/communications, with **5+ years focused on restaurants, beverages, or luxury hospitality** (agency experience mandatory). * Portfolio of campaigns that generated national headlines, awards, or viral buzz. * Rolodex of top food critics, editors (e.g., Pete Wells, Helen Rosner), and influencer-chefs. * Deep understanding of culinary trends (e.g., regenerative dining, zero-proof mixology) and the media landscape. * Passion for creative risk-taking: You’ve pitched a client’s tasting menu as performance art or turned a bar into a NFT gallery. * Bachelor’s degree in PR, Journalism, Culinary Arts, or related field.