Assistant Bar Manager (Head Mixologist) at Kimpton Sevn Dubai (Pre-Opening)
IHG · United Arab Emirates
A Role That Brings Craft, Creativity & Character to the Glass – The Bar Identity
At Kimpton Sevn Dubai, the bar is more than a place to enjoy a drink.
It's where conversations begin, evenings unfold, and guests come to relax, connect, celebrate, and discover something unexpected.
We are looking for an Assistant Bar Manager (Head Mixologist) who combines strong operational leadership with a genuine passion for mixology, creativity, and hospitality.
You will help shape what we pour, how we serve it, and most importantly, how it makes people feel.
You won't simply help run the bar.
You'll help create its flavour, personality, and point of view.
One Drink. One Conversation. One Great Experience.
At Kimpton, great bar service isn't overly formal.
It's knowledgeable, intuitive, relaxed, and personal.
As Assistant Bar Manager (Head Mixologist), you will help create a bar experience that is:
- Creative without losing consistency
- Sophisticated without being pretentious
- Energetic, social, and full of personality
- Driven by quality, craft, and genuine hospitality
- Designed to give guests a reason to come back
Because the best cocktails aren't remembered only for their ingredients.
They're remembered for the story, the moment, and the feeling.
Why This Role Matters
You will support the Bar Manager while taking a leading role in the creative and technical direction of the beverage experience.
You will:
- Lead the bar team during assigned shifts
- Drive cocktail quality, consistency, and presentation
- Develop and evolve the cocktail and beverage offering
- Train the team in mixology, techniques, ingredients, and service
- Create a culture of curiosity and craftsmanship
- Connect beverage creativity with the Kimpton guest experience
- Support commercial performance without compromising quality
Your goal is simple:
Create drinks people talk about—and experiences they remember.
The Gig
Reporting to the Bar Manager, the Assistant Bar Manager (Head Mixologist) will support the overall operation of the bar while taking ownership of its mixology standards and creative beverage direction.
- The Opportunity: Help build a new bar concept from the ground up
- The Focus: Mixology, creativity, people, quality, and exceptional service
- The Impact: Establish a distinctive beverage identity for Kimpton Sevn Dubai
You won't be inheriting someone else's cocktail programme. You'll help create ours.
Stay Human
Great mixology is a craft.
Great hospitality is a connection.
In this role, you will:
- Lead with warmth, confidence, and authenticity
- Encourage the team to bring personality into their service
- Share your knowledge without making guests feel intimidated
- Create an environment where curiosity and creativity are encouraged
- Empower colleagues to understand the story behind every drink
- Know when precision matters—and when the moment calls for something unexpected
The technique gets the drink right. The person makes the experience memorable.
Your Day-to-Day
No two days will look the same.
One moment you may be developing a new signature cocktail. The next, you're coaching a colleague through a busy service, talking a guest through a spirit they have never tried, or testing a new technique with the team.
Your world will include:
Bar Operations
- Lead the floor and support smooth, energetic service
- Maintain exceptional service, presentation, and beverage standards
- Monitor service flow, guest satisfaction, and team performance
- Ensure opening and closing procedures are completed correctly
- Work closely with F&B and hotel teams to deliver seamless service
Mixology & Beverage Creativity
- Lead the development of signature cocktails and seasonal menus
- Create innovative drinks aligned with the Kimpton personality and concept
- Develop recipes, specifications, garnish, presentation, and preparation techniques
- Research new spirits, ingredients, techniques, and global beverage trends
- Conduct regular tastings and quality checks
- Maintain consistency across every drink, every shift
Guest Experience
- Build genuine relationships with guests through personalised beverage recommendations
- Understand guest preferences and create drinks around individual tastes
- Tell the story behind ingredients, cocktails, and techniques in an engaging way
- Create memorable beverage experiences for celebrations and special occasions
- Handle guest feedback with warmth and creativity
Team Leadership & Development
- Coach, train, and develop the bar team in mixology and service
- Lead pre-shift briefings and beverage training sessions
- Develop team knowledge of spirits, cocktails, wine, beer, and non-alcoholic beverages
- Conduct practical training on techniques, preparation, presentation, and service
- Build a culture where colleagues are encouraged to experiment, learn, and improve
Commercial & Operational Excellence
- Support beverage sales through thoughtful recommendations and upselling
- Monitor beverage costs, wastage, stock levels, and portion control
- Support menu engineering and commercial beverage initiatives
- Maintain accurate recipes and costing information
- Ensure responsible service and operational discipline
Pre-Opening
- Help create the beverage identity and cocktail programme from the ground up
- Develop signature cocktails, recipes, specifications, and preparation methods
- Support menu design, tastings, trials, and product selection
- Assist with supplier relationships and ingredient sourcing
- Develop beverage SOPs and training materials
- Support recruitment and technical training of the bar team
- Lead mock services and beverage testing
- Help establish the bar's signature style and service culture before opening
What Success Looks Like
- A distinctive and memorable cocktail programme
- Consistent, high-quality drinks across every service
- A confident and knowledgeable bar team
- Strong guest engagement and positive beverage feedback
- Healthy beverage sales and cost performance
- Minimal wastage and disciplined stock management
- A creative beverage culture that continues to evolve
- A bar experience that feels unmistakably Kimpton
Who This Role Is Perfect For
- Passionate mixologist ready to take the next step into leadership
- Experienced bartender or Assistant Bar Manager with strong creative credentials
- Luxury, lifestyle, or high-end bar experience
- Strong knowledge of cocktails, spirits, ingredients, and modern techniques
- Naturally curious and constantly exploring new ideas
- Confident trainer who enjoys developing other bartenders
- Comfortable balancing creativity with commercial and operational discipline
- Strong guest engagement and storytelling skills
- Excited by the opportunity to build a beverage programme from scratch
What We Need From You
Education
- Diploma or degree in Hospitality, Hotel Management, or a related field preferred
- Professional mixology or beverage qualifications are an advantage
Experience
- 3–5 years of professional bartending/mixology experience
- Previous supervisory or Assistant Bar Manager experience preferred
- Strong experience developing cocktails and beverage menus
- Luxury, lifestyle, or destination bar experience highly desirable
- Strong technical knowledge of spirits, cocktails, ingredients, and modern techniques
- Experience with pre-opening beverage operations is an advantage
- GCC/Dubai experience beneficial
Personal Attributes
- Creative, curious, and passionate about the craft
- Warm, confident, and naturally engaging
- Strong technical attention to detail
- Excellent communication and storytelling skills
- Comfortable leading and developing a team
- Commercially aware without compromising creativity
- Calm and organised during high-volume service
- Always looking to learn, experiment, and improve
- Authentic, energetic, and unmistakably human
The Kimpton Bar Difference
We believe a great bar isn't just about what's being poured.
It's the music.
The energy.
The conversation.
The bartender who remembers your favourite drink.
The unexpected recommendation.
The place where you planned to stay for one—and somehow stayed for three.
That's the bar experience at Kimpton Sevn Dubai.
And we want you to help create it.
The Kimpton Difference
We believe luxury isn't about creating distance.
It's about creating connection.
The recommendation that feels like a secret.
The table that somehow became available.
The unexpected experience that becomes the highlight of the trip.
The feeling that someone genuinely cared.
That's Concierge at Kimpton Sevn Dubai.
What You Can Expect from Us
At Kimpton Sevn Dubai, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts, we believe our success begins with our people.
We invest in you through competitive compensation, global travel privileges, and meaningful career growth opportunities within one of the world’s most respected hospitality groups.
We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing fair and inclusive employment opportunities to all colleagues and applicants, regardless of race, colour, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital or family status, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.
Through our myWellbeing framework, we actively support the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of our teams—because when our people are supported and thriving, they create exceptional experiences for our guests and each other
Kimpton Sevn Dubai: A Culture of Connection, Craft & Care
At Kimpton Sevn Dubai, you are not simply joining a team—you are becoming part of a culture that is personal, thoughtful, and distinctly human.
We are a close-knit, collaborative community where trust is earned, individuality is valued, and excellence is shaped through genuine care for people and experience.
We believe diverse perspectives strengthen our culture and inspire creativity. We seek individuals who are naturally intuitive, detail-oriented, and passionate about creating memorable moments that feel both effortless and meaningful.
At Kimpton, hospitality is bold yet refined, expressive yet intentional. More than a place to stay, we create spaces where guests feel connected, inspired, and truly welcomed—and where our teams feel empowered to bring their personality, creativity, and craftsmanship to everything they do.
Ready to Shape Something Distinctive?
If you do not meet every requirement but believe you bring the right energy, creativity, and passion for people, we would still love to hear from you.
Join Kimpton Sevn Dubai and be part of shaping a luxury lifestyle experience where individuality is celebrated, ideas are valued, and every detail contributes to something memorable.
At IHG, we’ve made a promise. As one of the world’s leading hotel groups, we’re here to deliver True Hospitality for Good. Making our guests and colleagues feel welcome, cared for, recognised and respected – wherever they are in the world. Want to be part of the journey?