Chief Steward - The Ben Hotel, Autograph Collection

At The Ben, West Palm Beach, every corner tells a story. Inspired by the legendary Byrd “Birdie” Dewey and her famed Ben Trovato Estate, our Autograph Collection hotel blends modern luxury with creativity, sophistication, and a spirit of individuality that feels Exactly Like Nothing Else.

Perched along the Intracoastal Waterway in the heart of downtown West Palm Beach, The Ben invites guests to immerse themselves in refined coastal living. Guests gather at Proper Grit, our signature whisky and supper club–inspired restaurant, or ascend to Spruzzo, our rooftop Mediterranean lounge offering sweeping waterfront views. Every space reflects thoughtful design, elevated service, and an atmosphere where hospitality feels both personal and extraordinary.

The Ben is stepping into a world where luxury is intentional, style has substance, and service is an art form. This is a place for professionals who take pride in presence, pursue excellence, and thrive in an environment where every detail matters.

At The Ben, you don’t simply work in luxury—you help define it.

The Chief Steward is the operational leader responsible for ensuring the stewarding and kitchen support operations run with precision, efficiency, and impeccable cleanliness. Behind every exceptional culinary experience is a disciplined and well-organized stewarding team—and the Chief Steward ensures that every detail of that operation is executed flawlessly.

Working closely with the Executive Chef and Food & Beverage leadership, the Chief Steward oversees dish room operations, back-of-house sanitation, equipment management, and inventory control of china, glassware, silverware, and kitchen smallwares. This role requires a hands-on leader who balances operational discipline with team development, ensuring that the culinary environment remains pristine, compliant, and fully equipped to support the hotel’s restaurants, banquets, and special events.

Through strong leadership, organization, and attention to detail, the Chief Steward ensures the foundation of every dining experience at The Ben is built on cleanliness, efficiency, and operational excellence.

Stewarding & Kitchen Operations

• Lead and oversee all stewarding operations including dish room management, night cleaning, back dock sanitation, and receiving areas.
• Ensure a consistent supply of clean china, glassware, silverware, cookware, and service equipment for restaurant and banquet operations.
• Maintain strict sanitation standards in accordance with health department regulations and hotel policies.
• Ensure proper operation, cleaning, and maintenance of dishwashing equipment and machinery.
• Monitor food holding and transport equipment to ensure functionality and cleanliness.
• Conduct regular inspections of stewarding areas to maintain cleanliness and operational readiness.

Inventory & Equipment Management

• Manage and control inventory of china, glassware, silverware, equipment, and smallwares.
• Conduct routine inventory counts and report shortages or losses to appropriate leadership.
• Order and maintain necessary supplies to support daily operations and events.
• Ensure equipment is properly maintained and repaired when needed.

Leadership & Team Development

• Supervise, train, and develop stewarding associates including dishwashers and kitchen support staff.
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, and operational excellence.
• Provide coaching, performance feedback, and training for team members.
• Ensure staff are properly trained in sanitation procedures, chemical handling, safety standards, and equipment usage.
• Serve as a role model for professionalism, integrity, and strong work ethic.

Operational & Financial Oversight

• Manage stewarding labor and operational expenses in alignment with departmental budgets.
• Monitor team productivity and operational efficiency.
• Support planning for banquet events, restaurant service, and large-scale culinary operations.
• Participate in operational meetings with culinary and food & beverage leadership.

Safety, Compliance & Sanitation

• • Ensure compliance with all health, sanitation, and safety regulations.
  • Investigate and report employee accidents or safety incidents.
  • Enforce safe work practices and loss prevention procedures.
  • Maintain sanitation logs, inspections, and compliance documentation.

Education/Formal Training

High School Diploma or Equivalent Preferred

Experience

1-2 years as a stewarding supervisor

Knowledge/Skills

• Good working knowledge of the fundamentals of catering operations required.
• Must have basic knowledge of dishwashing.
• Must possess knowledge of the operation of kitchen equipment.
• Must possess accepted knowledge of standard sanitation.
• Basic mathematical skills necessary to understand measurement, requisition amounts and portion amounts as it relates as it relates to chemicals and inventory control.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an associate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Ability to treat each guest with respect and professionalism. Individuals must possess and demonstrate the ability to interact with all guests, internal and external, effectively with tact and diplomacy in line with the property’s service standards.
• Ability to explain and demonstrate that he/she can perform the essential functions of the job with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities
• Ability to grasp, lift, carry, push, move, up to 100lbs. Sufficient manual dexterity of hand in order to use kitchen equipment.
• Ability to read, write, and speak the English language in order to communicate effectively with staff.
• Ability to perform and understand all essential functions as they relate to accepted standards of sanitation.
• Must have vision ability to see minute objects at arm’s length, to read meters and controls.
• Must have excellent vision to see that product is prepared appropriately.
• Must be able to grasp dishes, push, pull, carry and lift racks, carts, and large trash bins.
• Must be able to bend, squat, reach and retrieve items from above head. Must be able to lift, push, pull and carry up to 100 lbs. to include serving trays, carts, tables, chairs, and small equipment up to 75% of the time.
• Balancing, stooping kneeling, crouching, crawling, reaching handling, fingering throughout the shift.
• Mobility -full range of mobility and the ability to travel up to 300 feet on a regular basis throughout the shift.
• Continuous standing -during preparation, during service hours or during expediting.
• Must have moderate hearing to hear customers, supervisors, and communicate with other associates.
• Must have moderate comprehension and literacy to read use records and all special requests.
• Must have ability to perform multiple tasks at one time, must be able to follow verbal and written instruction, and be able to communicate both verbally and in writing.
• Must be highly organized and able to pay attention to sound and sight details in crowded and noisy situations, particularly when handling multiple tasks.
• Must have the ability to keep breakage to a minimum by handling china, glassware and fragile equipment with care.

Environment

Physically strenuous: prolonged standing, walking, lifting and carrying throughout entire shift in 95% indoor environment. Going in the freezer temperatures can be -10 degrees.

• Unlimited paid time off

• Eligible to enroll in medical insurance with employer covering up to 70% of premiums with wellness credit

• Eligible to enroll in dental insurance with employer contribution towards premiums & vision insurance

• Eligible to participate in the Company’s 401(k) program with employer match

• Eligible to enroll in Health savings accounts or Flexible Spending Accounts

• Company paid Basic Life and AD&D insurance coverage, with option to enroll in additional coverage

• Eligible to purchase Pet Insurance, Accidental Insurance, Critical Insurance and Hospital Indemnity Insurance

• Company-paid short-term disability

• WINFertility guidance for those enrolled in Sage medical plan

• Calm Health Application Subscription

• Tuition Reimbursement of up to $2,000 per calendar year

• Employee Assistance Program

• Great discounts on Hotels, Restaurants, and much more.