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Assistant Restaurant Manager / Server

Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar | Whistler, BC

An exceptional opportunity to develop your career in fine dining hospitality and restaurant leadership.

About Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar

Wild Blue is one of Whistler’s leading fine dining restaurants, bringing together exceptional hospitality, contemporary Pacific Northwest cuisine, an ambitious wine program, and the natural character of the Coast Mountains.

Since opening in 2022, Wild Blue has quickly earned national and international recognition, including placement among Canada's 100 Best Restaurants, recognition by enRoute among Canada's Best New Restaurants, Whistler's Best Restaurant at the 2026 Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards, and a place on the North America's 50 Best Restaurants list.

Praised by Vancouver Magazine as “The Most Important Whistler Restaurant Opening in a Decade” and described by Condé Nast Traveler as “The Hot Table to Book in Whistler,” Wild Blue is built around exceptional food, wine and hospitality delivered with warmth, professionalism and genuine thoughtfulness.

Our leadership team includes some of Canada's most experienced hospitality and culinary professionals. We are committed to continually developing both our restaurant and the people within it.

About the Role

We are seeking an ambitious, experienced and hospitality-driven professional to join Wild Blue in a hybrid Assistant Restaurant Manager / Server position.

This unique opportunity combines hands-on fine dining service with meaningful restaurant management responsibilities, providing an ideal stepping stone for an accomplished server who is ready to develop into a restaurant leader.

The successful candidate will divide their working schedule between two complementary roles:

As a Server, they will continue delivering the exceptional guest experiences for which Wild Blue is recognized, maintaining a strong presence on the dining room floor and leading by example through outstanding hospitality.

As an Assistant Restaurant Manager, they will support the Restaurant Director and management team with daily operations, service leadership, team development, guest relations and administrative responsibilities.

The balance of serving and management shifts will be established according to operational requirements, the candidate's experience and their ongoing professional development.

This is a genuine leadership development opportunity. The successful candidate will receive mentorship, progressive responsibility and valuable exposure to the operational and commercial aspects of running one of Canada's leading fine dining restaurants.

We are looking for someone who is hungry to learn, humble in their approach, emotionally intelligent, thoughtful in their actions and genuinely kind to the people around them.

Key Responsibilities

1. Assistant Restaurant Management & Service Leadership

During scheduled management shifts, the successful candidate will:

• Assist the Restaurant Director and management team in overseeing daily front-of-house operations.
• Support restaurant opening, closing and daily management procedures.
• Help coordinate dining room operations, service pacing, guest seating and the effective deployment of staff.
• Lead or contribute to pre-service meetings, communicating important operational, menu and guest information.
• Monitor service standards and provide constructive, real-time coaching to team members.
• Support servers, bartenders, hosts, server assistants, food runners and other front-of-house colleagues.
• Maintain effective communication between the kitchen, bar, dining room and management teams.
• Assist with guest recovery, resolving concerns professionally, discreetly and thoughtfully.
• Help maintain a positive, accountable and supportive team environment.
• Recognize opportunities to improve service efficiency, consistency and guest satisfaction.
• Demonstrate the confidence to make appropriate operational decisions while understanding when to involve senior management.
• Uphold Wild Blue's culture of professionalism, teamwork, mutual respect and continuous improvement.

The successful candidate will progressively develop the judgment, confidence and operational knowledge required to assume greater management responsibility.

2. Fine Dining Service & Guest Experience

During scheduled serving shifts, the successful candidate will:

• Deliver exceptional, personalized and professional service consistent with Wild Blue's standards.
• Manage an assigned section with confidence, organization and attention to detail.
• Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of our food, wine, cocktail and beverage programs.
• Provide thoughtful recommendations that enhance the guest experience.
• Build genuine relationships with regular guests, visitors and VIPs.
• Anticipate guest needs and create memorable dining experiences through proactive, intuitive hospitality.
• Maintain outstanding standards of table maintenance, service timing, presentation and attention to detail.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues to ensure the success of the entire dining room.
• Support food running, table maintenance, resetting and other shared responsibilities when required.
• Consistently demonstrate a positive, solution-oriented approach during demanding services.
• Serve as a role model for professionalism, teamwork, generosity and hospitality.

An essential expectation of this position is that the individual demonstrates the same commitment to excellence, teamwork and accountability while serving as they do while managing.

3. Team Development & Mentorship

• Support the onboarding, orientation and training of new front-of-house employees.
• Reinforce Wild Blue's established service standards, operating procedures and hospitality philosophy.
• Assist with ongoing service training and skills development.
• Provide constructive feedback in a supportive and professional manner.
• Identify opportunities to improve team communication, product knowledge and service consistency.
• Encourage teamwork and shared responsibility across all front-of-house positions.
• Help recognize and develop emerging talent within the restaurant.
• Contribute to a workplace where employees feel supported, respected and accountable.

We believe strong leaders develop people through their actions, not simply through their authority.

4. Restaurant Operations & Administration

As part of their management development, the successful candidate will gain exposure to:

• Daily restaurant opening and closing procedures.
• Floor plans, seating strategies and reservation management.
• Staff scheduling and labour deployment.
• Daily sales reporting and operational performance.
• Cash handling, POS procedures and end-of-day reconciliation.
• Guest feedback, service recovery and follow-up procedures.
• Maintaining operational checklists, service standards and administrative records.
• Coordinating with management on upcoming events, reservations and operational priorities.

Responsibilities will be introduced progressively, with appropriate training and support.

The objective is to develop a well-rounded hospitality professional who understands both the guest experience and the business behind it.

5. Events & Private Dining

• Support the planning and execution of private dining experiences, group reservations and special events.
• Assist with coordinating service requirements, staffing and event preparation.
• Communicate effectively with the culinary, beverage and events teams.
• Help ensure the consistent delivery of Wild Blue's hospitality standards across all events.
• Participate in special experiences, including wine dinners, Long Table events and other signature Wild Blue occasions.

The strongest candidates will naturally embody these values, regardless of whether they are working as a server or as a manager.

Qualifications Hospitality Experience

• Minimum 3–5 years of experience in quality restaurants, luxury hospitality or fine dining.
• Strong experience as a professional server in a high-volume, high-standard restaurant environment.
• Previous supervisory, shift-lead or management experience is an asset but not essential.
• Demonstrated interest in progressing into restaurant management.
• Comprehensive understanding of fine dining service standards.
• Strong food, wine and beverage knowledge.
• Confidence interacting with discerning guests and managing complex service situations.

Leadership Potential

• A calm, confident and professional presence during busy services.
• Natural leadership abilities and a willingness to take initiative.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to coach and support colleagues constructively.
• Emotional intelligence and the ability to navigate challenging situations with maturity.
• Willingness to accept feedback, recognize mistakes and continue learning.
• A collaborative approach and genuine respect for every role in the restaurant.

Organization & Professionalism

• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a dynamic restaurant environment.
• Comfortable learning restaurant administration, reporting and operational systems.
• Professional appearance, communication and conduct.
• Reliability, discretion and a strong sense of personal accountability.

What We OfferCompetitive Compensation

A competitive compensation package reflecting the hybrid nature of the position, including:

• Competitive hourly compensation for scheduled serving shifts.
• Management compensation for scheduled Assistant Restaurant Manager shifts.
• Gratuity participation in accordance with the restaurant's established policies and applicable employment standards.
• Comprehensive benefits package, subject to eligibility.

Compensation and the anticipated balance between management and serving shifts will be discussed during the interview process.

Benefits & Perks

• Extended health, dental and vision benefits.
• Subsidized professional wine education.
• Opportunities to attend supplier tastings and wine education events.
• Bike and ski storage.
• Staff facilities, including private areas and showers.
• Access to the Whistler Spirit Pass program.
• Dining discounts.
• Professional development opportunities.
• Mentorship from an experienced restaurant leadership team.
• Remuneration will be combination of hourly while serving / salary and gratuities

Career Development — A Stepping Stone to Restaurant Leadership

Wild Blue is committed to developing exceptional hospitality professionals from within.

This hybrid position has been specifically designed to help an established server make the transition into restaurant management while continuing to develop their skills on the dining room floor.

Working closely with the Restaurant Director and management team, the successful candidate will progressively develop experience in:

• Leading and managing a professional service team.
• Understanding restaurant operations and financial performance.
• Developing, mentoring and coaching colleagues.
• Handling guest relations and service recovery.
• Managing the daily demands of a sophisticated fine dining restaurant.
• Building the leadership and decision-making skills required for more senior positions.

Progression will be based on demonstrated leadership ability, operational competence, professional development and the needs of the organization.

For the right individual, this role offers a meaningful pathway toward a full-time Restaurant Manager position and potentially broader leadership opportunities as Wild Blue continues to evolve.

The Person We're Looking For

We are looking for an outstanding hospitality professional who is ready for the next chapter in their career.

They will take pride in their own performance while being equally invested in the success of their colleagues and the restaurant as a whole.

They will be comfortable taking direction, open to constructive feedback and genuinely enthusiastic about learning the responsibilities of management.

Above all, they will recognize that exceptional hospitality is built on kindness, thoughtfulness, teamwork and the consistent pursuit of excellence.

This is an opportunity for someone who loves being a server but aspires to become a leader.

Join Wild Blue

If you are an experienced fine dining server who is passionate about hospitality and ready to begin developing your career in restaurant management, we would love to hear from you.

Please submit your resume and a brief cover letter outlining your hospitality experience, leadership aspirations and what interests you about this opportunity.

Email in confidence: neil.henderson@wildbluerestaurant.com

Wild Blue Restaurant + Bar is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive and respectful workplace for all employees.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: $45,000.00-$50,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental care
• Discounted or free food
• Extended health care
• Life insurance
• On-site parking
• Paid time off
• Store discount
• Vision care

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Whistler, BC: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Experience:

• Hospitality: 3 years (required)
• Customer service: 3 years (required)

Work Location: In person