Senior Account Director - Food and Beverage

About the role

PURPLE is a global lifestyle communications agency that creates culturally connected, results‑driven brand communications. We are looking for a Senior Account Director with an insatiable passion for food, mixology and hospitality to lead high‑profile restaurant, bar and beverage accounts. You will blend PR strategy with creative genius to launch Michelin‑starred concepts, curate immersive dining experiences and turn chefs into household names.

Key responsibilities

• Design bold PR strategies for celebrity chefs, luxury hotel F&B programs and emerging drink brands, and conceive experiential campaigns such as pop‑ups, chef‑artist collaborations and viral cocktail competitions.
• Secure coverage in top‑tier food, lifestyle and business outlets (e.g., NY Times Food, Eater, Food & Wine, Bloomberg Pursuits) and nurture relationships with critics, editors and influencers.
• Serve as trusted advisor to restaurant groups, chefs, hotel groups and beverage innovators, managing openings, crisis communications and brand reinventions.
• Lead and mentor a team of account managers and creatives, collaborating with in‑house content creators, social media strategists and event producers to deliver 360° campaigns.
• Identify and pitch new business opportunities in emerging spaces such as non‑alcoholic spirits, farm‑to‑table technology and Web3 dining experiences.

Required profile

• 8–10+ years of PR/communications experience, with at least 5 years focused on restaurants, beverages or luxury hospitality (agency experience mandatory).
• Portfolio of campaigns that generated national headlines, awards or viral buzz.
• Extensive Rolodex of top food critics, editors and influencer‑chefs.
• Deep understanding of current culinary trends such as regenerative dining and zero‑proof mixology.
• Demonstrated passion for creative risk‑taking, e.g., pitching tasting menus as performance art or turning a bar into an NFT gallery.
• Bachelor’s degree in PR, Journalism, Culinary Arts or a related field.