Director of Catering & Conference Services

Job Description
The Director of Catering and Conference Services is responsible for securing group business with function space to include food and beverage events. They will be tasked with maximizing revenue and house profit while leading a team of catering sales/event managers.
They will provide input and direction in the development and monitoring of fiscal budgets, division operations and marketing strategies to produce both short term and long-term profitability.
Responsibilities and essential job functions include but are not limited to the following:
Responsibilities

• Develop pricing, establish catering sales goals and market strategies with the Director of Sales & Marketing, Director of Food & Beverage and Executive Chef
• Constant monitoring of competition and marketplace in general
• Must be prepared and able to react under fluctuating market conditions
• Maximize sales productivity by ensuring that catering sales staff utilize proper sales techniques
• Achieves catering profit goals by ensuring that negotiated function prices are in line with hotel profit objectives
• Develop and implement catering budget, monitor actual versus budgeted expenses and take corrective action where necessary to ensure adherence to budget
• Approve customer charges and coordinate credit for catering customers with the controller
• Provide banquet and kitchen with accurate forecasts by following up with customer on status of guarantees
• Prepares reports to develop a more informative data base for improved decision making and critical evaluation of work activities
• Hire new staff members and discipline current staff members if company policy has been violated
• Handles complaints regarding catered functions and takes action as appropriate
• Attend weekly departmental and hotel staff meeting to facilitate good communication within the hotel
• Generate reports as required to measure business generated by the catering sales department
• Regularly work files for past and potential groups to generate repeat business for the hotel
• Keep current and up to date calendar of business booked in high season and catering PACE monthly report
• Responsible for the hiring, training, and direction of new catering administrative associates
• Take responsibility for the implementation of sales plans
• Monitor plans’ effectiveness and introduce changes in response to the marketplace, including setting targets, planning and scheduling work and performance indicators that are typically productivity and efficiency measures
• Reporting back to the C-suite level

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree; five years total experience in high volume banquet/catering sales
  management
• Culinary, sales and service background required
• Experience in controlling Catering & Conference Services budget
• Excellent organizational and leadership skills
• Experience in four- and five-star properties
• Experience in wellness or catering for health spa and resort
• Minimum of five years’ experience in a director level or five to seven years’ experience in a
  senior selling role
• Strong knowledge/experience of the diverse South Florida market

Teamwork Skills

• Maintain effective communication, both written and verbal
• Be an enthusiastic, helpful and positive member of the team
• Leadership and management skills
• Cooperation and collaboration
• Financial skills including budgeting, forecasting, and justifying
• Coordinate activities with other hotel departments in order to facilitate increased levels of
  communication and guest satisfaction
• May attend bridal shows and other events
• Work in conjunction with accounting to maintain and minimize levels of account receivables
• Ensures all guests are being treated in an efficient and courteous manner and that all standards
  are being applied

Physical Demands

• Most work tasks are performed indoors, temperature is moderate and controlled by hotel
  environmental systems
• Must be able to stand or sit for extended period
• Must be able to bend, stoop, squat, and stretch to fulfill cleaning and filing tasks
• Must be able to lift to 20 lbs. on a regular and continuing basis
• Requires grasping, writing, standing, sitting, walking, repetitive motions, bending, climbing,
  listening and hearing ability and visual acuity
• Requires manual dexterity to use and operate all necessary equipment
• Must have finger dexterity to be able to operate office equipment such as computers, printers,
  10-key adding machine or calculator, electric typewriter, multi-line touch tone phone, filing
  cabinets, fax machines, photocopiers, dolly and other office equipment as needed
• Position requires outside sales calls, driving to and from business contacts
• Long hours sometimes required