CATERING DIRECTOR - MANHATTANVILLE UNIVERSITY - PURCHASE, NY

As the Director of Catering, you will be responsible for executing all catering events and conferences at Manhattanville University. You will manage a team of waitstaff, captains, culinary professionals and union hourly staff. You will be responsible for managing catering client relations including holding regular meetings meeting with the catering staff. You will work closely with the catering team along with campus events and various departments across the campus. You will also be responsible for support of events held at senior campus leadership residences and offsite locations as needed. You will be responsible for ensuring that the catering provided to our guests is of superior quality, following current catering trends and working to ensure the catering offerings are meeting or exceeding Chartwells sustainability goals. Additionally, you will be responsible for the following:

Key Responsibilities

• Will be the main point of contact for all catering bookings, communications and execution, with catering clients and Chartwells leadership.
• Coordinate and oversee internal and external catering events at Manhattanville University in multiple buildings.
• Review and manage all daily event orders and ensure all catering events are timely and complete.
• Schedule and train catering staff and be actively involved in the training of staff in service techniques, menu presentation, policies, and procedures and safety
• Ensure each event & set-up is carefully checked and each event meets all campus and Chartwells standards.
• Ensure successful operations of catering functions including labor and food cost controls, preparation execution, transportation, setup, operation, and cleanup of all events in a timely manner.
• Proficiently understand the catering and event management software (Catertrax and similar).
• Meet regularly with campus leadership and clients to review and update all catering events.
• Conduct tastings and menu samplings by presenting to potential catering clients, as well as hosting catering showcases.
• Handle bookings, selection and costing of menu items, pricing contracts, and resourcing temporary help and equipment experience is key to this role's success.
• Knowledgeable of current catering trends, wine knowledge, and spirit trends.

Qualifications

• MUST HAVE previous experience overseeing high-end, casual and day-to-day catering operations.
• MUST HAVE ServSafe certification within the first 30 days of employment, training paid for by Compass Group.
• MUST HAVE experience with ordering rental labor, rental smallwares, temporary other services, etc.
• Five+ of progressive catering management experience.
• Experience with high volume, multi-event services is required.
• Comprehensive knowledge of food and catering trends with a focus on quality, production, sanitation, food cost controls, and presentation.
• Experienced with computers; to include Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and PowerPoint), Outlook, E-mail and the Internet.
• High volume, complex foodservice operations experience is highly desirable.