Director of Banquets

JOB SUMMARY

Demonstrates knowledge by leading the team to accomplish daily goals. Ensures the highest level of service during events by training and developing s and executing the requirements of events based on standards. Drives customer satisfaction and capitalizes on revenue during the event phase of a function. Provides clear and concise communications to everyone having ownership in the success of the event. Monitors and controls financial and administrative responsibilities to meet or exceed department goals.

CANDIDATE PROFILE 

Education and Experience

•        High school diploma or GED; 3 years’ experience in the event management, food and beverage, sales and marketing, or related professional area.

OR

•        2-year degree from an accredited university in Hotel and Restaurant Management, Hospitality, Business Administration, or related major; 1 year experience in the event management, food and beverage, sales and marketing, or related professional area.

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES

Managing Banquets & Outside Catering Operations

•        Projects supply needs for the department, (e.g., china, glass, silver, buffet presentations, props).

•        Applies knowledge of all laws, as they relate to an event.

•        Uses banquet & outside catering beverage “Use” records to control liquor costs and manage the banquet beverage perpetual inventory.

•        Ensures accurate customer billing for banquet events.

•        Ensures coordination and execution throughout the event.

•        Attends pre-conference meetings to ensure specifications of the group event are well executed.

•        Ensures function space and corresponding heart of the house areas are cleaned and maintained.

•        Ensures furniture and equipment is maintained and inventory levels are kept in accordance to corporate guidelines.

Leading Banquets & Outside Catering Team

•        Attends and participates in all pertinent meetings.

•        Leads shifts and actively participates in the servicing of events.

•        Leads discussions to review scheduled events and proactively avoid service challenges and failures.

•        Incorporates guest satisfaction as a component of departmental meetings with a focus on continuous improvement.

Managing Profitability

•        Assists team in developing lasting relationships with groups to retain business and increase growth.

•        Manages department controllable expenses to achieve or exceed budgeted goals.

Ensuring Exceptional Customer Service

•        Anticipates guests' needs and responds promptly.

•        Displays leadership in guest hospitality, exemplifies excellent customer service and creates a positive atmosphere for guest relations.

•        Handles guest problems and complaints.

•        Emphasizes guest satisfaction during all departmental meetings and focuses on continuous improvement.

•        Empowers talents to provide excellent customer service.

•        Strives to improve service performance.

Conducting Human Resources Activities

•        Communicates and executes departmental and property emergency procedures and ensures talent are trained in safety procedures.

•        Observes service behaviours of talents and provides feedback to individuals and/or managers.

•        Interviews and hires new talents with the appropriate skills to meet the business needs of the operation.

•        Ensures property policies are administered fairly and consistently.

•        Monitors and manages the payroll function.

•        Schedules banquet service & outside catering talents to forecast and service standards, while maximizing profits.

•        Ensures talents are treated fairly and equitably.

•        Effectively schedules to business demands and for tracking of talent time and attendance.

•        Celebrates successes and publicly recognizes the contributions of team members.

•        Strives to improve talent retention.

•        Ensures talents receive on-going training to understand guest expectations.

•        Sets goals and delegates tasks to improve departmental performance.

•        Provides additional training to talents of other departments when additional assistance is needed for larger functions.

MANAGEMENT COMPETENCIES 

Leadership

•        Adaptability - Determines how change impacts self and others; displays flexibility in adjusting priorities; and communicates both the reasons for change and how it impacts the workplace. 

•        Communication - Customizes approach to conveying complex information and ideas to others in a convincing and engaging manner; appropriately interprets verbal and non-verbal behaviour; and models active listening to ensure understanding.

•        Problem Solving and Decision Making - Models and coaches others on breaking complex issues into manageable parts, identifying and evaluating alternatives and their implications before making decisions, and involving and gaining agreement from others when making key decisions. 

•        Professional Demeanour - Exhibits behavioural styles that convey confidence and command respect from others; makes a good first impression and represents the company in alignment with its values.

Managing Execution

•        Building and Contributing to Teams - Leads and participates as a member of a team to move the team toward the completion of common goals while fostering cohesion and collaboration among team members.

•        Driving for Results - Sets high standards of performance for self and/or others; assumes responsibility for work objectives; initiates, focuses, and monitors the efforts of self and/or others toward the accomplishment goals; proactively takes action and goes beyond what is required.

•        Planning and Organizing - Gathers information and resources required to set a plan of action for self and/or others; prioritizes and arranges work requirements for self and/or others to accomplish goals and ensure work is completed.

Building Relationships

•        Co-worker Relationships - Interacts with others in a way that builds openness, trust, and confidence in the pursuit of organizational goals and lasting relationships. 

•        Customer Relationships - Develops and sustains relationships based on an understanding of customer needs and actions consistent with the company’s service standards. 

•        Global Mind-set - Supports talents and business partners with diverse styles, abilities, motivations, and/or cultural perspectives; utilizes differences to drive innovation, engagement and enhance business results; and ensures talents are given the opportunity to contribute to their full potential.

Generating and Organizational Capability

•        Organizational Capability - Evaluates and adapts the structure of team assignments and work processes to best fit the needs and/or support the goals of an organizational unit.

•         Management - Provides guidance and feedback to help individuals develop and strengthen skills and abilities needed to accomplish work objectives.

Learning and Applying Professional Expertise

•        Applied Learning - Seeks and makes the most of learning opportunities to improve performance of self and/or others.

•        Business Acumen - Understands and utilizes business information to manage everyday operations and generate innovative solutions to approach team, business, and administrative challenges.

•        Technical Acumen - Understands and utilizes professional skills and knowledge in a specific functional area to conduct and manage everyday business operations and generate innovative solutions to approach function-specific work challenges

•       Event Planning - The ability to connect with customers, detail events, upsell products and services, manage multiple customers at a given time, be detailed orientated, understand and have a working knowledge of catering and event management systems. 

•       Banquets - Have a working knowledge of service standards, procedures and techniques for executing banquet event orders to include banquet / catering set up and strike, design, and beverage set-up and controls.

•       Event Services - Have a working knowledge of standards and procedures for proper meeting room and table set-ups, various meeting room and table configurations and the set-up of staging and dance flooring.

•        Basic Competencies - Fundamental competencies required for accomplishing basic work activities. 

•       Basic Computer Skills - Uses basic computer hardware and software (e.g., personal computers, word processing software, Internet browsers, etc.).

•       Mathematical Reasoning - Demonstrates ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly, correctly, and in a way that allows one to solve work-related issues.

•       Oral Comprehension - Demonstrates ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

•       Reading Comprehension - Demonstrates understanding of written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.

•       Writing - Communicates effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.