BANQUET CAPTAIN

Njoyn; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 28,000 - 41,000; Part time

Job summary

The National Arts Centre is seeking a Banquet Captain in Ottawa. This part-time role oversees all aspects of banquets, directs banquet staff, and ensures service excellence in a fast-paced environment.

You will coordinate with Housekeeping and other departments to meet client needs, while maintaining inventory and reporting for management. The ideal candidate has at least three years of supervisory experience in a unionized setting, strong customer service, and bilingual English/French

Qualifications

• High School diploma required.
• Smart Serve certification.
• Bilingual in English and French.
• Minimum 3 years supervising staff in a unionized environment.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all aspects of banquet events from setup to breakdown.
• Lead and train banquet staff and assign tasks.
• Ensure client specifications and F&B standards are met.
• Monitor service quality and guest satisfaction; address issues promptly.
• Maintain inventory and finalize counts and deposits.

Skills

Bilingual (English/French)

Customer service

Team leadership

Multi-tasking

Flexible schedule

Communication

Inspires team

Attention to detail

Education

High School diploma

Tools

Word

Excel

Outlook

Catering software

Job description

Introducing the National Arts Centre

The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada's bilingual, multi-disciplinary home for the performing arts. The NAC presents, creates, produces, and co-produces performing arts programming in various streams - the NAC Orchestra, Dance, English Theatre, French Theatre, Indigenous Theatre, and Popular Music and Variety - and nurtures the next generation of audiences and artists from across Canada. The NAC is located in the National Capital Region on the unceded territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin Nation.

At the National Arts Centre, we believe the performing arts are vital to the human experience. A house of dreams for the Canadian performing arts, we work with artists and arts organizations from across this land to revitalize our sector.

Curious to learn more? Read our 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, The Journey Ahead.

Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Anti-Racism and Accessibility

We are on a journey, committed to ensuring that equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, anti-racism and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples will guide our actions.

The NAC welcomes applications from candidates who can help us meet our vision, and contribute to the diversity of lived experiences, perspectives, and approaches. When you join the NAC, you will be part of an inclusive community working hard to dismantle barriers to employees' well-being, access, potential, and success. The NAC actively seeks candidates who identify as women, Indigenous, Black, Persons of Colour (IBPoC), members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and people with disabilities. We encourage you to self-identify in the recruitment process.

Job Number: J0926-0652

Job Title: BANQUET CAPTAIN

Employment Type: Part-Time continuing

Job Category: Hospitality

Open Positions: 1

Posting Date: September 25, 2026

Closing Date: October 23, 2026

Working Hours: As Required. Mornings, afternoons, evenings, holidays and weekends.

Job Reports To: Banquet Manager and Assistant Banquet Manager

Reporting to the Banquet Manager and the Assistant Banquet Manager, the Banquet Captain oversees all aspects of banquets catered by the National Arts Centre’s Food & Beverage Department. As the Team Lead, the Banquet Captain supervises banquet staff assigned to each event, directs daily duties, and collaborates with Housekeeping and other departments of the NAC, as necessary, to ensure that our facilities remain clean and that our client’s needs are met. Additional duties include providing reports for management regarding each event held and ensuring that all billing and inventory documentation is completed accurately.

The ideal incumbent is able to communicate effectively in both official languages, has outstanding customer service skills and has extensive knowledge of Food & Beverage Service. With regards to management skills, along with a minimum of three years of comparable experience you must possess the ability to instruct, inspire and motivate your team and have the ability to create harmony when opposing views exist. Additionally, you must thrive in an ever-changing, fast paced environment where the hours of work are often long.

Although the hourly rate for Banquet Captains shares the same hourly rate as Banquet Servers, they receive double gratuity allocation in recognition of their leadership, operational oversight, and accountability for service delivery.

Responsibilities include, but is not limited to:

• Manage all aspects of banquet events, including setup, service and breakdown;
• Ensure that all event details are executed according to client specifications and Food & Beverage standards;
• Lead and train banquet staff, assiging tasks;
• Ensure that staff perform *efficientently* and professionally;
• Monitor service quality and guest satisfaction, addressinf any issues or complaints promptly to ensure an exceptional client experience;
• Must be able to demonstrate that they are reliable: this position is responsible for the overall running of NAC events under tight timelines, Banquet Captains often bein the first to arrive to coordinate teams;
• Must be able to demonstrate trustworthiness and diplomacy: this position is responsible / accountable for tracking inventory, reporting final counts and deposits involving money at end of shift. In addition, the Banquet Captain is often called upon to participate in confidential matters that require diplomacy and the ability to keep information confidential;
• Must be able to demonstrate, through concrete examples, their ability to lead a team effectively: this position leads one or more teams of varying levels of experience service personnel at any given time and must ensure that our client’s needs are met at all times.
• Maintain high team focus by showing leadership, cooperation and support to colleagues in the pursuit of team goals.

Skill Requirements

• High School diploma;
• Smart Serve certification;
• Bilingual in both official languages, English and French;
• Minimum of three (3) years experience in a similar position supervising staff in an unionized environment;
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain a good working relationship with colleagues and clients;
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritize effectively;
• Ability to work a flexible and irregular schedule to meet business needs (evenings, weekends and statutory holidays);
• Experience developing and training employees;
• Superior customer service skills;
• Strong interpersonal skills and attention to details;
• Extensive knowledge of food & beverage service;
• Ability to work under pressure in a busy environment;
• Strong problem-solving abilities;
• Physical work will be required;
• Must be able to lift up to 50 lb on a regular basis;
• Must be able to push/pull carts weighing up to 100lb;
• Must be able to stand & exert well-paced mobility for up to 12 hours;
• Ability to stand and walk throughout the shift and reach hands and arms in any direction;
• Strong knowledge of computer applications (Word, Excel, Outlook) and catering software;
• Satisfactory attendance and punctuality are a requirement*.

*Regular attendance at work is an expectation of employment and an essential part of every job.

Who Can Apply

Persons residing in Canada and Canadian citizens residing abroad. Preference will be given to Canadian citizens.

As part of NAC's interview process, in-person interviews may be required. Please ensure to have the most up-to-date information on your résumé including your current email address.

While we appreciate all applications, only those selected for an interview will be contacted by us.

The National Arts Centre (NAC) is committed to inclusive employee recruitment and selection. The NAC welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. If you require accommodation during the selection process, please inform us as soon as possible and we will make every effort to fulfill your accommodation request.

The successful candidate will be required to provide the original or a true certified copy of their education credentials as appropriate, along with proof of a valid Criminal Background Check as a condition of employment.