Manager, Restaurant Operations and Events

SAIT; Calgary; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Defined Benefit pension (LAPP)

Paid time off

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

Health Spending Account

Mental health support

Professional development opportunities

Campus dining options

Fitness facilities

Discounted continuing education

Job summary

SAIT's School of Hospitality and Tourism is seeking a dynamic and highly visible Manager, Restaurant Operations & Events to provide leadership for Highwood Kitchen & Bar and the School's growing events portfolio.

Reporting to the Associate Dean, this role blends hands-on restaurant leadership with a live learning environment to deliver exceptional hospitality experiences while advancing applied, real-world learning.

Qualifications

• Diploma or degree in Hospitality Management, Business, Culinary Management, or a related discipline.
• Minimum five (5) years of progressive hospitality leadership experience in restaurant and/or event operations.
• Demonstrated experience leading teams, managing budgets, and delivering exceptional guest experiences.
• Food Safe Certification or equivalent.
• ProServe Certification.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational leadership for Highwood Kitchen & Bar and the School's events portfolio, delivering exceptional guest experiences while supporting student learning.
• Lead restaurant and event operations, ensuring service excellence, operational performance, quality standards, and regulatory compliance.
• Drive the growth of the events portfolio through business development, client relationships, proposal development, and revenue-generating opportunities.
• Collaborate with faculty, staff, industry partners, and institutional stakeholders to create authentic hospitality and event learning experiences.
• Lead, coach, and develop supervisors and frontline teams, fostering a culture of service excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee budgets, labour utilization, financial performance, forecasting, and business planning for restaurant and event operations.
• Serve as a visible, hands-on leader, engaging with guests, mentoring employees, and supporting student success in a live learning environment.
• Champion operational excellence by identifying opportunities to improve service delivery, efficiency, and overall performance.

Skills

Leadership

Team development

Guest service

Finance & budgeting

Operations management

Project management

Communication

Relationship building

Hospitality technology

Education

Diploma or degree in Hospitality Management

Business / Culinary Management related

Tools

Microsoft Office

POS systems

Job description

SAIT's School of Hospitality and Tourism stands among the world's leading hospitality schools — CEOWORLD Magazine named us #1 in Canada and #14 globally in 2026. Renowned for our innovative curriculum, strong industry partnerships and unparalleled approach to applied learning, serving up excellence is what we do best.

The Opportunity

Job classification: M1100 - Manager

Salary range: $90,000 - $110,000. Placement within the range is typically based upon a review of skills, experience, and internal equity.

Hours per week: 37.5

Paid leave: 4 Weeks Vacation / 14 Flex Days per year

Deadline to apply: end of day August 23, 2026

The School of Hospitality & Tourism is seeking a dynamic and highly visible Manager, Restaurant Operations & Events to provide leadership for Highwood Kitchen & Bar and the School's growing events portfolio.

Reporting to the Associate Dean, this role works collaboratively with faculty, staff, students, industry partners, and institutional stakeholders to deliver exceptional hospitality experiences while advancing applied, real-world learning. This unique leadership opportunity combines the excitement of commercial restaurant and event operations with the rewarding impact of supporting student success in a live learning environment.

As Manager, you will balance operational excellence with educational priorities, ensuring every decision supports both outstanding guest experiences and meaningful student outcomes. You will be accountable for operational performance, financial stewardship, people leadership, continuous improvement, business development, and the continued growth of the School's events portfolio.

This hands-on leadership role requires a consistent presence during restaurant service, particularly dinner service. You will coach employees, mentor supervisors, engage with guests, support student learning, and foster a culture of hospitality excellence.

How you'll contribute

• Provide leadership for Highwood Kitchen & Bar and the School's events portfolio, delivering exceptional guest experiences while supporting student learning.
• Lead restaurant and event operations, ensuring service excellence, operational performance, quality standards, and regulatory compliance.
• Drive the growth of the events portfolio through business development, client relationships, proposal development, and revenue-generating opportunities.
• Collaborate with faculty, staff, industry partners, and institutional stakeholders to create authentic hospitality and event learning experiences.
• Lead, coach, and develop supervisors and frontline teams, fostering a culture of service excellence, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee budgets, labour utilization, financial performance, forecasting, and business planning for restaurant and event operations.
• Serve as a visible, hands-on leader, engaging with guests, mentoring employees, and supporting student success in a live learning environment.
• Champion operational excellence by identifying opportunities to improve service delivery, efficiency, and overall performance.

What you bring

Minimum:

• Diploma or degree in Hospitality Management, Business, Culinary Management, or a related discipline
• Minimum five (5) years of progressive hospitality leadership experience in restaurant and/or event operations
• Demonstrated experience leading teams, managing budgets, and delivering exceptional guest experiences
• Food Safe Certification or equivalent
• ProServe Certification

Preferred:

• WSET Level 2 Award in Wines or equivalent wine education
• Event Management certification
• First Aid certification

Skills:

• Leadership, coaching, and team development
• Guest-focused hospitality and service excellence
• Strong business, financial, and operational acumen
• Excellent project management, communication, and relationship-building skills
• Sound judgment, professionalism, and problem-solving abilities
• Ability to balance competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Collaborative leadership style with a focus on accountability, continuous improvement, and inclusion
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and hospitality technology, including POS systems

We sincerely thank all applicants for their interest in this opportunity. We understand how important communication is, and we are committed to following up with every candidate. Please know that each application is thoughtfully reviewed, and you will hear from us either way.

Together, we build bold futures

At SAIT, we equip you with the resources you need to shape bold futures for yourself and our communities. We offer a comprehensive package including:

- Defined Benefit pension through LAPP to help you retire with confidence

- Generous time off to pursue other passions and support your wellbeing

- SAIT paid premiums for medical, dental, and vision benefits so you, and your family, are well supported

- Access to a Health Spending or Taxable Spending Account

- Benefits supporting mental health and access to Greenshield + for virtual therapy at a reduced rate

- Professional development opportunities through our Free Seat Program, tuition support, access to LinkedIn Learning and discounted Continuing Education & Professional Studies courses

- Excellent dining options on campus

- Free access to our fitness facilities and group fitness classes

And the perks keep on coming!

About SAIT

At SAIT, we’re building bold futures. We’re a community of tenacious problem-solvers, inventive thinkers, and passionate collaborators who believe in doing work that matters.

Named one of Alberta’s Top Employers, we’re driven by a desire to create an impact in our community. If you’re looking for a place where purpose meets possibility, you’ve found it here.

We’re committed to community and belonging

Community and belonging is essential to achieving SAIT's vision to be a global leader in applied education. We encourage applications from women, Indigenous people, racialized people, people with disabilities, people from gender and sexually diverse communities, and/or people with intersectional identities. Learn more about Community and Belonging at SAIT.