Catering Assistant Manager

Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 58,000 - 61,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Vacation & Holidays

Medical, Dental and Vision insurance

401k Options after 1 year

Free entry to the park while off duty

Free tickets for friends and family

Additional discounted tickets and 6son

Job summary

Elitch Gardens Theme & Water Park is seeking a Catering Assistant Manager to lead the Park’s catering production and onsite operations within the Food & Beverage team. You will oversee event execution, production planning, and service standards, while supporting concessions and related operations as needed.

The role demands strong leadership, budgeting input, staff training, and hands-on problem solving in a fast-paced environment to deliver high‑quality catered events for Park clients and

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to hire, train, coach and develop team members.
• Strong written and verbal English language communication skills.
• Self-motivated and self-directed with problem-solving ability.
• Ability to carry out verbal and written instructions.
• High school education or equivalent; college degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead the onsite catering operation including ordering food and producing fresh catered outings.
• Manage event setup, staffing, service standards and breakdown; solve operational issues.
• Hire, train and manage catering team members.
• Collaborate with other managers on food production and procurement.
• Assist in budget development and financial planning for catering.

Skills

Team leadership

English communication

Self-motivation

Instructions comprehension

Education

High school education or equivalent

College degree preferred

Job description

Catering Assistant Manager

REPORTS TO: Food & Beverage Manager

DEPARTMENT: Catering & Special Events

PAY RATE: $58,000 - $61,000 Annually

ACCEPTING APPLICATION UNTIL: October 1st, 2026

TARGET START DATE: October 12th, 2026

JOB SUMMARY

Lead the Park’s catering food production and onsite catering operations while supporting the broader Food & Beverage department. Responsible for catering team leadership, purchasing and inventory compliance, food and labor cost controls, production planning, event execution, and service standards. This position also supports concessions and other Food & Beverage operations as business needs require.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead the onsite catering operation including ordering food; preparing and producing fresh catered outing food presentations; delivering quality service; and producing a high overall quality catered food event for the Park's clients
• Lead event setup and execution, service standards, staffing plans, breakdown, and operational problem-solving
• Hire, train and manage catering team members
• Collaborate with Retail Manager for Cabana food production and preparation
• Manage catering food purchasing and ordering based on event forecasts, production needs and inventory levels; coordinate with the Procurement Manager on beverage and alcohol receiving, product availability and distribution
• Assist Food & Beverage Manager in developing budget and financial plans for catering department
• Consistently review catering operations to identify any problems or concerns and opportunities for improvement
• Monitor food cost, labor cost, waste, inventory and other controllable expenses to achieve department financial goals
• Attend and participate in weekly pre-event meetings with the Event Sales team
• Work closely with the Event Sales team to generate invoices for events in a timely manner
• Ensure proper and safe delivery/distribution of commissary products to Park locations
• Assist the day-to-day operations of the Food & Beverage department including duty manager shifts
• Must be able to succeed in a fast-paced, evolving environment

QUALIFICATIONS

• Demonstrated experience hiring, training, coaching and developing team members
• Strongwritten and verbal English language communication skills
• Self-motivated and self-directed along with ability to solve problems
• Ability to carry out both verbal and written instructions
• High school education or equivalent. College degree preferred
• Two years of supervisory or management experience in catering, banquet, food service or high-volume hospitality operations required
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Demonstrated ability to be friendly, caring and interactive with Guests and Team Members
• Proven track record of training and mentoring reporting staff
• Respond appropriately to workplace changes, and resolve issues in a positive manner
• The ability to think quickly, work in stressful circumstances and stay calm in a crisis
• Ensure compliance with all food safety, sanitation, allergen, temperature-control, and health department standards within catering operations
• ServSafe Manager Certification or equivalent Certified Food Protection Manager certification

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Standing and walking for extended periods of time
• Ability to hear and speak clearly to respond to guest and employee questions and concerns
• Lifting weight up to 50 pounds
• Working in hot and humid environment for extended periods of time
• All job offers contingent on passing a criminal, drug, alcohol and social security background check
• Available to work flexible hours including nights, weekends and holidays
• Requires occasional kneeling and bending
• Requires occasional reaching above shoulder, pushing and pulling
• Possess 20/20 corrected vision. (Corrective lens, if required, must be worn while on duty)
• Specific vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus
• Possess normal or average corrected hearing. (Defined as 25 decibels or better in the frequency range of 500HZ-4000HZ considered normal speech frequency range). (If a corrective device is needed to achieve this range, it must be worn while on duty)

BENEFITS

• Paid Vacation & Holidays
• Medical, Dental and Vision insurance
• 401k Options after 1 year
• Free entry to the park while off duty
• Free tickets for friends and family
• Additional discounted tickets and season passes for friends and family