Catering Lead

Panera LLC; Linden (NJ); On-site; USD 22,000 - 27,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay & team tips

Free on-shift meals

Flexible scheduling

Paid vacation & holidays (full-time)

Medical/dental/vision/life & 401(k)

Career advancement

Tuition discounts

Perks & rewards

Team member assistance program

Job summary

Panera LLC in Linden, NJ is seeking a Catering Lead to manage and produce catering orders, ensuring warm, friendly service and proactive follow-ups for guest satisfaction. The role requires adherence to health and safety standards and strong organizational skills. You will support delivery of orders and help market Panera Catering to local businesses and events.

The position emphasizes teamwork, growth opportunities, and a fun, supportive workplace culture with competitive pay and benefits.

Qualifications

• Minimum age: 18.
• Food Handler’s Card or basic food safety training.
• Excellent communication and people skills.
• Self-starter with one-person goals and limited supervision.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage and produce catering orders for guests.
• Provide memorable, friendly service with proactive follow-ups to ensure guest satisfaction.
• Assist with delivering orders to guests’ events.
• Adhere to health and food safety standards.
• Uphold Panera’s standards for food quality.
• Market Panera Catering to local businesses, schools and events.
• Support Managers and Team Members as needed.
• Help build a culture of warmth, belonging and trust.

Job description

Catering Lead At Panera, our people come first. If you're looking for a place where you can grow, feel supported, be yourself, enjoy great perks, and have a little fun along the way—you're in the right spot. We're here to help you succeed every day, in every way. Get ready to rise and come join the fun where you will be a part of making the familiar fantastic! Because at Panera, the best thing of bread is sharing it!

What’s In It for You?

• Competitive pay & eligible for team tips
• Free on-shift meals & unlimited fountain beverages
• Flexible & reliable scheduling
• Paid vacation, sick time, and holidays for full-time team members
• Medical, dental, vision, life insurance, pet insurance & 401(k) with match available
• Career advancement & leadership development opportunities
• Tuition discounts
• Perks & rewards for team members
• Team member assistance program
• And much, much more!

Your Role Includes:

• Manage and produce catering orders for our guests.
• Create memorable experiences with warm, friendly service, effective communication, and proactive follow-ups to ensure every guest leaves satisfied.
• Assist with delivering orders to guests’ events.
• Strictly adhere to health and food safety standards.
• Maintain Panera’s exceptional standards for craveable food quality.
• Build excitement and interest in Panera’s products and services.
• Marketing Panera Catering to local area businesses, schools and events.
• Assist and support your Managers and Team Members as needed.
• Help build our Culture of warmth, belonging, growth, and trust.

This Opportunity Is for You If:

• Minimum age: 18 years of age.
• Complete basic food safety understanding and practice training. (Food Handler’s Card, as required by law).
• Enjoy people and have effective communication skills.
• A self-starter who can meet goals with limited supervision.
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills.
• Must have your own vehicle that you can use for delivering orders and an acceptable driving record.
• This role requires flexible hours, including nights and weekends in a fast-paced environment with shifting priorities.
• Ability to lift, carry, push, or pull objects 25-50 pounds.
• Capability to stand and walk for up to 3 hours.
• Must be able to clearly communicate and quickly understand guests and associates’ directions in a loud environment.
• Be an ambassador of our Guiding Values and Behaviors by making people smile, learning and growing together, finding solutions and taking initiative, working (and winning) as a team, having fun and celebrating success, and seeing the best in others!

Equal Opportunity Employer: Disabled/Veterans

Competitive pay: $16.00 - $19.25 The actual pay offered will be determined by multiple factors, including but not limited to the candidate’s relevant experience, job-related knowledge, skills, and geographical location. Individual compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.

606176 Linden, NJ - West Edgar Road

With more than 2,000 Panera LLC and independent franchise bakery-cafes in the Panera Bread® family, and more locations opening all the time, it’s no wonder our company has been an excellent source of career and personal growth opportunities for more than 25 years. In neighborhoods across the U.S. and Canada, customers enjoy flavorful, handcrafted meals centered around freshly baked artisan bread. To us, that means serving food like we serve our own families – free of any of the items on our ‘No No’ List. Along the way, we also like to give back to our community. We enjoy working together, shoulder to shoulder with our customers, to confront a serious problem plaguing communities across this country – Hunger. Through our Panera Cares community cafes, we offer a dignified dining experience in an uplifting environment. In addition, we support our communities through day-end donations at our bakery-cafe locations and partner with local non-profit organizations. It’s this warmth that you’ll find when you join Panera Bread. From our competitive compensation and benefits packages to our unique cultural values, we’re confident you’ll find us a rewarding and fun place to work.