CATERING MANAGER

Compass Group USA; Evanston (IL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Vision

Life Insurance/ AD

Disability Insurance

Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Holiday Time Off

Associate Shopping Program

Health and Wellness Programs

Discount Marketplace

Identity Theft Protection

Pet Insurance

Employee Assistance Program

FSAs

Personal Leave

Job summary

Compass Group USA is seeking a Catering Manager to lead the Catering Department, supervise associates, coordinate event set-ups, and oversee temporary staff alongside daily duties. You will ensure excellent client service during events, including proper setup, service, and breakdown.

Reporting to the Catering Director, the role is primarily based at the Global Hub with some responsibilities at the Ann Drake Center.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• 3–5 years of catering experience in a hospitality management environment.
• Knowledge of food and catering trends, including quality, production, sanitation, and food cost controls.
• Union experience preferred.
• Strong organizational, time management and team motivation skills.
• Ability to work independently with little supervision.
• Effective written and verbal communication with clients, senior management, and support staff.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Flexible schedule including early mornings, evenings, weekends and holidays.

Responsibilities

• Supervises all catering events.
• Involved in catering events operations, including logistics, quality improvement, sanitation, and all facility-related activities.
• Works with the Catering Sous Chef in creating menus.
• Trains catering associates in service techniques, menu presentation, and customer service.
• Tracks and monitors the labor and food cost for each event.
• Communicates on various levels to include management, client, customer and associate levels; maintains excellent client relationships.
• Assists in the responsibility for all foodservice-related activities.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Catering experience

Team motivation

Communication skills

Microsoft Office

Independent worker

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

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What makes FLIK click? Our people. The decisions, actions and attitudes of our associates earn the trust and loyalty of our clients every day. We know how to pick them and we know how to grow them. It starts with hiring people who share our passion for food and hospitality. Once we find the right talent, we encourage, value and recognize their contributions.

We keep our people renewed, excited and engaged by providing hands‑on training and educating them about the latest trends. We give them a stake in successfully raising the bar. Our people love what they do and they love sharing their passion. Join our team and see the FLIK difference. Where a job isn’t merely a job but the start of a career where you can flourish.

Job Summary

As a Catering Manager, you will be responsible for providing assistance with managing the Catering Department in all duties including supervising associates, scheduling, overseeing event set‑ups, and directing any temporary personnel in addition to their everyday assignments. You will ensure proper service to clients during events, including proper set‑up, cleaning, and breakdown procedures.

Reporting Structure: This position reports directly to the Catering Director.

Work Location: The position is primarily assigned at the Global Hub with some responsibilities at the Ann Drake Center.

Key Responsibilities

• Supervises all catering events.
• Involved in catering events operations, including logistics, quality improvement, sanitation, and all facility‑related activities.
• Works with the Catering Sous Chef in creating menus.
• Trains catering associates in service techniques, menu presentation, and customer service.
• Tracks and monitors the labor and food cost for each event.
• Communicates on various levels to include management, client, customer and associate levels; maintains excellent client relationships.
• Assists in the responsibility for all foodservice‑related activities.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred or equivalent experience.
• Minimum 3-5 years of catering experience in a hospitality management environment (preferably in a higher education environment).
• Some knowledge of food and catering trends with a focus on quality, production, sanitation, food cost controls, and presentation.
• Union experience preferred.
• Strong organization, time management and team motivation skills are essential for success in this role.
• Ability to work independently with little direct supervision
• Ability to communicate effectively (verbal and written) with clients, senior management, and WPC support staff.
• Ability to respond effectively to continuously changing demands
• Demonstrated experience in budgeting, P&L, labor and sales forecasting and reporting.
• Effective use of discretion to problem solve in a fast‑paced environment
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
• Flexible schedule, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays

Physical Demands: Regularly stands, walks, lifts, kneels, and crawls. Ability to move conference room tables, chairs, safely operate equipment, and lift 50 pounds as needed. This is a hands‑on job requiring both management skills and technical skills.

Associates at Flik Hospitality are offered many fantastic benefits.

• Medical
• Vision
• Life Insurance/ AD
• Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state)
• Associate Shopping Program
• Health and Wellness Programs
• Discount Marketplace
• Identity Theft Protection
• Pet Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Personal Leave

Associates may also be eligible for paid and/or unpaid time off benefits in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

Compass Group is an equal opportunity employer. At Compass, we are committed to treating all Applicants and Associates fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.

Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. Disclaimer: this job post is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all essential responsibilities, skills, tasks, or requirements associated with this position. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the position posted, the Company reserves the right to modify or change the essential functions of the job based on business necessity. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with a criminal history (including relevant driving history), in a manner consistent with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York Fair Chance Act.

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.