Catering Manager

Compass Group USA; New York; On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Vision

Life Insurance

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

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

Personal Leave

Job summary

Restaurant Associates in New York City seeks a Catering Manager to lead sophisticated catered events for a premier client account. You will oversee flawless execution with a focus on white-glove hospitality, ensuring events meet the highest standards of service, quality, and attention to detail.

The role requires strong leadership, superb organization, and the ability to manage multiple high-profile events while coordinating culinary, operations, vendors, and client stakeholders.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in a high-volume hospitality management environment, preferably in high-end dining.
• Hands-on experience supporting catering events in a high-volume setting.
• Demonstrated ability to lead in a client-focused, hospitality-driven environment with an entrepreneurial mindset and a proven track record of driving business growth, operational excellence, and long-term client partnerships.
• Operationally savvy industry professional with demonstrated leadership in managing people, events, and the overall guest experience.
• 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 with clients, senior management, and support staff.
• Demonstrated experience in budgeting, P&L, labor and sales forecasting and reporting.

Responsibilities

• Consults clients as to scope, expectations, setting, menu, collateral, and entertainment to have a successful and appropriate event within the client’s budget.
• Plans menus in consultation with the clients and chefs
• Delegates to, and ensures the coordination and execution of events
• Recruits, interviews, selects, and trains permanent and casual staff
• Organizes, leads, and motivates the catering team
• Plans staff and event schedules
• Maintains and develops accurate financial and administrative records
• Serves as liaison between Sales Catering Managers, Supervising Chefs, Staffing, Captains, Suppliers, Vendors, Rental Companies and Clients as needed to plan events
• Assesses contract requirements and ensures satisfaction with the services delivered
• Performs final review and assessment of catering events to determine if they meet performance and quality standards
• Resolves customer concerns and ensures timely customer payment

Skills

High-volume hospitality

Client-focused

Event coordination

Staff leadership

Communication skills

Job description

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Become part of Restaurant Associates, the industry’s leading provider of dining and event catering for some of the nation's most prestigious museums, performing arts centers and corporations!Voted Glassdoor's Employee Choice Awards- Best Places to Work, This is R/A !

Job Summary:

The Catering Manager will lead the flawless execution of sophisticated catered events for a premier client account in NYC. This highly visible role is responsible for delivering exceptional, white-glove hospitality experiences while ensuring every event reflects the highest standards of service, quality, and attention to detail.

The ideal candidate is an organized, client-focused hospitality professional with a proven ability to manage multiple high-profile events simultaneously. Success in this role requires outstanding communication, meticulous planning, and seamless coordination across culinary, operations, vendors, and client stakeholders. You will build trusted client relationships, anticipate needs, and deliver memorable event experiences through exceptional presentation, operational excellence, and a polished, hospitality-driven approach.

Key Responsibilities:

• Consults clients as to scope, expectations, setting, menu, collateral, and entertainment to have a successful and appropriate event within the client’s budget
• Plans menus in consultation with the clients and chefs
• Delegates to, and ensures the coordination and execution of events
• Recruits, interviews, selects, and trains permanent and casual staff
• Organizes, leads, and motivates the catering team
• Plans staff and event schedules
• Maintains and develops accurate financial and administrative records
• Serves as liaison and coordinator between Sales Catering Managers, Supervising Chefs, Staffing, Captains, Suppliers, Vendors, Rental Companies and Clients as needed to plan events
• Assesses contract requirements and ensures satisfaction with the services delivered
• Performs final review and assessment of catering events to determine if they meet performance and quality standards
• Resolves customer concerns and ensures timely customer payment

What We're Looking For:

• 3-5 years of experience in a high-volume hospitality management environment, preferably in high-end dining
• Hands-on experience supporting catering events in a high-volume setting
• Demonstrated ability to lead in a client-focused, hospitality-driven environment with an entrepreneurial mindset and a proven track record of driving business growth, operational excellence, and long-term client partnerships.
• Operationally savvy industry professional with demonstrated leadership in managing people, events, and the overall guest experience
• 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 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
• Ability to establish credibility with senior culinary professionals
• Human Resources experience including hiring, training, mentoring, and development

Restaurant Associates is a member of Compass Group USA

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.

Associates at Restaurant Associates 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

Restaurant Associates maintains a drug-free workplace.