Director of Banquets

Alyeska-Resort; Anchorage (AK); On-site; USD 81,000 - 99,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee housing

Paid time off

Free Mountain Pass

Employee discounts

Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance

Roth 401(k) and 401(k) Retirement Plan

Job summary

Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska invites an experienced hospitality leader to become Director of Banquets. You will provide strategic leadership for banquet, catering, and event operations, guiding teams from setup through execution.

The role focuses on high-profile conferences, weddings, and resort-wide events, partnering with culinary, sales, and operations to ensure flawless service, strong financial performance, and exceptional guest experiences.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality, Business, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive Banquets, Catering, Events, or Food & Beverage leadership experience.
• Strong operational knowledge of banquet, catering, and high-volume event service.
• Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop teams in a fast-paced hospitality environment.
• Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, labor management, forecasting, and cost control.
• Excellent communication, organization, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to successfully manage complex events while maintaining exceptional attention to detail and guest service.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily banquet, catering, and event operations, providing visible leadership during setup, service, and breakdown.
• Oversee the execution of conferences, weddings, social events, catering functions, and resort-wide activations.
• Partner with Culinary to ensure menu execution, timing, presentation, and service meet event specifications and resort standards.
• Ensure BEOs are executed accurately through strong communication between Sales, Events, Culinary, and Operations.
• Establish staffing models, service standards, operating procedures, and systems for high-volume events.
• Anticipate guest needs, resolve service challenges in real time, and maintain exceptional standards throughout every event.
• Partner with Sales & Marketing and Event Management to ensure events are operationally feasible and aligned with client expectations.
• Support site visits, tastings, and high-profile client events.
• Develop and manage budgets, labor forecasts, business plans, and KPIs.
• Analyze financial performance and adjust operations to maximize revenue and control costs.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing Banquets team with engagement and succession planning.
• Build partnerships across Food & Beverage, Culinary, Sales, Events, Hotel Operations, Mountain Operations, and People & Culture.

Skills

Leadership

Operations management

Budgeting & forecasting

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Hospitality, Business, or related field

Job description

Are you an experienced hospitality leader who thrives on bringing exceptional events to life? Do you excel at leading teams, coordinating complex operations, and creating memorable guest experiences? If you take pride in operational excellence and want to lead a dynamic banquet and events operation in one of Alaska’s most incredible destinations, Alyeska Resort is for you!

We’re looking for a Director of Banquets to join our team in Girdwood, Alaska.

What You’ll Do

As the Director of Banquets, you’ll provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for Alyeska Resort’s banquet, catering, and event operations. From conferences and weddings to high-profile celebrations and resort-wide events, you’ll lead the teams responsible for delivering polished, memorable experiences from setup through execution.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Lead daily banquet, catering, and event operations, providing visible leadership during setup, service, and breakdown.
• Oversee the execution of conferences, weddings, social events, catering functions, and resort-wide activations.
• Partner closely with Culinary to ensure menu execution, timing, presentation, and service meet event specifications and resort standards.
• Ensure Banquet Event Orders (BEOs) are executed accurately through strong communication between Sales, Events, Culinary, and Operations.
• Establish staffing models, service standards, operating procedures, and systems capable of supporting high-volume and complex events.
• Anticipate guest needs, resolve service challenges in real time, and maintain exceptional standards throughout every event.
• Partner with Sales & Marketing and Event Management to ensure events are operationally feasible, appropriately staffed, and aligned with client expectations.
• Support site visits, tastings, and high-profile client events.
• Develop and manage budgets, labor forecasts, business plans, and key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Analyze financial performance and proactively adjust operations to maximize revenue, control labor and expenses, and improve profitability.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing Banquets team with a focus on engagement, accountability, retention, and succession planning.
• Build strong partnerships across Food & Beverage, Culinary, Sales, Events, Hotel Operations, Mountain Operations, and People & Culture.
• Foster a culture rooted in Alyeska Resort’s values of Family, Quality, Winning, Industry, and Honesty.

What We Offer

• Starting Salary: From $90,000
• Employee housing for a small fee — live and play where you work
• Paid time off & holidays
• Free Mountain Pass for employees and qualified dependents
• Employee discounts on resort lodging, dining, shops, and Nordic Spa
• Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• Roth 401(k) and 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan

What We Need

• Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality, Business, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum 5 years of progressive Banquets, Catering, Events, or Food & Beverage leadership experience.
• Strong operational knowledge of banquet, catering, and high-volume event service.
• Proven ability to lead, coach, and develop teams in a fast-paced hospitality environment.
• Strong financial acumen, including budgeting, labor management, forecasting, and cost control.
• Excellent communication, organization, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Ability to successfully manage complex events while maintaining exceptional attention to detail and guest service.

What to Expect

• Be a visible, hands-on leader during major events and peak business periods.
• Work a flexible schedule that may include extended hours, evenings, weekends, and holidays.
• Operate in a fast-paced, guest-centric resort environment where priorities can change quickly.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds, bend, stoop, walk, push or pull equipment, and stand for extended periods.
• Collaborate extensively with employees, resort leaders, clients, guests, and external partners.

About Alyeska Resort

Alyeska Resort is a world-class destination nestled in the Chugach Mountains of Girdwood, Alaska, just 45 minutes south of Anchorage. With a 299-room resort, Nordic Spa, ski area, diverse culinary program, and extensive event offerings, Alyeska provides an incredible environment where employees can work hard, play hard, and Live the Adventure!

Our banquet and events operation brings together everything from intimate celebrations to weddings, conferences, social events, and large-scale resort activations. As Director of Banquets, you’ll have the opportunity to lead the team behind these experiences while helping shape the continued growth of Alyeska’s event and hospitality programs.

Alyeska Resort is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a Drug-Free Workplace.