Director of Banquets

Reitmr; New Orleans (LA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Sonesta International Hotels in New Orleans is seeking a Director of Banquets to lead banquet operations for meetings, conferences, weddings, and large-scale events. You will ensure flawless execution from setup to service while balancing guest experience and financial performance.

The role requires ownership of staffing, budgets, and event logistics, partnering with culinary, catering, and hotel leadership to deliver memorable events and strong business results.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business, Event Management, or related field.
• 5+ years of progressive banquet, catering, Food & Beverage, hotel, or hospitality leadership experience preferred.
• Previous Director of Banquets, Banquet Manager, Assistant Director of Banquets, or large-scale event operations leadership experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead banquet operations for meetings, conferences, weddings, galas, and large-scale events across the hotel.
• Oversee banquet service, setup, staffing, event logistics, and guest experience standards.
• Recruit, train, coach, schedule, and develop Banquet Managers and banquet staff to support excellence.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Multitasking

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management

Job description

We're People People. Are you?

We're Sonesta International Hotels-the 8th largest hotel company in the U.S. (and growing fast).

With a dynamic mix of full-service and focused hotels across major cities, our diverse portfolio of owned, managed, and franchised properties means we're everywhere our guests need us to be.

But here's the thing-we're not just in the business of hotels, we're in the business of people. We bring service with passion, loyalty with purpose, and create experiences that genuinely connect-delivering quality, value, and memorable stays across 1,000+ properties in eight countries (and counting).

What this role is all about

At Sonesta, unforgettable events are powered by exceptional service, seamless execution, and teams that know how to bring hospitality to life at every level. As the Director of Banquets, you'll lead banquet operations across meetings, conferences, weddings, galas, social events, and large-scale functions while ensuring every experience is delivered flawlessly from setup to final service.

This role is perfect for someone who thrives in a fast-paced hospitality environment and enjoys balancing operational leadership, event execution, guest experience, team development, and financial performance. You'll oversee banquet service, setup operations, staffing, event logistics, and operational strategy while partnering closely with Convention Services, Culinary, Catering, Food & Beverage, and hotel leadership teams to deliver memorable guest experiences and strong business results.

What you'll be doing

• Lead all banquet operations for meetings, conferences, weddings, corporate events, social functions, and catered events across the hotel.
• Oversee banquet service, banquet setup, event logistics, staffing, operational execution, and guest experience standards throughout all functions.
• Recruit, train, coach, schedule, and develop Banquet Managers, Banquet Captains, Banquet Servers, and setup teams to support operational excellence and employee engagement.
• Review banquet event orders (BEOs), event timelines, room setups, staffing plans, and operational details to ensure flawless event execution.
• Partner closely with Convention Services, Catering, Culinary, Stewarding, Food & Beverage, and hotel leadership teams to coordinate seamless event operations.
• Monitor guest satisfaction and respond quickly and professionally to operational challenges, service recovery situations, and client requests during events.
• Manage banquet labor costs, staffing productivity, inventory levels, operational supplies, departmental budgets, and banquet financial performance.
• Ensure compliance with food safety regulations, sanitation standards, responsible alcohol service guidelines, OSHA requirements, and hotel operational procedures.
• Support VIP events, high-profile functions, large-scale conferences, weddings, and complex banquet operations with a strong focus on execution and guest experience.
• Maintain banquet equipment, storage organization, operational readiness, and presentation standards across all event spaces and back-of-house banquet operations.
• Analyze banquet operations, guest feedback, operational KPIs, and service trends to identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
• Help foster a collaborative, energetic, and guest-focused culture aligned with Sonesta's People People philosophy.
• Any other duties as assigned.

What great looks like

• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Business, Event Management, or related field preferred.
• 5+ years of progressive banquet, catering, Food & Beverage, hotel, or hospitality leadership experience preferred.
• Previous Director of Banquets, Banquet Manager, Assistant Director of Banquets, or large-scale event operations leadership experience preferred.
• Strong knowledge of banquet operations, event execution, staffing management, banquet setup, food & beverage service, and hospitality guest experience standards.
• Experience managing banquet labor costs, operational budgets, staffing plans, inventory control, and event logistics.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to multitask and thrive in a high-volume hospitality and events environment.
• Knowledge of food safety regulations, sanitation standards, OSHA requirements, and responsible alcohol service practices preferred.
• Ability to lead operational teams effectively during high-volume events, operational changes, and service recovery situations.
• Flexible availability including mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and late-night event support as needed.
• A passion for hospitality, leadership, teamwork, operational excellence, and creating unforgettable event experiences.

Anticipated Pay Range & Additional Job Information

How we reward you

At Sonesta, we know showing up for our guests starts with showing up for our people. That means