Director of Operations

Behind the Scenes Catering and Events; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Behind the Scenes Catering and Events in San Diego, CA is seeking a Director of Operations to lead daily catering and event activities across corporate, social, and production engagements. This on-site role requires strong leadership, process improvement, and the ability to optimize workflows while upholding food safety and quality standards.

You will balance budgeting, staffing, vendor relationships, and cross-functional collaboration with culinary, sales, and events teams to enable scalable,

Qualifications

• Strong operations management and event logistics oversight.
• Analytical skills for forecasting and decisions.
• Proven team management and leadership.
• Budgeting and financial planning experience.
• Customer service focus and problem resolution.
• Experience in catering or hospitality preferred.
• Excellent organizational and communication skills.
• Knowledge of food safety and health regulations.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business or Hospitality or equivalent.
• Flexible hours including evenings, weekends, holidays.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily catering and event operations.
• Manage scheduling, staffing, and resources.
• Coordinate with culinary, events, and sales teams.
• Monitor budgets and vendor relationships.
• Implement operational improvements and issue resolution.
• Coach and develop team members.
• Ensure health and safety compliance.
• Support strategic planning for scalable execution.

Skills

Operations management

Data analysis

Team leadership

Budgeting

Customer service

Hospitality experience

Communication

Organizational skills

Food safety

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business or Hospitality

Job description

Company Description

Behind the Scenes Catering and Events is a well-established catering and event company that has served corporate, social, and production clients for over 30 years. Headquartered in San Diego, California, the company supports large corporations, private clients, major sports and news broadcast companies, venues, concert tours, PGA golf events, corporate marketing tours, and major sporting events locally and internationally. The team is known for its flexibility, experienced staff, and ability to manage changes while maintaining outstanding service. Culinary and event teams specialize in accommodating special requests and delivering creative, enjoyable dining and event experiences. Menus are carefully curated using fresh ingredients to satisfy a wide range of tastes and high expectations.

Role Description

The Director of Operations is a full-time, on-site role based in San Diego, CA, responsible for overseeing daily catering and event operations across multiple corporate, social, and production engagements. This role manages scheduling, staffing, and resource allocation to ensure events run efficiently and meet quality standards. The Director of Operations collaborates closely with culinary, event, and sales teams to streamline workflows, optimize processes, and uphold service and food safety standards. Key responsibilities include monitoring budgets, managing vendor relationships, implementing operational improvements, and resolving issues in real time during events. The role also involves coaching and developing team members, maintaining compliance with health and safety regulations, and supporting strategic planning to enable scalable, flexible event execution.

Qualifications

• Strong operations management skills, including process improvement and event logistics oversight.


• Demonstrated analytical skills for interpreting data, forecasting needs, and making informed operational decisions.


• Proven team management capabilities, including leadership, coaching, and cross-functional collaboration.


• Budgeting skills for controlling costs, managing margins, and supporting financial planning.


• Customer service skills with a focus on client satisfaction, responsiveness, and problem resolution.


• Experience in catering, hospitality, events, or related service industries is highly preferred.


• Excellent organizational and communication skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and priorities.


• Knowledge of food safety, health regulations, and risk management practices in event operations.


• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Hospitality Management, or a related field, or equivalent relevant experience.


• Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays, based on event schedules.