Food & Beverage Assistant Manager for Special Events

DHRM; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 47,000 - 57,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free museum admission

Employee pricing for programs

Discounts at VMFA Shop

Job summary

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond seeks a Food & Beverage Assistant Manager of Special Events to lead day-to-day front-of-house operations for large-scale events. You will support event staffing, training, and supervision to ensure top service quality.

Ideal candidates bring 3–5 years in food service, strong leadership, and knowledge of safety and health regulations. This role offers flexible scheduling and opportunities to grow within VMFA’s vibrant events team.

Qualifications

• Excellent knowledge of best practices for food service, event and restaurant operations.
• Three to Five years related experience in a food service setting or equivalent.
• Strong communication and leadership skills; ability to manage staff during large events.
• Familiarity with event setup, safety, and health code compliance.
• Ability to supervise front-of-house operations and staffing for special events.

Responsibilities

• Train front-of-house Event Staff and supervisors in service standards.
• Assist in scheduling staff for large-scale events and oversee event operations.
• Ensure compliance with health codes and safety procedures at all times.
• Monitor guest satisfaction and address issues during events.
• Support managers in onboarding new staff and maintaining productivity.

Skills

Food service operations

Event management

Staff supervision

Communication

Safety compliance

HotSchedules

Micros

OpenTable

Kronos

Tools

HotSchedules

Micros

OpenTable

Kronos

Job description

Title: Food & Beverage Assistant Manager of Special Events

State Role Title: Food Services Technician III - 79213

Hiring Range: $52,000 annually

Pay Band: 03

Agency: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

Agency Website: https://vmfa.museum/

Recruitment Type: Internal -Current VMFA Employees

Department: Food Services

Please note: This position is open only to current VMFA employees.

About Virginia Museum of Fine Arts:

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond is one of the largest comprehensive art museums in the United States. VMFA’s growing encyclopedic collection houses more than 50,000 works of art spanning 6,000 years of world history.

Our holdings include the largest public collection of Fabergé outside of Russia, the finest collection of Art Nouveau outside of Paris and one of the nation’s finest collections of American art. VMFA is also home to important collections of Chinese art, English silver, French Impressionism, Postimpressionism, British sporting art, and modern and contemporary art, as well as renowned South Asian, Himalayan, and African art.

Recently named the 11th-best art museum in the United States by The Washington Post, VMFA is the only US art museum open 365 days a year with free general admission.

VMFA is a state-supported, privately endowed educational institution created for the benefit of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Its purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art, to encourage the study of the arts, and thus to enrich the lives of all.

About Food Services Department:

At the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA), we facilitate beautiful memories.

Our Events Team is relentlessly passionate about their work. Every event detail is a touchpoint, a foundational pinning, evoking the right ambiance, feeling, and desired energy. Our dedicated service professionals bear witness and make possible some of the best days ever for our guests.

"people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou

Why Join the Special Events Team?

Flexible Scheduling

The team works to provide reasonable and advanced-scheduling notice to staff within the agreed upon availability. We are open 365 days a year, therefore there are a variety of shifts to work.

Team-centric

Work with people whose talents shine not only at work but also beyond work hours. Many of our staff are creatives who find an ease in serving others, have an eye for the details, and enjoy the flexibility this position offers.

Mission-Driven

Revenue from Special Events and other Enterprise operations directly supports museum operations. VMFA is the only art museum in the United States open 365 days a year with free general admission. Our purpose is to collect, preserve, exhibit, and interpret art and to encourage the study of the arts.

Professional Environment

Professionalism is a key tenet in our workplace. We treat each other no less than how we treat our guests. Come create career-supportive relationships with some of the best service professionals in the industry. Learn and grow with us.

Perks

All VMFA staff enjoy free admission to special exhibitions, previews of special exhibitions, employee pricing for select museum programs and classes, and discounts at Amuse, Floris, Best Café and the VMFA Shop.

General Information:

We are currently seeking applications for skilled service professionals who are team-centric and positively energetic individuals to join our Food Services Department as a Food & Beverage Assistant Manager of Special Events.

The Food & Beverage Assistant Manager of Special Events reports to and works with the Food & Beverage Manager of Special Events to manage day-to-day, front-of-house operations for large-scale special events and staff and assist restaurant managers in the supervision and operation of their venues.

Key Responsibilities:

• Along with manager, ensures front-of-house Event Staff members and supervisors have the training, equipment, and authority necessary to perform their jobs.


• Supports manager to see that the requirements of the performance planning and evaluation system are met and evaluations are completed by established deadlines with proper documentation.


• Performance issues are addressed and documented as they occur


• Assist with the management of front of the house operations for Event program; scheduling staff and providing supervision and direction, either directly or via subordinate supervisors.


• Ensures staff compliance with Food Service, VMFA, Department of Health and Commonwealth of Virginia codes, policies and procedures.


• Ensures that safety, health and housekeeping standards are present and that staff are aware and working towards meeting these goals.


• Works with manager to onboard new staff.


• Seeks to solve problems and improve direct reports' and colleagues' performance and productivity.


• Offers positive support to other staff members and mentors developing staff.


• Regularly participates in weekly Events Team meetings and offers constructive input.


• Ensures that event set ups are correct; guests are happy with the progress and experience of the event and effectively manages the closing and tear down of events.


• Looks over venues and equipment, making sure everything is clean and in proper working order.


• Oversees activity of Event staff and temp workers to maximize service to guests.


• Receives complaints as to food and service and makes appropriate adjustments to accommodate guests.


• Periodically inspects food as it comes out of the kitchen to assure quality and consistency of presentation.


• Takes a long-term view and initiates new ideas, keeps proper staffing levels, anticipates future business levels.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Excellent knowledge of best practices for food service, event and restaurant operations.


• Moderate knowledge of business and accounting practices.


• Works to be an effective manager of hourly and supervisory staff; has the ability to communicate, document, implement, and enforce departmental policies.


• Leads by example and empowers and educates others to act in similar capacity.


• Strong communication skills (written/reading/verbal), and ability to comprehend directions and instructions; ability to create plans of action and document processes.


• Ability to communicate efficiently, professionally and graciously with guests and co-workers in a fast paced, high-pressure environment.


• Highly motivated, self-starter who is able to independently solve routine problems and is results oriented.


• Ensures compliance with all operational standards, VMFA policies, health code and federal/state/local laws.


• Computer literacy; familiar with or willing to learn food service technology such as HotSchedules, Micros, Open Table, Kronos, and any future technology to the Museum's Food Service Department.


• Flexible availability that includes weekends, evenings and holidays.


• Motivated with strong work ethic; highly organized.


• Ability to independently solve routine problems.


• Ability to work as part of a team; flexible when given different assignments and directions.


• Ability to lift or move up to 50 lbs; stand or walk up to 10 hours.


• Ability to bend, point, stand, twist, climb, and have dexterity of fingers.


• Motivated with strong work ethic; self-starter.


• Knowledgeable with safety protocols and cleaning techniques.


• Ability to maintain a professional demeanor and appearance.


• Three to Five years related experience in a food service setting; or equivalent combination of education and experience.


• Some management and/or supervisory experience are required.


• Knowledge of restaurant operations, restaurant technology and safety regulations are required.


• Experience with, and knowledge of alcoholic beverage controls and licensing requirements, to include TIPS/RSVP


• ServSafe Manager Certification or equivalent.

Special Instructions:

Selected candidates must pass a criminal history background check.

VMFA is a Virginia Values Veterans (V3) Certified Employer. Diverse and inclusive hiring practices are at the heart of what we do at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.

Contact Information:

Name: HR Services

Email: [e-mail] for recruitment related questions.

Conditions of Employment:

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Virginia Museum of Fine Arts uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

Advertised: 23 Sep 2026 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: 29 Sep 2026 Eastern Daylight Time