Host (Seasonal)

Mattel, Inc.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 23,000 - 26,000; Full time

Job summary

Mattel's American Girl Retail team in Chicago seeks a friendly Host to welcome guests, manage seating and reservations, and support the dining team in a fast-paced environment.

You will collaborate with restaurant staff to ensure a high-quality guest experience, handle reservations via Zomato and InfoGenesis, and participate in ongoing training. This role requires flexibility, weekends, and holidays as needed.

Qualifications

• Experience as a restaurant host, hotel concierge, or related customer service position.
• Computer skills including restaurant reservation and POS systems, Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook, and basic office equipment.
• Experience working with children, preferred.
• Must be able to work a flexible schedule, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Demonstrated a growth mindset by staying curious and continuously learning, embracing challenges, and improving themselves.

Responsibilities

• Greets guests promptly and provides timely seating by maintaining waitlists and maximizing seating capacity.
• Manages large crowds professionally and resolves challenging service situations diplomatically.
• Creates a pleasant ambiance in dining areas through lighting, music, and table placement.
• Communicates dining room setup and special requests to the restaurant team.
• Shares information on store and restaurant events with guests.
• Uses Zomato, InfoGenesis, and Microsoft Office to perform job functions.
• Initiates training opportunities with restaurant staff.
• Assists staff in delivering an outstanding dining experience.

Skills

Restaurant host experience

POS systems

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Outlook

Customer service

Flexibility

Growth mindset

Tools

Zomato

InfoGenesis

Microsoft Office

Job description

CREATIVITY IS OUR SUPERPOWER. It’s our heritage and it’s also our future. Because we don’t just make toys. We create innovative products and experiences that inspire fans, entertain audiences and develop children through play. Mattel is at its best when every member of our team feels respected, included, and heard—when everyone can show up as themselves and do their best work every day. We value and share an infinite range of ideas and voices that evolve and broaden our perspectives with a reach that extends into all our brands, partners, and suppliers.

The Team

The American Girl Retail team is integral in providing lifetime memories to American Girl fans and their families. Our experiential retail stores provide shopping destinations like no other. This requires Innovation, Collaboration, and Execution from all who are a part of this division. Our in-store experiences range depending on location from Girl and Doll Salons, Full-Service Restaurants, Personal Shopping, Ear Piercing (Girl and Doll), hosting Parties/Celebrations to name a few. Expect a dynamic and fast-paced role where you get to make decisions that impact the team as well as our customers.

The Opportunity

The Host is located at the AG Retail Flagship Chicago location and reports directly to the Assistant Café Manager. This position is responsible for greeting and seating restaurant guests, managing reservations and working with the restaurant team. If you thrive in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment and can handle challenging service situations with sound judgment and a positive, professional demeanor, we want to hear from you.

What Your Impact Will Be

• Greets guests promptly and provides timely seating of guests by maintaining accurate waitlists, while maximizing seating capacity.
• Manages large crowds in a professional manner and is able to resolve challenging service situations diplomatically.
• Creates and maintains a pleasant ambiance in the dining room and party rooms through lighting, music, and table placement.
• Communicates accurate dining room and party room setup, along with special requests and birthday information, to the restaurant team.
• Shares information on the store and restaurant events with guests.
• Utilizes Zomato reservation and InfoGenesis register systems, along with Microsoft Office, to perform job functions.
• Initiates training opportunities with restaurant staff.
• Assists restaurant staff as needed in providing an outstanding dining experience.

What We’re Looking For

• Experience as a restaurant host, hotel concierge, or related customer service position, preferred.
• Computer skills including restaurant reservation and POS systems, Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook, and use of basic office equipment (copiers/fax), preferred.
• Experience working with children, preferred.
• Must be able to work a flexible schedule, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Demonstrated a growth mindset by staying curious and continuously learning, embracing challenges, and improving themselves.

Don’t meet every single requirement? At Mattel, we are dedicated to an inclusive workplace and a culture of belonging. If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to apply. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles. Join Mattel's Talent Community and start receiving exciting updates about our company, our employees, and our culture.

How We Work

American Girl is subsidiary of Mattel, a purpose driven company aiming to empower generations to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential. We live up to our purpose employing the following behaviors

• We collaborate Being a part of Mattel means being part of one team with shared values and common goals. Every person counts and working closely together always brings better results. Partnership is our process and our collective capabilities is our superpower.
• We innovate At Mattel we always aim to find new and better ways to create innovative products and experiences. No matter where you work in the organization, you can always make a difference and have real impact. We welcome new ideas and value new initiatives that challenge conventional thinking.
• We execute We are a performance-driven company. We strive for excellence and are focused on pursuing best-in-class outcomes. We believe in accountability and ownership and know that our people are at their best when they are empowered to create and deliver results.

Our Approach to Flexible Work

We embrace a flexible work model designed to empower a culture of growth, optimism, and wellbeing, where every employee can reach their full potential. Combining purposeful in-person collaboration with flexibility, our focus is to optimize performance and drive connection for moments that matter.

Who We Are

American Girl is a premium brand for girls and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. (NASDAQ MAT, www.mattel.com ), a leading global toy and family entertainment company and owner of one of the most iconic brand portfolios in the world. We engage consumers and fans through our franchise brands, including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Fisher-Price, American Girl, Thomas & Friends, UNO, Masters of the Universe, Matchbox, Monster High, MEGA and Polly Pocket, as well as other popular properties that we own or license in partnership with global entertainment companies. Our offerings include toys, content, consumer products, digital and live experiences. Our products are sold in collaboration with the world’s leading retail and ecommerce companies. Since its founding in 1945, Mattel is proud to be a trusted partner in empowering generations to explore the wonder of childhood and reach their full potential.

Mattel’s award‑winning workplace culture has been recognized by Forbes, Fast Company, Newsweek, Great Place to Work, TIME, and more.

Visit us at https://jobs.mattel.com/ and www.instagram.com/MattelCareers .

Beware of recruiting scams Mattel will only contact you through official @mattel.com or @smartrecruiters.com email addresses and will never ask for payment or sensitive personal information during the hiring process.

Mattel is an Equal Opportunity Employer where we want you to bring your authentic self to work every day. We welcome all job seekers, and all applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, veteran and protected veteran status, disability status, and or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state or local law.

Pursuant to the Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance and the California Fair Chance Act, qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment.

The pay range for this position is between $17 and $19.53 per hour. The pay range is indicative of projected hiring range, however base pay will be determined based on a candidate’s work location, skills and experience. Mattel offers competitive total pay programs, comprehensive benefits, and resources to help empower a culture where every employee can reach their full potential.