SENIOR CATERING MANAGER

Crescent Hotels & Resorts; Evanston (IL); On-site; USD 80,000 - 83,000; Full time

Job summary

Crescent Hotels & Resorts is seeking a Catering Sales professional in Evanston, IL to drive business growth by meeting with corporate clients, presenting facilities and services, and developing tailored catering solutions.

You will lead client engagements, write contracts, coordinate menus, and oversee event execution while collaborating with internal departments to ensure exceptional guest experiences. Strong communication and negotiation skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Strong interpersonal skills to assess client needs and negotiate pricing.
• Knowledge of Food & Beverage etiquette and guest relations.
• Professional appearance and demeanor.

Responsibilities

• Travel to meet with or call corporate clients to solicit business.
• Interview, train and communicate with catering associates.
• Meet and greet clients and conduct property tours to promote facilities and services.
• Develop client menus, write contracts and organize event arrangements.
• Supervise event setup and ensure proper servicing of accounts.
• Prepare and present weekly/monthly Catering/Sales reports.

Skills

Food & Beverage etiquette

Guest relations

Negotiation

Professional appearance

Job description

Compensation: $80,000 to $83,000 per year

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

• Travel to meet with or call individual corporate clients by telephone to solicit annual, weekday and weekend business.
• Interview, train, resolve problems and provide open communication to newly hired catering associates when appropriate.
• Meet and greet clients, conduct property tours, and promote facilities and services.
• Answers client inquiries.
• Develop and conduct persuasive verbal sales presentations to prospective clients.
• Develop client menus, write contracts and letters, as well as organize all other arrangements as they relate to social and corporate events.
• Supervise and attend the overall set up and implementation of events and meetings.
• Communicate with relevant departments to ensure proper servicing of accounts.
• Prepare and present weekly and monthly Catering/Sales reports.

Skills And Abilities

Extensive knowledge of Food and Beverage etiquette, guest relations and service standards. Strong interpersonal skills to assess client needs, negotiate pricing and provide overall guest satisfaction. Effectively deal with internal and external guests, some of whom will require high levels of patience, tact and diplomacy. Presents a professional appearance and manner.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

Customer Satisfaction: Our customers are what we are about. One of the keys to a positive guest experience is positive interaction with Crescent staff. It is essential that you remain professional at all times, and that you treat all guests and associates with courtesy and respect, under all circumstances. Every Crescent associate is a guest relations ambassador, every working minute of every day.

Work Habits: In order to maintain a positive guest and associate experience, your work habits should always meet and strive to exceed hotel standards for work procedures, dress, grooming, punctuality and attendance. You should be adaptable to change in your work area and in hotel procedures with a willingness to learn new skills and/or improve existing ones, have the ability to solve routine problems that occur on the job and ask for help whenever you are not sure how to do something.

SAFETY & SECURITY

The safety and security of our guests and associates is of utmost importance to Crescent. Every Crescent associate should adhere to the hotel security policies and procedures, particularly regarding key controls, lifting heavy objects, using chemicals, and effectively reporting safety hazards and safety concerns.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.