Senior Catering Sales Manager

Seaport Hotel Limited Partnership; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading hotel in Boston seeks a Senior Catering Sales Manager to oversee the planning and execution of various events, including weddings and corporate functions. The role requires strong organizational skills, a minimum of 5 years in hospitality sales, and the ability to negotiate effectively with clients. This position plays a crucial role in ensuring client satisfaction and maximizing revenue for the hotel.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of Hospitality Sales, Banquet, Event planning or related experience.
• Strong organizational and planning skills required.
• Fluency in English required.

Responsibilities

• Qualify incoming Wedding, Catering and Social calls to determine potential business value.
• Execute and service all assigned Weddings, Catering, and social events.
• Maintain excellent vendor relationships and manage communication timelines.

Skills

Organizational Skills

Communication Skills

Planning Skills

Customer Service

Education

High School diploma or equivalent experience

Tools

Sales Force

Amadeus Room Diagramming

Knowland

Word

Excel

Opera

Job description

The Senior Catering Sales Manager position is responsible for the sales, service, planning, organization, communication and overall execution of Corporate, Non-Profit, Weddings, Wedding related events, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, as well as other social events that are sold or assigned by the Director of Catering, including Anniversaries, Birthday Parties, Engagement Parties, Showers, Proms, Private Dining and small corporate dinners. Senior Catering Sales Managers are empowered to negotiate with the client on all aspects of their event(s) in order to ensure their satisfaction and the ultimate success of the event(s) while contributing to Seaport’s ability to maximize revenue and profitability. This position is an integral part of the Sales Team and reports directly to the Director of Catering. As a Senior Catering Sales Manager, you are part of a larger Sales Team that works in consort to position Seaport as a prestige venue that has earned a reputation for excellence. Your collaboration and cooperation with the Sales Team may require occasional efforts outside of routine to fully support the overall team.

Schedule Requirements

The work schedule needs to be flexible in response to demand, guest preferences and event schedules. The Sales Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. with tours, tastings and event coordination beginning based on assignments and scheduled events. An average work week is expected to approach 50 hours per week. Schedule will be determined based on organization, attention to detail; and guest needs, and one will be expected to manage their schedule and flex accordingly.

Key Responsibilities

• Qualify incoming Wedding, Catering and Social calls to determine the potential value of the business. If the potential business falls within the booking parameters of Wedding, Catering, and Social/Corporate Events, draft menu proposals and conduct site inspections in order to secure the related business. If the menu and the space are agreeable to the client, generate the booking contract, and send the contract to client for signature and deposit. Follow up as necessary to ensure proper return of the contract and deposits.
• Execute and service all assigned Weddings, Catering, and social events booked through the planning process. Including, but not limited to the following tasks: Meet with clients, conduct taste meals, create banquet event orders, manage room block and cut off, attend all necessary meetings required to communicate event needs to the Seaport operation to ensure a fresh guest experience. Represent the needs and expectations of the client to all operational departments within the Seaport Hotel. Ensure the highest standards of product quality and service are being achieved in all departmental areas and that the needs and expectations of the client are being met or exceeded. Prepare and collect payment for the event following all standard billing procedures.
• The Senior Catering Sales Manager will be an expert in analyzing the needs and expectations of the client. The position is responsible for understanding the ability of Seaport to meet and exceed those needs and expectations.
• Clear and timely communication of the client’s expectations to each internal department is critical. Ensuring each department meets and/or exceeds the quality standards of our organization and our clients is also crucial.
• Be on site in order to efficiently execute Weddings, Catering, and social events.
• Align event specifications (Hotel Rooms/Function Space) with the physical structure of the Seaport Hotel to ensure a successful event. Monitor Hotel room block fill and adjust specifications as needed to meet the needs of the client and the company. Communicate status of the room block and uphold the contractual responsibility.
• Work Banquet Team members to communicate details of all other events during turnover to ensure on-site experience exceeds client’s expectations.
• Responsible for clear verbal and written communication and living the established company values and culture.
• Completes any duties and projects assigned by Director of Catering
• Maintain excellent vendor relationship by following established vendor communication timelines and support updating our preferred vendor list to ensure the most timely and accurate referrals for our guests and operation.
• Responsible for practicing, managing, and promoting Seaport’s Mission and Values so that it becomes an intricate part of the everyday operation and supports the culture.

Required Job Knowledge and Skills

• Strong organizational and planning skills required
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Working knowledge of hotel, catering, and Catering industry
• Excellent computer skills including Sales Force, Amadeus Room Diagramming, Knowland, Word, Excel, and Opera preferred.

Qualifications

Education:

• High School diploma, general education degree equivalent experience required.

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of Hospitality Sales, Banquet, Event planning or related experience

Language Skills:

• Fluency of the English language is required (read, write, speak)
• Must be able to listen to, read and/or write instructions, memos, short correspondences, and messages.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the person occupying this position. The person in this position will be required to perform any other job-related duties assigned by their supervisor.