Server Assistant- City Cruises Chicago

Hornblower Group; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 18,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

Hornblower Group is hiring a Server Assistant to support our onboard dining teams on a Coast Guard‑inspected vessel. You will assist servers, deliver beverages and bread, clear and reset tables, and help maintain a clean, safe dining environment with a guest‑first mindset.

This role requires energy, reliability and the ability to work closely with crew members to ensure smooth service during meals, activities, and excursions.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Must meet minimum state age requirements.
• Previous restaurant experience preferred.
• Ability to lift furniture and other heavy items.
• Willing to work holidays.

Responsibilities

• Provide exceptional hospitality to guests and coworkers as prescribed in RSS.
• Provide guests with water, coffee/tea, and bread service throughout the meal.
• Bus used and unneeded dishes and glassware from guests’ tables to the galley.
• Scrape and stack dirty dishes and carry dishes to the galley for cleaning.
• Maintain the cleanliness and safety of all common areas and service stations; clean up spills and trash.
• Set up and break down dining room and service stations as prescribed.
• Provide information to guests including menu descriptions, order of service, cruise route and points of interest.
• Be prepared to begin work at the scheduled time.
• Maintain uniform and personal grooming per appearance standards.
• Assist with the warm and efficient greeting and seating of guests.
• Additional job duties as assigned.

Skills

Hospitality

Customer service

Communication

Teamwork

Safety awareness

Education

High school diploma

Job description

Hornblower Groupis a global leader in experienceand transportation.Spanning a 100-year history, Hornblower Group’s portfolio of international offerings includes water- and land-based experiences and ferry and transportation services. City Experiences, Hornblower Group’s premier experience division, offers dining and sightseeing cruises and walking and food tours through the City Cruises, Walks, and Devour brands. City Ferry, part of Hornblower Group’s Ferry and Transportation Division, is the largest private operator of high-speed passenger and vehicle ferries in the United States, carrying more than 10 million passengers annually and operating services including NYC Ferry, Puerto Rico Ferry, and other regional ferry systems.Hornblower Group’s subsidiaries include Hornblower Marine, which provides vessel outhaul and maintenance services at Bridgeport Boatworks in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Seaward Services, Inc., a full-service shipping, waterfront logistics and management company that specializes in the operation and maintenance of government and commercial vessels.Additionally, Anchor Operating System, LLC, a Hornblower Group subsidiary and independent entity,provides reservation, ticketing and website integration services for clients in the transportation, tourism and entertainment industries. Today, Hornblower Group’s global portfolio covers over 10 countries, over 50 U.S. cities and serves more than 20 million guests annually. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Hornblower Group’s additional corporate offices reside in San Francisco, California; Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; London, United Kingdom; New York, New York; Dublin, Ireland; and across Ontario, Canada. For more information, visit hornblowercorp.com.

Position Summary

The successful Server Assistant aids Servers in the prompt delivery and removal of food and beverage items, is hospitable and cordial to guests and coworkers, acts safely and responsibly, and is knowledgeable about the vessel and the skyline.

Duties And Responsibilities

• Provide exceptional hospitality to guests and coworkers as prescribed in our Respect Service System (RSS)
• Provide guests with water, coffee/tea, and bread service throughout the meal.
• Bus used and unneeded dishes and glassware from guests’ tables to galley.
• Scrape and stack dirty dishes and carry dishes and other tableware to the galley for cleaning.
• Maintain the cleanliness and safety of all common areas and service stations; clean up spilled food, drink, and broken dishes, and remove empty bottles and trash.
• Set up and break down dining room and service stations as prescribed; this requires movement of dining cabin furniture.
• Provide information to guests including menu descriptions, order of service, entertainment options, cruise route and points of interest.
• Be prepared to begin work at the scheduled time.
• Maintain uniform and personal grooming in compliance with appearance standards.
• Assist with the warm and efficient greeting and seating of guests when they arrive.
• Additional job duties as assigned.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to work onboard a moving vessel in varying weather and sea conditions, including maintaining balance and stability while underway.
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods, frequently throughout a shift.
• Ability to navigate stairs, ladders, narrow passageways, and confined spaces commonly found onboard vessels.
• Ability to lift, carry, push, and pull supplies, equipment, and inventory weighing up to 40 pounds independently.
• Ability to bend, stoop, kneel, crouch, reach overhead, and perform repetitive motions as required in food service and hospitality operations.
• Ability to respond quickly and effectively during normal operations, guest service situations, and emergency procedures.
• Ability to safely work in a fast-paced environment with exposure to moving equipment, wet surfaces, temperature variations, and moderate noise levels.
• Ability to visually inspect service areas, food presentation, cleanliness standards, and safety conditions.
• Ability to communicate effectively with guests, crew members, and management in person and via radio or other communication devices.
• Successfully complete vessel-specific safety and emergency training.
• Ability to work flexible schedules, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and extended shifts as operational needs require.

Work Environment

• Work is performed primarily onboard a Coast Guard-inspected passenger vessel, with duties split between dining, service, storage, galley-adjacent, and administrative areas.
• Position requires regular movement throughout multiple decks and may involve occasional exposure to outdoor marine environments, including heat, humidity, rain, wind, and sunlight.
• Must be able to safely perform duties while the vessel is docked or underway.

Requirements & Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent required
• Must meet minimum state age requirements.
• Previous restaurant experience preferred.
• Energetic and enthusiastic personality essential
• Must be able to effectively understand and convey written and verbal information to guests and coworkers.
• Must possess a service orientation – actively looking for ways to help others.
• Will work for extended periods of time without sitting.
• Required to lift furniture and other heavy items.
• Will be required to be available for work on all major holidays

The RESPECT Service System embodies our mission, vision, values and operating principles. By creating a company culture that puts RESPECT at its core, we believe it will drive us to achieve our goal of becoming a Global Experiences and Transportation Leader.

EEO / Disabled / Protected Veteran Employer. Hornblower is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We offer equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and prohibit discrimination and/or harassment of any type, including but not limited to discrimination and or harassment based upon race, religion, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, pregnancy or relation medical conditions, childbirth, breastfeeding, parental status, veteran and/or military status, disability (physical or mental), medical condition, genetic information or characteristics, political affiliation, domestic violence survivor status, marital status, or other characteristics prohibited by federal, state, or local law. Additionally, as a federal, state, and local contractor, Hornblower complies with government regulations, including affirmative action responsibilities for qualified individuals, where and as they apply. The company also participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations.