Service Captain

Echo Lake Country Club; Westfield (NJ); On-site; USD 28,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance.

Employer-paid life insurance.

401(k) with employer match.

Flexible Spending Account (FSA).

Paid Time Off (PTO).

Complimentary employee meals.

Club privileges.

Employee discounts in Pro Shop.

Job summary

Echo Lake Country Club in Westfield, NJ is seeking an À la Carte Service Captain. This full-time Professional Server will carry a complete dining-room section while providing floor leadership, training, and support to the Food & Beverage team.

The role emphasizes à la carte dining with banquet and event service as needed. Candidates should have at least three years of upscale serving experience and be skilled in mentoring staff, coordinating service flow, and delivering personalized member

Qualifications

• Minimum three years of fine dining or upscale hospitality serving experience.
• Experience as lead server, trainer, or captain preferred.
• Strong knowledge of food, wine, spirits, cocktails, and service standards.
• Ability to train and coach while managing a full section.
• Excellent communication, organization, and member-recognition skills.
• Availability to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and varied shifts.

Responsibilities

• Carry and manage a full dining-room section during shifts.
• Deliver polished, personalized service while recognizing members' names and preferences.
• Assist with pre-shift meetings and communicate daily service priorities.
• Prepare dining-room floor plans based on reservations and staffing.
• Support banquet and private-event service as scheduled.
• Maintain communication between service staff and kitchen.

Skills

Serving experience

Leadership

Training

Communication

Problem solving

POS proficiency

Tools

POS system

Job description

Position Summary:

The À la Carte Service Captain is a full-time Professional Server who carries a complete dining-room section while providing floor leadership, training, and support to the Food & Beverage service team. This is not a standalone supervisory position. The Service Captain performs all responsibilities of a Professional Server while helping onboard, train, and coach servers, food runners, bussers, hosts, and other Food & Beverage employees. The primary focus is à la carte dining, with banquet and event service assigned as needed.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Carry and manage a full dining-room section during assigned shifts.
• Deliver polished, personalized service while recognizing member names, preferences, and special requests.
• Maintain strong knowledge of all food and beverage offerings.
• Assist with pre-shift meetings and communicate daily service priorities.
• Prepare preliminary dining-room floor plans based on reservations, table availability, staffing, and anticipated business levels.
• Help establish server sections and ensure table and seat numbers are understood and used consistently.
• Maintain communication between servers, hosts, food runners, bussers, the Culinary Team, and bar staff throughout service.
• Monitor service pacing and help managers address operational or member concerns as they arise.
• Assist with opening, closing, side work, dining-room organization, and service-station readiness.
• Support banquet and private-event service when scheduled.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Training and Coaching Responsibilities:

• Assist with onboarding and training new servers, food runners, bussers, hosts, and other incoming Food & Beverage employees.
• Train employees on:
  • Club Essentials and POS ticket entry.
  • Proper coursing, seat numbers, and order accuracy.
  • Dining-room floor plans, table numbers, and server sections.
  • Food menus, daily specials, and preparation methods.
  • Allergens, dietary restrictions, and approved menu modifications.
  • Cocktail menus and standard beverage preparations.
  • Wines by the glass and basic pairing recommendations.
  • Beers on tap and other available beverage offerings.
  • Sequence of service and member-recognition standards.
  • Table maintenance, tray service, food running, clearing, and resetting.
  • Opening, closing, and side-work procedures.
  • Proper communication with the Culinary Team and bar staff.
  • Appropriate handling and communication of member requests, complaints, and special circumstances – communicating such to management.
• Provide hands-on demonstrations and real-time coaching while continuing to manage an assigned section.
• Reinforce professional appearance, hospitality standards, teamwork, urgency, and attention to detail.
• Help ensure training materials and operational information remain accurate and current.
• Communicate employee progress, knowledge gaps, service concerns, and additional training needs to Food & Beverage management.
• Assist with menu tastings, service refreshers, and ongoing departmental training.

Scope of Leadership:

The Service Captain may provide shift direction, demonstrate procedures, coach employees, and reinforce established Club standards. Scheduling, formal discipline, performance evaluations, hiring, and termination remain the responsibility of Food & Beverage management.

Reports To:

• Food & Beverage Manager.
• Assistant Food & Beverage Manager.
• Director of Operations & Hospitality.

Qualifications:

• Minimum three years of serving experience in fine dining, country clubs, hotels, or upscale hospitality.
• Previous experience as a lead server, trainer, or captain preferred.
• Strong food, wine, spirits, cocktail, and service knowledge.
• Ability to train and coach employees while successfully managing a full section.
• Strong communication, organization, member-recognition, and problem-s olving skills.
• POS proficiency; Club Essentials experience preferred.
• Availability to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and varied shifts.

Compensation:

Hourly Wage: starting at $25.00 per hour based on experience.

This is a full-time, hourly serving position with additional floor-leadership and training responsibilities. This is a non-tipping facility.

Benefits:

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Employer-paid life insurance.
• 401(k) with employer match.
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA).
• Dependent Care Account.
• Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA).
• Paid Time Off (PTO).
• Complimentary employee meals during scheduled shifts.
• Club privileges, where applicable.
• Employee discounts in the Pro Shop.