Special Events Sales Manager

East End Grill; Lafayette (IN); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Ripple & Company seeks a dynamic Special Events Sales Manager to drive private dining room sales and expand off-site catering. You will coordinate with kitchen and service staff to execute flawless high-end dinners, corporate meetings, and catered experiences.

You will lead venue tours, tastings, and BEO creation while overseeing staffing, scheduling, and training for banquet teams. This role blends sales, operations, and financial oversight in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• 2–5 years of dedicated event sales or catering management experience.
• Proficiency with Tripleseat, reservation systems, and Microsoft Office.
• Valid ServSafe Manager certification and local alcohol server training.
• Ability to stand, walk, and lift event equipment up to 40 pounds.

Responsibilities

• Private Event Space Sales & Management: Convert inquiries into booked events with site tours and tastings.
• Catering Business Expansion: Pitch off-site catering to local corporations and planners to grow recurring bookings.
• Culinary & Team Collaboration: Create detailed BEOs and coordinate kitchen/service teams in weekly meetings.
• Financial & Administrative Duties: Analyze margins and maintain CRM for post-event surveys and re-bookings.

Skills

Event sales

Catering management

Client liaison

Team coordination

Education

ServSafe Manager Certification

Tools

Tripleseat

Reservation systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

Program Overview

We are seeking a dynamic, sales-driven Special Events Sales Manager for our sister restaurant Ripple & Company for the highly desirable private event room and aggressively scale our growing off-site catering operations. This hybrid sales and operations role serves as the primary liaison between clients, the kitchen, and service staff to ensure the flawless execution of all high-end private dinners, corporate meetings, and off-site catered experiences.

Core Responsibilities

1. Private Event Space Sales & Management

• Inbound Lead Conversion: Convert inquiries for our premier private dining room into booked events through swift communication, professional site tours, and customized tastings.
• Floor Plan Layouts: Design custom table arrangements, seating charts, and audio-visual setups tailored to corporate presentations, milestone parties, and upscale dinners.
• On-Site Supervision: Direct the operational flow on the day of the event, coordinating exact timing with the kitchen and floor staff to maintain strict service standards.

2. Catering Business Expansion

• Outbound Business Development: Actively pitch off-site catering services to local corporations, wedding venues, planners, and community organizations to build a recurring pipeline.

3. Culinary & Team Collaboration

• BEO Creation: Author highly detailed Banquet Event Orders (BEOs) and distribute them to the kitchen and service teams during mandatory weekly operational meetings.
• Staffing & Training: Assist in hiring, scheduling, and training dedicated banquet servers, bartenders, and off-site catering staff.

4. Financial & Administrative Duties

• Profitability Reporting: Analyze the food, beverage, and labor cost margins for every event to guarantee maximum profitability.
• CRM Management: Maintain an organized client database to send post-event surveys and systematically follow up for annual corporate re-bookings.

Recommended Qualifications

• Professional Experience: 2–5 years of dedicated event sales or catering management experience, ideally within a high-volume restaurant environment.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency with restaurant event management platforms (such as Tripleseat), reservation systems, and Microsoft Office.
• Industry Certifications: Possession of a valid food safety certification (like ServSafe Manager) and local alcohol server training credentials.
• Physical Capability: Ability to stand, walk, and coordinate logistics for 8+ hour shifts, and lift event equipment weighing up to 40 pounds.