Culinary Enterprises Specialist (Catering Coordinator)

Job Overview

• Job Title: Culinary Enterprises Specialist
• Supervisor: Assistant Director of Culinary Enterprises
• Classification: Full-time, Non-exempt
• Hiring Salary Range: $23.50 - $25 per hour

About UMOM New Day Centers:

Founded in 1964, UMOM is Arizona's largest provider of services for families experiencing homelessness. Our mission is to end family homelessness by restoring hope and rebuilding lives. With an annual operating budget of $20 million dollars, UMOM provides shelter, supportive services, and housing programs to families and individuals experiencing homelessness in Maricopa County. UMOM serves over 15,000 unique individuals across all our services annually, including those families receiving support at the Family Housing Hub, Maricopa County's family coordinated entry system.

Position Description:

The Culinary Enterprises Specialist manages the administrative, sales, and logistical aspects of catering events, acting as the key link between clients and operational teams and supporting the organization's goal of using social enterprise to change lives. Helpings Café and Catering is a social enterprise business of UMOM New Day Centers that provides hand-crafted menu items and job training in support of UMOM's mission. The Helpings Catering Specialist is responsible for creating Banquet Event Orders, managing menus, upselling services, and building rapport with clients to ensure customer satisfaction by building proposals, closing sales, invoicing/billing, and recording sales in a timely manner. The Catering Specialist is also responsible for coordinating the procurement of food, supplies, event rentals, and scheduling temporary staff.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Sales, Revenue, and Client Experience

• Drive catering revenue through proactive sales activities, including responding to phone and email inquiries, preparing pricing, building proposals, upselling approved services, and supporting timely sales closure.
• Support and maintain positive client relationships to encourage repeat business and referrals.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for clients throughout the event lifecycle, ensuring clear communication and accurate execution.
• Track and record sales activity and support accurate invoicing, billing, and sales reporting.

Sales Performance, Systems, and Continuous Improvement

• Track and share key catering sales indicators (such as event volume, average order size, and repeat clients) with the Assistant Director of Culinary Enterprises to support visibility and data-informed decision-making.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date client records within TPP (Total Party Planner) or internal tracking systems to support forecasting, follow-up communication, and repeat business opportunities.
• Participate in post-event reviews to identify upsell opportunities, operational efficiencies, and service improvements.
• Support business development and brand alignment efforts by contributing event details, menu updates, and client feedback to designated marketing or communications staff, without responsibility for marketing strategy or execution.

Event Coordination and Operations

• Create, update, and distribute detailed Banquet Event Orders (BEOs) outlining timelines, menus, service needs, and room or event setups.
• Coordinate event logistics in collaboration with the Catering Manager, culinary team, vendors, and approved temporary staff to ensure client expectations are met.

Procurement and Menu Collaboration

• Collaborate with the Catering Manager and Assistant Director of Culinary Enterprises to identify procurement needs related to food, beverages, supplies, rentals, and merchandise.
• Prepare procurement requests and vendor information for review and approval in accordance with UMOM's approval and reporting structure.
• Assist with vendor communication and quality assurance to support consistent quality and value.
• Collaborate on seasonal catering menu updates with the Catering Manager/Chef and submit all revisions for final approval.

Compliance and Organizational Support

• Complete assigned accounting and banking responsibilities in accordance with UMOM policies and procedures.
• Follow all UMOM policies, procedures, and operating standards.
• Represent UMOM professionally to trainees, community partners, businesses, and social service organizations.
• Assist with special events and perform other duties as assigned.

Qualification and Competency Requirements:

Education and Experience

• High school diploma or GED equivalent required.
• Associate degree or certificate from a culinary program preferred.
• Experience working as a caterer and in hospitality for a minimum of five years in a fast-paced food service environment; custom catering and customer service experience preferred.
• Experience in hospitality operations management, specifically product and equipment procurement and budget management preferred.

Computer skills

• Proficiency with applications including catering software and Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and Outlook.

Compliance

• ServSafe Manager Certification or the ability to obtain one.
• Valid Level One Fingerprint Clearance Card or the ability to obtain one.
• Ability to clear the Central Registry Screening from the Department of Child Safety & Adult Protective Services.
• Ability to comply with and pass all required background check and drug screening requirements, including but not limited to pre-employment and random drug screening as required/requested.
• Valid AZ Driver's License and a driving record that falls within UMOM's policy.
• 50/100 level of car insurance coverage.

Physical activities and working conditions

The physical demands and working conditions described here are representative, but not exhaustive, of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

This position is very active and requires standing, moving, bending, stooping, lifting, and reaching all day. The duties of this job require regular exposure to kitchen conditions including heat, cold, humidity, wet, smoke, and loud noises.

Additional Attributes

• Willingness to embrace and actively support the unique culture and values of UMOM.
• High proficiency in effective writing and communication.
• Ability to focus on the tasks and details relevant to the position and the organization, while also switching quickly between tasks.
• Ability to exercise excellent independent judgment and take ownership of decisions.
• Ability to think on a broad, system-level relative to the scope of the position.
• Ability to work independently and self-manage to achieve goals while being a strong team player.
• Ability to organize, meet deadlines, prioritize, and delegate appropriately.
• Ability to cope with and embrace change, risk, and uncertainty.
• Ability to develop strong relationships within a fast-paced, collaborative setting that values diverse opinions; enthusiasm for helping drive change as UMOM becomes a more data-driven organization.

Work Schedule:

The typical schedule for this position is Monday to Friday, 8am- 4:30pm, plus occasional evenings, holidays and/or weekends to support catering.

Other Duties: Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.