Senior Catering Manager

We are seeking a Catering Manager at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN. East Tennessee Dining Service. The team members delivers exceptional culinary experiences across campus, including residential dining, retail outlets, and full-service catering for university events and community functions. They are committed to excellence, innovation, and sustainability, fostering a culture that values creativity, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Position Summary:

• Provides supervision for catering services at an account/unit to ensure client satisfaction and retention for the Company. Oversees a highly complex and high volume of catering sales and functions in excess of $1.5M in managed catering volume.
• Contributes to account revenue and operating profit contribution through the implementation of services and creation of opportunities for growth. Plans projects, including defining objectives, methods, timetables and budget to support client and Sodexo's strategic plan.

What You'll Do:

• Oversight of  resources, recipes, systems, and use of catering programs to direct daily catering events, including food production, inventory, product deliveries, invoices, and procurement operations.
• Oversight of the sales process for catering and/or conference services. Works with clients and customers to design events.
• Ensure employees have appropriate equipment, supplies, and resources to perform their jobs and meet goals, cost controls, and deadlines as assigned.
• Establish and maintain a safe work environment, including both food and physical safety, in order to comply with all regulatory and  standards in various environments. Drives the Zero Harm mindset.
• Comply with budget requirements by controlling costs (i.e., labor, inventory, equipment, materials) and making adjustments when necessary.
• Supervise employees by delegating, assigning, and prioritizing activities, and monitoring operating standards.

What You Bring:

• Previous experience facilitating communication between sales, culinary, and front-of-house teams to ensure timely and accurate fulfillment of all orders, including last-minute needs, efficiently and collaboratively.
• Ability to adhere to timekeeping and labor cost control procedures by maintaining staff payroll and schedule in Kronos.
• Attention to detail and ability to review all catering event orders and weekly catering sheets to ensure accuracy.
• Positive, practical solutions to client queries while adhering to our catering policies and procedures and offering solutions to staff.

Minimum Qualifications & Requirements:

• Minimum Education Requirement - Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
• Minimum Management Experience - 3 years
• Minimum Functional Experience - 3 years of experience in catering, food production, or food service management or a related field

Comprehensive Benefits Package May Include:

• Medical, Dental, Vision Care and Wellness Programs
• 401(k) Plan with Matching Contributions
• Paid Time Off and Company Holidays
• Career Growth Opportunities and Tuition Reimbursement