CATERING GENERAL MANAGER

University of Washington Medical Center•Seattle, WA

22h

About The Position

Housing & Food Services (HFS) has an outstanding opportunity for a Catering General Manager (GM) to manage the operations and sales teams for Bay Laurel Catering. The GM assists with business development and identifies opportunities to develop the catering program to exceed client expectations, grow revenue, and establish performance goals for the catering team. The GM provides leadership to catering service managers and sales manager, contract classified employees, and student employees to ensure effective teamwork and a seamless experience for clients and their guests.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of three years of event management that demonstrates:
Experience designing seating and service platforms for catered service.
Experience setting tables for a broad range of catered events.
Experience delivering hot and cold food to offsite events.
Experience managing service and delivery staff.
Management of catering operations for a large business or hotel serving up to 1,500 guests.
Excellent interpersonal, organizational, analytical, written and verbal communication and problem-solving skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office (i.e., Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Project).
Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.
A satisfactory outcome from the employment reference check processes and education verification is required prior to starting.
Washington State Driver’s License to operate UW vehicles.
Washington State Food Card within two weeks of hire.
Washington State Class 12 Liquor License.
ServSafe certification within three months of hire and maintenance thereafter.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge and experience providing food services in a university setting.

Responsibilities

Ensures that the vision, values and priorities of UW Dining and the Department are reflected in the unit’s work.
Manages organizational changes from implementation to normalization.
Models behavior that promotes a customer service-focused culture.
Maintains visibility and accessibility with clients and staff members.
Ensures that unit work complies with all contracts, policies and procedures applicable to the operation.
Supervises the work completed by direct reports, ensuring appropriate productivity, quality, customer service and adherence to UW and departmental policies and procedures.
Trains and monitors performance in unit safety, PCI compliance, customer service and food safety.
Interviews and selects staff, and ensures staff are on-boarded to the work unit and attend required HFS and UW required training.
Provides guidance to direct report(s) on requirements and/or opportunities for learning and professional development.
Interviews and selects staff, and ensures staff are on-boarded to the work unit and attend required HFS and UW required training.
Consults appropriately with HFS Human Resources to ensure that UW, HFS and bargaining unit policies, guidelines are followed in administering progressive, corrective action principles and union contracts are followed in addressing employee performance problems
Identifies and utilizes multiple venues for soliciting customer feedback and respond to complaints, questions and special requests.
Participates in professional organizations such as NACE, NACUFs and the local UW Event Managers Network.
Conduct presentations that demonstrate preparation, research and delivery that are scaled for small, large and diverse groups.
Ensures that service standards are responsive to customer needs and that staff are empowered to make adjustments before and during events.
Schedules employees to ensure proper staffing levels are maintained to meet customer service standards.
Maintains coordination between the catering sales and operations teams to ensure effective business processes and resource management.
Works collaboratively with staff and UW Transportation services to ensure an adequate fleet of vehicles is available to fulfill events.
Identifies and recommends strategies for introducing, promoting and evaluating new equipment.
Conducts in-service training as needed on unit safety, food safety, food preparation and/or customer service.
Researches ongoing catering trends, customer feedback and communicates new ideas to the leadership team.
Maintains facilities, including front and back of the house areas in accordance with health and safety standards.
Identify and utilize multiple venues for soliciting customer feedback and responds to complaints, questions and special requests.
Collaborates with unit culinary management in promptly responding to health inspection reports.
Normalizes the use of the Food Service System (FSS) by: Ensuring staff are trained to execute their functions. Ensuring that data is entered as required. Conducting inventory according to the prescribed schedule.
Identifies and recommends strategies for introducing, promoting and evaluating new product lines.
Minimizes waste, including documentation and disposition using FSS.
Identify and correct unsafe conditions; such as, malfunctioning or broken equipment or work habits that might lead to an accident.
Develops and maintain an ongoing cleaning schedule to ensure a consistent level of sanitation and cleanliness.
Maintains security measures to prevent theft and vandalism.
Uses the Online Accident Reporting System (OARS) for every work accident and injury; notifying appropriate authorities and personnel.
Maintains security measures to prevent theft and vandalism.
Develops business plans, processes, procedures and budgets in collaboration with Food Services leadership and HFS Budgeting & Finance staff.
Presents scheduled reports to UW Dining Leadership on unit financial performance.
Monitors performance of products, services and programs and work collaboratively with UW Dining Administration to address concerns.
Ensures that there are appropriate controls on resources, including separation of controls between purchasing, receiving and counting inventory.
Monitors and review reports, including financial statements, production records, staffing schedules and inquiries from the HFS Financial team.
Reports on probable causes for budget variances or discrepancies and make adjustments Maintains accurate records of all catered events, review charges before billing customer.
Reviews sales, profit and loss, and other financial reports to identify sales and expense control opportunities, and takes action as needed.
Reports on probable causes for budget variances or discrepancies and make adjustments.
Oversees CBORD FSS functions performed as part of normal business operations, including purchasing, inventory, transfers and service menus. This position may be required to perform some tasks directly while reviewing or approving work delegated to staff.
Ensures unit staff are properly trained on using CBORD FSS system by referring them to Dining Systems for training, as well as providing ongoing guidance and feedback.
Uses CBORD FSS reporting functions to monitor unit performance by reviewing key metrics related to purchasing, costing and inventory.
Notify Dining Systems of suspected errors or issues.
Supervises professional, classified and student staff.
Interviews and selects staff, and ensures staff are on-boarded to the work unit and attend required HFS and UW required training.
Evaluates probationary and trial service performance as scheduled and discusses performance issues with Assistant Director/Administrator.
Administers consistent skill-based training content for onboarding new staff and staff reassigned to different locations.
Administers consistent training and content for staff on compliance, including food safety, FSS, PCI compliance, providing periodic refreshers.
Engages in regular feedback with all staff, ensuring appropriate productivity and quality.
Conducts annual performance evaluations.
Administers consistent training and content for staff on compliance, including food safety, FSS, PCI compliance, providing periodic refreshers.