Executive Steward

Omni Hotels & Spas•Houston, TX

7d•Onsite

About The Position

The Executive Steward is responsible for the leadership and daily operation of the Stewarding Department. This position ensures that all kitchens, banquet functions, restaurants, bars, and other Food and Beverage areas have the clean, sanitized, and properly maintained equipment and supplies required to operate successfully. The Executive Steward oversees china, glassware, silverware, smallware, and banquet equipment requisitions; coordinates the safe and timely transportation of food, equipment, and supplies between kitchens, outlets, storage areas, and event spaces; and supports the setup, execution, and breakdown of hotel events. The position is also responsible for maintaining cleanliness, sanitation, organization, safety, equipment care, labor productivity, and cost control throughout all assigned culinary and back-of-house areas.

Requirements

A minimum of three years of supervisory or management experience in stewarding, culinary operations, banquet operations, hotels, resorts, convention facilities, or another high volume Food and Beverage environment is preferred.
Previous experience as an Executive Steward, Assistant Executive Steward, Stewarding Supervisor, or comparable leadership position is strongly preferred.
Working knowledge of sanitation standards, health department regulations, chemical safety, warewashing systems, food transportation, banquet equipment, ware requisitions, inventory control, scheduling, labor management, and back of house operations is required.
A current food manager or food safety certification is required or must be obtained within the timeframe established by the hotel.
Demonstrated ability to lead, train, coach, schedule, and develop a diverse team of associates is required.
Strong organizational, communication, problem solving, time management, and decision making skills are required.
Ability to review banquet event orders, schedules, forecasts, inventory records, payroll reports, purchasing information, and departmental financial results is required.
Ability to manage multiple operational priorities while maintaining sanitation, safety, productivity, cost control, event execution, and service standards is required.
Ability to communicate effectively in written and spoken English is required. Bilingual communication skills are preferred.
Must be willing and able to work a flexible schedule based on business needs, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and extended hours.
Must be able to stand and walk for extended periods and frequently push, pull, lift, carry, bend, stoop, and move equipment or products of moderate to heavy weight.
Sufficient manual dexterity, hand and eye coordination, and physical ability are required to safely operate stewarding, warewashing, and food transportation equipment.
Must be able to work in hot, cold, wet, humid, and fast paced kitchen, banquet, event, and back of house environments.
Must maintain a professional appearance, lead by example, and consistently support a courteous, respectful, safe, and service focused workplace.

Responsibilities

Provide leadership and daily oversight of the Stewarding Department, including staffing, scheduling, training, sanitation, productivity, equipment readiness, associate development, and performance management.
Ensure all kitchens, banquet functions, restaurants, bars, and Food and Beverage outlets have the required quantities of clean and sanitized china, glassware, silverware, cookware, utensils, smallwares, chafing dishes, hot boxes, speed racks, carts, and related equipment.
Oversee all ware requisitions and ensure requested china, glassware, silverware, smallwares, and banquet equipment are accurately prepared, issued, tracked, returned, and properly stored.
Coordinate the safe, sanitary, and timely transportation of prepared food, equipment, and supplies between production kitchens, banquet kitchens, outlets, storage areas, loading areas, and event spaces.
Review banquet event orders, outlet activity, occupancy, forecasts, and special event requirements to determine staffing, equipment, ware, transportation, cleaning, and breakdown needs.
Work closely with Culinary and Banquet leadership to support event setup, plate ups, buffets, receptions, meal functions, breaks, and event breakdowns.
Maintain high standards of cleanliness, sanitation, organization, and safety throughout kitchens, dishwashing areas, pot washing areas, storerooms, banquet service areas, loading docks, trash areas, storage rooms, and other assigned back of house locations.
Ensure compliance with Omni standards, hotel policies, health department regulations, food safety requirements, workplace safety standards, chemical handling procedures, and environmental guidelines.
Create and manage weekly stewarding schedules based on forecasted business levels, banquet activity, outlet needs, productivity standards, and approved labor guidelines.
Monitor daily labor, overtime, attendance, productivity, payroll accuracy, and operating expenses. Adjust staffing and assignments as business levels and priorities change.
Interview, select, train, coach, develop, and retain qualified stewarding associates in partnership with Human Resources and Culinary leadership.
Complete performance evaluations, attendance documentation, coaching, corrective action, and other performance management responsibilities in accordance with hotel policy.
Assist the Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage with departmental budgeting, labor planning, operating expenses, equipment needs, purchasing, and capital improvement requests.
Monitor inventory levels, breakage, loss, chemical usage, cleaning supply consumption, equipment damage, and other departmental expenses.
Report significant shortages, losses, damages, maintenance concerns, labor variances, and expense variances to the Executive Chef and Director of Food and Beverage with recommended corrective action.
Partner with Culinary, Purchasing, Banquets, Outlets, Engineering, and Food and Beverage leadership to ensure operational needs are addressed promptly and effectively.
Promote a respectful, professional, safe, and productive work environment that supports communication, accountability, teamwork, and exceptional guest service.
Champion Omni culture, the Power of One, and the hotel’s commitment to exceptional service.
Conduct daily inspections of stewarding, culinary, banquet support, storage, receiving, loading dock, trash, and back of house areas.
Ensure all dishwashing, pot washing, waste removal, recycling, deep cleaning, floor care, equipment cleaning, and kitchen sanitation assignments are completed properly and on time.
Prepare, stage, deliver, retrieve, count, clean, and store china, glassware, silverware, smallwares, banquet equipment, and operating supplies required for events and daily operations.
Ensure all ware requisitions are completed accurately and distributed according to event and outlet requirements.
Coordinate the movement of food, equipment, and supplies throughout the hotel while maintaining proper food temperatures, sanitation standards, and safe handling practices.
Ensure food transportation equipment, including hot boxes, speed racks, carts, and insulated carriers, is clean, maintained, properly loaded, and operated safely.
Ensure event equipment is properly cleaned, counted, returned, stored, and secured following each function.
Document and report equipment loss, shortages, damage, and breakage.
Conduct daily preshift meetings and communicate assignments, business levels, event requirements, ware requisitions, food transportation needs, sanitation priorities, and safety expectations.
Ensure associates are trained in the proper use of cleaning chemicals, personal protective equipment, dish machines, waste equipment, food transportation equipment, and stewarding tools and machinery.
Maintain current Safety Data Sheets and ensure chemicals are properly labeled, stored, secured, diluted, and used.
Oversee the storage, organization, requisitioning, distribution, and control of china, glassware, silverware, cookware, cleaning supplies, chemicals, smallwares, banquet equipment, and stewarding equipment.
Submit or approve supply and equipment requisitions based on operational needs, event requirements, established par levels, and purchasing procedures.
Participate in monthly, quarterly, and annual inventories and ensure count sheets, transfer records, requisitions, breakage reports, and supporting documentation are accurate.
Ensure all stewarding and food transportation equipment is maintained in safe working condition.
Submit work orders for damaged or malfunctioning equipment and follow up with Engineering until repairs are completed.
Maintain accurate schedules, payroll records, inventories, requisitions, supply orders, breakage reports, training documentation, inspection records, equipment logs, and event support documentation.
Attend and actively participate in required Culinary, Banquet, Food and Beverage, safety, operational, and hotel meetings.
Participate in Food and Beverage critical path planning and complete assigned projects by the required deadlines.
Respond professionally to guest requests, associate concerns, operational challenges, event needs, and changing business conditions.
Perform all duties expected of a department leader and complete other assignments as directed by the Executive Chef, Director of Food and Beverage, or hotel management.