Senior Catering Manager

Full-Time

Located in the heart of Costa Mesa’s vibrant arts and entertainment district, Avenue of the Arts Costa Mesa is an award-winning luxury hotel and part of Marriott’s Tribute Portfolio, offering a distinctive, music-inspired setting for meetings, celebrations, and unforgettable events. As a Senior Catering Manager, you’ll have the opportunity to showcase our unique event spaces and elevated food and beverage experiences while developing meaningful client relationships and growing catering and banquet business. We’re looking for an experienced hospitality sales professional who thrives on prospecting, building partnerships, closing business, and bringing each client’s vision to life—from the first conversation through a successful event.

JOB OVERVIEW:

The Senior Catering Manager works in partnership with the Director of Sales & Catering to achieve the hotel’s banquet and catering revenue, profitability, and market share goals. This position is responsible for maximizing food and beverage and event space rental revenue, with a primary focus on corporate catering, meetings, and banquet events, while also providing event servicing and coordination for group banquet business. The Senior Catering Manager proactively develops new business while cultivating and growing existing client relationships to generate repeat and referral opportunities. This role manages the catering sales process from initial inquiry and qualification through contracting, planning, and event turnover. In addition, the Senior Catering Manager partners closely with the Group Sales team to service contracted group banquet business, coordinating event details, food and beverage requirements, meeting space, and other program needs to ensure a seamless transition from sales through execution. The position requires a strong balance of proactive sales and event servicing, including prospecting, outside sales, account development, client engagement, site inspections, networking, event planning, and closing business. As a senior member of the sales team, the Senior Catering Manager is expected to maintain strong knowledge of the competitive market, identify new revenue opportunities, maximize revenue from both catering and group banquet business, achieve established sales goals, and contribute to the overall sales strategy and financial performance of the hotel.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Flexible and long hours sometimes required. 
• Ability to stand during shift.
• Able to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects up to 20 pounds of force constantly.

MENTAL REQUIREMENTS:

•Must be able to convey information and ideas clearly.

•Must be able to evaluate and select among alternative courses of action quickly and accurately.

•Must work well in stressful, high-pressure situations.

•Must be effective in handling problems in the workplace, including anticipating, preventing, identifying and solving problems as necessary.

•Must be effective at listening to, understanding and clarifying the issues raised by co-workers and guests.

•Must be able to work with and understand financial information and data and basic arithmetic functions.

WORK REQUIREMENTS:

1. Meet and exceed established Catering and Banquet booking goals for food and beverage, event space rental, and audiovisual revenue.
2. Proactively prospect for new business and respond promptly to all catering inquiries, walk-ins, referrals, and scheduled appointments within the same business day.
3. Identify and target local catering opportunities through reader board research, online platforms, competitive intelligence, and other prospecting resources.
4. Partner closely with the Food & Beverage and Culinary teams to maintain timely and accurate communication regarding event requirements, client expectations, and operational needs.
5. Conduct outside sales calls and utilize proactive selling techniques, including cold calling, networking, site inspections, client entertainment, and account development, to generate and secure new business.
6. Evaluate prospective business based on revenue potential, profitability, operational requirements, and overall value to the hotel while maintaining a competitive market position.
7. Maximize revenue through effective upselling of food and beverage, meeting space, audiovisual, and additional services while delivering a level of service consistent with the hotel’s luxury positioning.
8. Coordinate and service assigned group functions, serving as the Convention Services liaison between the client, Group Sales, and hotel operating departments. Prepare accurate and timely group resumes, event documentation, billing information, and other required communications.
9. Monitor assigned groups throughout the planning process, including room block pickup, rooming lists, cutoff dates, program changes, and other key deadlines. Partner with Group Sales and Reservations to maximize revenue and ensure successful program execution.
10. Conduct timely post-event follow-up, including client thank-you correspondence, solicitation of feedback, and prompt resolution or escalation of any service concerns.
11. Maintain relationships with past and existing clients and actively solicit repeat, referral, and future business.
12. Represent the hotel at community, networking, and industry-related events to increase awareness, strengthen relationships, and generate new business opportunities.
13. Work closely with the Catering Coordinator to ensure an efficient daily workflow, including BEO preparation, lead and inquiry follow-up, and accurate maintenance of catering production, definite business, and actualized revenue tracking.
14. Continuously identify opportunities to enhance the hotel’s Food & Beverage offerings, presentation, packages, and overall catering experience.
15. Provide leadership, training, coaching, and mentorship to Catering team members while supporting established sales processes, service standards, and departmental goals.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS:

• High School diploma. College degree preferred.
• Speaks English