Director of Catering & Convention

JOB SUMMARY

Functions as the business leader of the property’s Catering Sales Department and manages the property's reactive and proactive catering sales efforts. Shares responsibility for achieving revenue goals, guest and associate satisfaction and the financial performance of the department. Implements the brand’s service strategy and applicable brand initiatives in all aspects of the sales process. Provides day to day leadership to a team of on-property catering sales associates. Partners with key stakeholders within Area Sales to receive warms leads for more in-depth qualification of the business for the property. Partners with Event Management and hotel operations to sell products and services that the hotel has the ability to successfully execute. Verifies a seamless turnover from sales to operations and back to sales while consistently delivering a high level of service. Maintains accountability for verifying that the team maximizes revenue opportunities by up-selling and accurately forecasting (e.g., catering and group rooms) for all events.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Education and Experience

Required:

• 2-year degree from an accredited university in Business Administration, Marketing, Hotel and Restaurant Management, or related major; 4 years experience in the sales and marketing or related professional area.

OR

• 4-year bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Hotel and Restaurant Management, or related major; 2 years experience in the sales and marketing or related professional area.

Preferred:

• 4 year college degree.

CORE WORK ACTIVITIES

Managing Sales Activities

• Manages the catering sales efforts for the hotel including local and group/convention business.

• Solicits/books local catering business and develops group business.

• Develops and manages catering sales revenue and operation budgets, and provides forecasting reports.

• Works with the management team to create and implement a catering sales/marketing plan addressing revenue, customers and market.

• Develops menus that drive sales.

• Assists with selling, implementation and follow-through of catering promotions.

• Executes and supports Marriott’s Customer Service Standards and hotel’s Brand Standards.

• Executes and supports the operational aspects of business booked (e.g., generating proposal, writing contract, customer correspondence).

• Participates in and practices daily service basics of the brand (e.g.,, Marriott Hotels & Resorts (MHR) Spirit to Serve Daily Basics, Renaissance Hotels and Resorts (RHR) Savvy Service Basics, Courtyard, SpringHill Suites, Fairfield Inn Basics of the Day, Residence Inn Daily Huddle, or TownePlace Suites Morning Meeting).

• Coordinates and deploys catering sales resources on-property to establish pull-through and sustainment of catering sales strategies and selling solutions. Develops a close working relationship with operations to execute strategies at the hotel level.

• Verifies that the property implements a seamless turnover from sales to operations and back to sales while consistently delivering high level of service.

• Monitors the effective resolution of guest issues that arise as a result of the sales process by creating mechanisms to channel issues to property leadership and/or other appropriate stakeholders.

• Maintains successful performance by increasing revenues, controlling expenses and providing a return on investment for the owner and Marriott International.

• Implements the brand’s service strategy and applicable brand initiatives in all aspects of the sales process.

• Performs other duties, as assigned, to meet business needs.

Building Successful Relationships

• Interacts effectively with guests/clients, sales and kitchen, vendors, competitors, local community, catering associations and other hotel departments in order to monitor guest satisfaction.

• Executes exemplary customer service to drive customer satisfaction and loyalty by assisting the customer and monitoring their satisfaction before and during their program/event.

• Serves the customer by understanding their needs and recommending the appropriate features and services that best meet their needs and exceed their expectations, while building a relationship and loyalty to Marriott.

• Gains understanding of the hotel’s primary target customer and service expectations; serves the customer by understanding their business, business issues and concerns, to offer better business solution both prior to, and during the program/event.

• Partners with key stakeholders within Area Sales to receive warms leads for more in-depth qualification of the business for the property.

• Partners with Event Management and hotel operations to sell products and services that the hotel has the ability to successfully execute.

Leadership

• Manages and directs the on-property catering sales managers to achieve hotel revenue goals by proactively targeting current and new high value accounts in the market and implementing effective catering sales deployment strategies to grow market share.

• Partners with Human Resources (HR) to attract, develop and retain the right people in order to support the strategic priorities of the market.

• Creates effective structures, processes, jobs and performance management systems are in place.

• Sets goals and expectations for direct reports using the Leadership Performance Process (LPP), align performance and rewards, addresses performance issues and holds staff accountable for successful results.

• Forecasts talent needs and manages talent acquisition strategy with HR to minimize lost time due to turnover.

• Keeps an active list of the competition’s best sales people and executes a recruitment and acquisition plan with HR.

• Supports tools and training resources to educate sales associates on winning catering solutions.

• Champions leadership development and workforce planning priorities by assessing, selecting, retaining and developing diverse, high-caliber talent that can lead the organization today and strengthen the leadership bench for the future; continues to upgrade the sales & marketing talent; works with HR to anticipate future talent needs based on business growth plans.

• Identifies, trains and mentors catering sales associates.

• Transfers functional knowledge and develop catering sales skills of other discipline managers.

• Shares responsibility for achieving revenue goals, guest and associate satisfaction and the financial performance of the department.

• Provides day to day leadership to a team of on-property catering sales associates.