Banquet Captain

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

About the role

The Banquet Captain plays a key leadership role across Rice Hospitality’s event operations, supporting Cohen House, and campus-wide catering services. This position is responsible for executing high-quality events, ensuring exceptional service standards, and acting as a primary point of contact for clients before and during events. The Banquet Captain leads the setup, service, and breakdown of luncheons, receptions, conferences, and special university events—including programs for the President’s Office, Board of Trustees, Rice Business, faculty, staff, students, and external partners. They supervise and train part-time staff and student employees, ensuring consistent, polished, and timely service across all venues.

The ideal candidate is a proactive and service-driven leader with experience in banquet, catering, or high-volume event service. They excel in coordinating and supervising service operations across multiple venues and are comfortable guiding and training part-time staff and student employees. They demonstrate exceptional customer service, attention to detail, and the ability to anticipate client and event needs. They thrive in dynamic, fast-paced environments, easily shift between locations such as Cohen House and Rice Business School, and manage multiple events simultaneously with professionalism and poise.

Responsibilities

• Ensures proper event and dining room setup by inspecting the appearance, cleanliness, and complete setup of event spaces, dining rooms, and service areas.
• Monitors service areas and equipment, regularly inspecting all front-of-house and back-of-house service areas to verify compliance with sanitation, safety, energy management, and preventive maintenance standards. Reports deficiencies promptly.
• Manages event documentation and ticketing, closing out luncheon tickets, verifying accuracy, ensuring all documentation is accounted for, and resolving any ticketing or billing discrepancies in coordination with the events and administrative teams.
• Coordinates with events and culinary teams, collaborating closely with Banquet Servers, the Events Manager, and Culinary Leadership during special events to ensure all details—room layout, menu execution, décor, AV needs, flowers, specialty items, and timing—are completed to specification.
• Ensures exceptional guest experience by actively checking on tables and service flow throughout events to ensure client, guest, and member satisfaction. Addresses and resolves concerns with professionalism and urgency.
• Provides beverage service, serving alcohol safely and responsibly during events, following Rice University and TABC guidelines.
• Maintains inventory across venues, organizing, tracking, and monitoring inventory of equipment and service ware—including silver, china, glassware, linens, and beverages—primarily at Cohen House but also for campus catering operations as needed.
• Supports event breakdown and reset, assisting with tear-down after the completion of functions and ensuring smooth transitions between events across all venues.
• Oversees staff equipment return and room reset, ensuring wait staff properly return equipment to designated storage areas, that all spaces are left clean and orderly, and that service standards are consistently met.
• Secures facilities, ensuring that dining rooms, banquet spaces, and event areas are secured and properly closed at the end of service or the business day for the relevant location.
• Verifies tabletop standards, inspecting place settings—linens, china, glassware, silverware, condiments, and tabletop décor—ensuring correct placement, cleanliness, and overall presentation consistent with Rice Hospitality’s standards.
• Performs other operational or service-related duties as assigned to support Rice Hospitality’s multi-venue event operations.

Requirements

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Two or more years of related experience in food and event services.
• TABC seller-server license.
• Certified Food Handler's Permit (Houston) or equivalent (ServSafe).

Skills

• Ability to prioritize, manage shifting demands, and handle multiple time-sensitive projects.
• Demonstrated creativity, problem-solving, initiative, sound judgment, and decision-making.
• Strong communication and customer service skills.
• Well-organized and detail-oriented.
• Basic proficiency with Microsoft Office.
• Knowledge of food and beverage preparation, service standards, guest relations, and etiquette.
• Basic wine knowledge.
• Experience with POS systems and table/seat assignment tools.

Preferences

• Experience as a bartender.
• Forbes Standards of Service knowledge.
• Banquet experience.

Workplace Requirements

Physical Demands: Classified as LIGHT work, requiring the ability to exert up to 25 lbs. occasionally, and walk or stand for up to 8 hours. Additional physical requirements include manual dexterity; bending, crouching, kneeling; reaching, climbing, maintaining balance; lifting/carrying equipment; and the ability to see, hear, detect scents, and discern flavors.

Work Environment: Work takes place in commercial kitchens, banquet areas, and event service environments, with possible exposure to temperature extremes, cleaning chemicals, wet/slippery floors, hot equipment, and other typical commercial kitchen hazards. Includes use of hot oil, steam, and water, as well as commercial equipment such as fryers, ovens, stovetops, knives, slicers, dough sheeters, tortilla machines, and other high-temperature or high-risk machinery.

Schedule

This role is exclusively on-site and requires all duties to be performed in person across Rice Hospitality venues and assigned campus locations. Standard hours are Monday–Friday, 7:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m., with variable scheduling based on event needs. Evenings, weekends, early mornings, and any assigned shift may be required to support university events and hospitality operations. This role is classified as an Essential On-Campus Position, requiring on-site presence to effectively carry out its vital functions, including during emergencies or crises.

Pay

$20.64 to $22.12 per hour, contingent upon qualifications and experience. Non-exempt (hourly) positions under FLSA are eligible for overtime.