Catering Event Specialist Sr 633857

About the role

Serve as the primary point of contact for inbound customer requests, both by phone and in person, with a focus on selling and marketing Student Union spaces as well as coordinating catering and event services for on-campus and off-campus locations.

Responsibilities

• Supporting conferences, banquets, receptions, social functions, and other events.
• Partnering with University Dining Services and Meeting & Conference Services to ensure high-quality service delivery, customer satisfaction, and long-term client retention across the shared customer base.
• Acting as the primary source of information for event planning, development, and execution, while addressing general questions, concerns, and ideas from clients.
• Responding to catering inquiries, meeting with clients to secure bookings, estimating menu costs, and preparing detailed event proposals and contracts.
• Providing exceptional customer service and menu guidance, including pricing, presentation options, and creative solutions.
• Monitoring and supporting catering events inside and outside the Student Union to confirm order accuracy, uphold presentation standards, and maintain professionalism throughout each event.
• Cooking weekly banquet meetings with catering management staff and attending regular supervisory meetings.
• Completing assigned invoices promptly (with priority on morning tasks) and serving as back-up support for invoices handled by the assistant manager.
• Maintaining accurate, reliable, and improvement-focused records of events, ensuring both front-end and back-end data are captured.
• Balancing event follow-through with proactive business development and new booking generation.
• Collaborating on promotional events to enhance visibility and sales opportunities.
• Demonstrating punctuality and dependability with consistent work arrival and departure times.
• Proactively identifying opportunities to improve profitability while expanding product offerings and maintaining high service standards.
• Performing other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• High School/GED Planning & Catering Events (degree must be conferred on or before agreed upon start date)
• Two years of related work experience
• Post-secondary education may be substituted for years of experience
• Certifications, Registrations, And/or Licenses: Valid Drivers License before hire. Food Handler's Permit/Serve Safe Certification after hire.

Skills, Proficiencies, And/or Knowledge

• Computer skills with the ability to learn applicable software programs.
• Ability to effectively apply principles and methods consistent with accepted food preparation, purchasing, and personnel management practices.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
• Flexibility to adapt to a fast-paced environment, shifting needs, and frequent changes.
• Must work well under pressure.
• Strong organizational skills.

Qualifications

• High School/GED Planning & Catering Events (degree must be conferred on or before agreed upon start date)
• Two years of related work experience
• Post-secondary education may be substituted for years of experience
• Certifications, Registrations, And/or Licenses: Valid Drivers License before hire. Food Handler's Permit/Serve Safe Certification after hire.

Special Instructions to Applicants

For full consideration, please include a resume, cover letter and contact information for three professional references.

Pay

$15.50 - $21.00

Schedule

Monday through Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm with occasional evenings and weekends.