Catering Sales Manager

About the role

As the Catering Sales Manager at Hilton Garden Inn Seattle Bellevue Downtown, you will solicit new catering accounts, nurture relationships with existing accounts, and drive revenue growth. You will coordinate and service client functions to ensure customer satisfaction while maintaining profitable operations, high-quality products, and service levels. A strong knowledge of weddings and prospecting is essential, along with comfort in problem-solving within client relationships and event management.

Responsibilities

• Keep immediate supervisor informed of all problems or matters requiring attention.
• Prepare and submit required reports in a timely manner.
• Follow up on all turnovers within 24 hours via telephone and within 3 days with written correspondence.
• Know meeting room setups, capabilities, sleeping room configurations, and types.
• Respond to catering inquiries immediately and use the Partnership Agreement to meet client needs.
• Maintain comprehensive knowledge of all operational departments within the hotel (guest services, reservations, housekeeping, audio-visual, switchboard, accounting, restaurants, bars, and engineering).
• Interact with outside planners and vendors for event setup.
• Maintain pricing integrity and propose upscale menus for clients.
• Manage existing accounts and follow up with client re-solicitation to capture future business.
• Work with other F&B managers to address F&B issues as they arise.
• Manage the function diary and adjust space to ensure maximum potential revenue.
• Be visible on the floor and assist staff as needed during functions.
• Participate in and/or conduct departmental and hotel training (e.g., One-to-One Training).
• Plan and execute holiday and special events in conjunction with the Director of Catering.
• Use feedback from client evaluations to improve service and quality.
• Participate in the required M.O.D. program as scheduled.
• Perform other duties as requested by management.

Qualifications

• At least 2 years of progressive experience in a hotel or related field.
• Proficient in Windows, company-approved spreadsheets, and word processing.
• Flexible and willing to work long hours when required.
• Medium work: Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or 20 pounds of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.
• Maintain a warm, friendly demeanor at all times.
• Effectively communicate verbally and in writing with all levels of employees and guests in an attentive, friendly, courteous, and service-oriented manner.
• Listen, understand, and clarify concerns raised by employees and guests.
• Multitask and prioritize departmental functions to meet deadlines.
• Approach all encounters with guests and employees in an attentive, friendly, courteous, and service-oriented manner.
• Attend all hotel-required meetings and trainings.
• Participate in M.O.D. coverage as required.
• Maintain high standards of personal appearance and grooming, including wearing nametags.
• Comply with InnVentures Standards and regulations to encourage safe and efficient hotel operations.
• Maximize efforts toward productivity, identify problem areas, and assist in implementing solutions.
• Effectively handle problems, including anticipating, preventing, identifying, and solving them as necessary.
• Understand and evaluate complex information, data, etc., from various sources to meet appropriate objectives.
• Maintain confidentiality of information.

Benefits

• Group insurance, including medical, dental, vision, and company-paid life insurance.
• Paid time off.
• Company-matched 401(k) plan.
• Voluntary benefits, including short-term disability, long-term disability, accident, life, critical illness, and Flexible Spending Account.
• Life enrichment benefits, including hotel benefits, employee assistance program, and leadership development program.
• Option to get paid daily.