Director of Banquets

The Omni Homestead Resort & Spa has been delighting vacationers—including 24 U.S. Presidents—for over 250 years. A recently completed $170 million renovation restored the historic character of this Allegheny Mountain resort in Virginia. We are a four-season resort offering superb dining, championship golf, a spa, winter sports, and numerous activities ideal for families and corporate outings. Associates enjoy a dynamic work environment, comprehensive training, and the pride of working for a company renowned for exceptional service.

About the Role

The Director of Banquets is responsible for ensuring proper setup and service of all banquet functions, supervising banquet associates to ensure guest satisfaction, and maintaining service standards. This leadership role involves training associates to deliver prompt, courteous service in compliance with Omni food and beverage standards and company policies.

Responsibilities

• Plan, evaluate, organize, and direct the activities of the Banquet department.
• Ensure all policies, procedures, and guidelines are followed by department personnel.
• Provide training, motivation, and leadership for all department staff.
• Oversee the department’s service scores as measured by meeting planner surveys.
• Handle administrative duties necessary for department functioning.
• Conduct daily tours of hotel function space and spot-check meeting room setups.
• Maintain scheduled cleaning programs for all function rooms.
• Ensure all department equipment is in good order and follow preventive maintenance schedules.
• Review client feedback daily and take appropriate follow-up actions.
• Accurately forecast revenues on a monthly basis.
• Determine setups in conjunction with the Director of Catering and Director of Convention Services.
• Coordinate functions with service staff, culinary, and stewarding teams.
• Ensure guest satisfaction through effective supervision and delegation, checking food quality and staff performance.
• Minimize food waste and coordinate with the Stewarding Department for fast recovery of leftover food.
• Brief servers and captains on functions and service procedures.
• Establish and maintain high standards of quality service through training and continuous improvement.
• Maintain equipment and keep inventory pars up to date.
• Maintain records, reports, closing reports, and payroll costs.
• Inspect function rooms and submit work orders to the Engineering Department to maintain rooms in excellent condition.
• Adjust staffing levels in response to business fluctuations to maximize profits while ensuring guest satisfaction.
• Follow current trends and align with the Director of Food & Beverage and Executive Chef to deliver excellent products.
• Set the pace and lead by example for a successful, high-quality operation.

Requirements

• Minimum 3 years of experience in a hotel banquet senior management position (e.g., Director/Assistant Director) in a high-volume luxury hotel, preferably a convention property.
• Experience managing a minimum of 40,000+ sq ft of meeting space (preferred).
• Experience managing a budgeted minimum of $25 million+ per year in revenue.
• Exceptional knowledge of banquet and food service techniques, including banquet room setups and creative room decorations.
• Proven leadership skills with the ability to delegate, train, develop, and motivate staff.
• Ability to teach employees the importance of guest interaction and how to courteously solve internal requests.
• Prior experience managing schedules, inventory, payroll, service recovery, and associate relations.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to multitask and provide guest follow-up in a fast-paced environment.
• Knowledge of Virginia liquor laws and strong familiarity with beer, wine, and spirits; local knowledge preferred.
• Valid TIPS certification or ability to obtain one.
• Serve Safe certified food manager (preferred).
• Proficiency with computers and the Microsoft Office suite.
• Ability to work a variety of shifts, including weekends and holidays.

Work Environment

• Move, bend, push, and pull objects weighing up to 75 pounds without assistance.
• Lift and carry items up to 40 lbs without assistance.
• Ability to stand or walk for extended periods or an entire work shift.

Tools & Equipment

• Desktop computer (Opera, Oracle, Meeting Matrix, Micros, Birchstreet, Kronos, and Microsoft Office).
• Printer, telephone, copier, fax machine, and scanner.
• Coffee maker/urn, toaster, microwave, beverage machines.
• Bus trays, dishware, silverware, glassware, and queen-mary cart.