Lead Server ("Mesero Lider")

Description

A Lead Server assumes a supervisory role in a restaurant, hotel, or other hospitality setting. They are responsible for prompt and friendly attention to our guests as well as guiding a team of servers and ensuring the efficient execution of service operations. The Lead Server's key responsibilities include ensuring guest satisfaction, promoting staff efficiency, and facilitating the overall smooth operation of the establishment.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serving as a host for all guests in the dining rooms and at catered events
• Creating and maintaining an atmosphere of warmth, personal interest and positive emphasis, as well as a calm environment in the dining rooms
• Maintaining high performance and behavioral expectations for the team.
• Ensuring dining rooms are set up with an upscale and professional appearance
• Overseeing completion of closing assignments, ensuring cleanliness of dining rooms and in the serving and kitchen prep areas
• Tracking inventory to ensure supplies are readily available and in stock for meals and events
•  Assisting in standardizing methods and procedures and providing necessary training to team members to ensure they fully understand these requirements
• Providing department orientation to new servers and ongoing training, including correct facility procedures, safety codes, proper use of internal system, and menu items as needed
• Assisting with the coordination of catering functions and special events, including decorating, setup and break down, monitoring of food and beverage stations and staffing.
• Provide leadership to crew and shift managers guaranteeing great quality, customer service and cleanliness according to the public health code.
• Take orders from customers, input orders into micros, and obtain payment and provide change.
• Execute bartending duties and prepare service bar drinks (wine tasting flights, glass pours, cocktails, etc.)
• Provide exceptional guest services by communicating additional meal requirements, allergies, dietary needs, and special requests to the kitchen.
• Engage in high quality customer facing and focus service; cater to clientele with sensitive food allergies and custom dietary needs.
• Perform day to day supervision of staff, FOH and BOH, assign tasks and direct overall restaurant level operation performances.
• Assist in organizing competitive bartending events.
• Perform any financial responsibilities accurately and promptly.
• Develop training materials and script for upselling signature toppings.
• Perform bookkeeping activities and respond to inquiries regarding payroll and timekeeping.
• Recommend policy changes and effectively communicate all FOH policy and operating matters to staff
• All other duties assigned by managers and supervisors.

SUPPORTIVE FUNCTIONS
In addition to performance of the essential functions, this position may be required to perform a combination of the following supportive functions, with the percentage of time performing each function to be solely determined by the manager based upon the particular requirements of the hotel:

• Assist with any guest inquiry.
• Follow all company and safety and security policies and procedures.
• Report maintenance problems, safety hazards, accidents, or injuries.
• Perform other reasonable job duties as requested by direct and indirect Supervisors.     

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Environmental conditions are inside, a job is considered “inside” if staff spends approximately 75 percent or more of the time inside.  Temperature is moderate and controlled by hotel environmental systems.

• Must be able to work in extreme temperatures like freezers (-10°F) and kitchens ( 110°F), possible for one (1) hour or more.
• Must be able to stand and exert well-paced mobility for up to four (4) hours in length.
• Must be able to exert well-paced ability to maneuver between functions occurring simultaneously. 
• Must be able to exert well-paced ability in limited space and to reach other departments of the hotel on a timely basis.
• Must be able to lift up to 45 lbs. as needed.
• Must be able to push and pull carts and equipment weighing up to 250 lbs. 
• Requires grasping, writing, standing, sitting, walking, repetitive motions, bending, climbing, listening, and hearing ability and visual acuity.
  The individual must possess the following knowledge, skills and abilities and be able to explain and demonstrate that he or she can perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of knowledge, skills, and abilities:
• Hearing, smelling, tasting, and visual ability to observe and distinguish product quality and detect signs of emergency situations.
• Talking and hearing occur continuously in the process of communicating with other staff, guests, and supervisors.
• Vision occurs continuously with the most common visual functions being those of near and color vision and depth perception.
• Must be able to bend, stoop, squat and stretch to fulfill cleaning tasks occasionally.
• Ability to work primarily with fingers to pick, pinch, type and carry out substantial movements (motions) of the wrists and hands as well.

SPECIFIC JOB KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Exceptional customer service
• Demonstrates effective verbal and written communication skills
• Self-starter; highly motivated with high energy level
• Ability to lead and work together with a team
• Possesses a high degree of personal accountability, responsibility and independent decision-making abilities
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office products
• Must be able to work flexible hours, weekends and holidays
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Creativity and attention to detail.
• Must be able to speak, read, write, and understand the primary language used in the workplace.
• Requires good communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Must have excellent customer relations skills. 
• Must be detail oriented with outstanding organizational and communication skills.
• Must possess basic computational ability.   
• Ability to effectively deal with internal and external customers, some of whom will require high levels of patience, tact and diplomacy and collect accurate information to resolve conflicts.
• Self-driven and able to work independently.
• Exceptionally strong in issue resolution and proven analytical skills with a strong attention to detail.
• Must have a strong knowledge of drink preparation and applicable health standards.

EDUCATION

• High school diploma or equivalent    

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of three years of experience in the food or hospitality industry; fine dining experience preferred.

LICENSES OR CERTIFICATIONS

• Current SERVSAFE certification or has successfully completed a sanitation course within the past year.
• Current food handler’s card and other certification as required by federal/state/local law.

GROOMING
All Staff Members must maintain a neat, clean, and well-groomed appearance per Azul Hospitality standards. Refer to the property specific required grooming and uniform standards policy.
 
ATTENDANCE
Regular attendance in conformance with the standards, which may be established by Azul Hospitality, from time to time, is essential to the successful performance of this position.  Staff with irregular attendance / tardiness will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Upon employment, all staff is required to fully comply with Azul Hospitality rules and regulations for the safe and effective operation of the hotel’s facilities. Staff members who violate hotel rules and regulations will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.  Due to the cyclical nature of the hospitality industry, staff members may be required to work varying schedules to reflect the business needs of the hotel. In addition, attendance at all scheduled training sessions and meetings is required.  This job description is not an exclusive or exhaustive list of all job functions that a staff member in this position may be asked to perform from time to time.
 

Qualifications