Supervisor - KU Catering

KU Catering is looking for an experienced supervisor to join our team. From tailgates to banquets, the Catering team assists with a variety of events across campus, serving high quality food and drinks with tremendous skill and customer service. Discover why our employees love coming to work every day in this fun, fast-paced environment. You will enjoy competitive pay and benefits, with plenty of room to grow professionally. Become a proud Jayhawk, and you will get to enjoy serving the KU community in a meaningful way!

Great Benefits:

• Paid sick and vacation leave

• Paid holidays

• Paid parental leave

• Health, dental, and vision insurance

• Free life and long-term disability insurance

• Retirement plan with 7.5% employer match

The Catering Supervisor is a full-time role responsible for overseeing a full-service catering operation for KU Memorial Unions. This position involves supervising part-time catering servers, managing event preparation, setup, execution, breakdown, and cleanup. The Catering Supervisor ensures exceptional customer service and maintains strong relationships with guests and campus partners. Additionally, this role includes training part-time servers and enforcing department standards and Unions policies.

Supervision: Receives direct supervision from the Assistant Director of Catering and Catering Manager. Oversees the work of several full-time and part-time employees across multiple events each day.

Essential Functions:

• Quality:
  • Prioritize and manage all aspects of event logistics, from preparation and packing to setup, execution, and cleanup.
  • Efficiently use time to prepare for future events, arranging catering food and refreshments attractively, including beverage stations, food platters, and bowls.
  • Prepare rooms for catering functions at least 10 minutes before the event starts.
  • Utilize organizational awareness and formal/informal channels to make informed decisions.
• Collaboration and Cooperation:
  • Maintain clear and effective communication with internal staff, customers, and employees about event schedules, policies, and procedures.
  • Ensure all parties are informed and up-to-date regarding event planning and execution.
• Job Knowledge:
  • Adhere to all food handling and sanitation regulations as outlined by Dining Services.
  • Complete ServSafe certification within the first six months of full-time employment.
• Customer Service:
  • Oversee and delegate all aspects of customer service, including event setup, staff appearance, and service quality.
  • Assist in creating departmental Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for set-up and service.
  • Solicit feedback from customers, address concerns, and explore opportunities for future business.
• Managing People:
  • Lead and train part-time staff, including overseeing on-the-job training, opening and closing catering floors, and ensuring proper guest service.
  • Monitor and develop the performance of a team of 60 employees, including providing supervision, professional development, scheduling, counseling, investigations, evaluations, and recognition.
• Cost Consciousness:
  • Assist in monitoring part-time labor, small wares, dry goods, linen inventory, and product waste.
  • Ensure adherence to budget guidelines.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Maintain quality and quantity standards, seeking ways to enhance service and presentation.
• Address customer inquiries and represent the Concessions and Refreshment Manager as needed.
• Adhere to department schedules and Union attendance policies.
• Assist with KAI Football and Basketball Events, Bars, Suites, and Concessions.
• Utilize software programs for scheduling, updating events, accounting processes, and employee management.
• Keep catering areas clean and organized, following Union sanitation and food safety standards.
• Collaborate with Catering leadership to stay updated on industry trends and implement necessary changes.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Knowledge, Abilities, & Skills:

• Knowledge of principles and practices of supervising a full-service catering and banquet department.
• Understanding of basic Profit & Loss (P&L) management principles.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook), scheduling and ordering software, and POS systems.\

Minimum Qualifications:

• At least 21 years of age.
• Two years of experience in food service.
• One year of experience in catering or banquet operations.
• Valid drivers license with a clean driving record.

Full-time employment with the Union Corporation is contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background check prior to being able to begin work. This position is eligible for an employee referral bonus.

The University of Kansas Memorial Unions is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the corporations programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by corporation policy.