Catering Assistant Manager- UW Bay Laurel Catering

CATERING ASSISTANT MANAGER - BAY LAUREL CATERING

Thank you for considering Housing & Food Services at the University of Washington, Seattle.

At the University of Washington, diversity is integral to excellence. We value and honor diverse experiences and perspectives, strive to create welcoming and respectful learning environments, and promote access, opportunity and justice for all.

HFS provides on-campus housing to over 10,000 student residents and operates over 40 dining and café locations that serve the entire campus community. In order to successfully accomplish this, we employ over 1,200 students, classified and professional staff members who work throughout HFS, providing residential and dining services to the campus. As reflected in our mission statement—working together to enhance student life—teamwork and service to our students and customers are at the heart of our business.

To learn about our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at UW Housing & Food Services, you are encouraged to review our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement Training.

PURPOSE
Manage the front-of-house operations for UW Bay Laurel Catering, including support of the management team in hiring and training processes, scheduling, supervision, and leadership of full-time and hourly employees. Position includes participation in service and delivery of all types of catered event services.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership:

• Identify, articulate and model values and behaviors that support an organizational culture characterized as inclusive, positive, productive and committed to serving staff and students.
• Serve as a member of the unit’s leadership team.
• Maintain relationships with internal and campus colleagues and stakeholders to foster collaboration and maintain regular feedback loops to ensure awareness of their concerns, policies and/or legal constraints.
• Serve on and encourage others to lead unit teams and lead or serve on Department and professional organization committees.
• Maintains visibility and accessibility with customers and staff members.
• Trains and monitors performance in unit safety, cash handling, customer service and food safety.
• Supervises the work completed by direct reports, ensuring appropriate productivity, quality, customer service and adherence to UW and departmental policies and procedures.
• Contributes to the preparation of ongoing and timely performance appraisals for all employees.
• Effective presentation skills that demonstrate preparation, research and delivery that are scaled for small, large and diverse groups.

Operations and Customer Service:

• Manages all phases of service for the operation during catered functions and/or special events.
• Manages the handling and service of alcoholic beverages, including preparation, service, inventory, auditing and distribution.
• Establishes and maintains a management presence at events, soliciting customer feedback and responding to complaints, questions and special requests.
• Collaborates with peers in scheduling service staff.
• Collaborates with sales staff to ensure appropriate table sets are available for a broad range of events.
• Monitors and maintains quality standards on-site at the events around food presentation including portion size, food temperature and appearance.
• Monitors staff performance in unit safety, cash handling, customer service and food safety/handling.
• Identify and correct unsafe conditions, such as poor equipment or work habits that might lead to an accident.
• Utilizes the Online Accident Reporting System (OARS) for every work accident and injury, notifying appropriate authorities and personnel.
• Contributes to the management of the inventory from ordering to utilization, including purchasing, receipt, storage, production, display, sale and serves as primary contact for vendors.
• Identify and correct unsafe conditions, such as poor equipment or work habits that might lead to an accident.
• Maintains security measures to prevent theft and vandalism.

Fiscal Management:

• Manages resources by contributing and maintaining proper fiscal controls.
• Monitors and reviews reports, including financial statements, staffing schedules and inquiries from the HFS Financial team. Reports to leadership on exceptions/variances.

Food Service System (FSS):

• Oversee Food Service System (FSS) functions performed as part of normal business operations, including purchasing, inventory, transfers and service menus. This position may be required to perform some tasks directly while reviewing or approving work delegated to staff.
• Ensure unit staff are properly trained on using Food Service System (FSS) system by referring them to Dining Systems for training, as well as providing ongoing guidance and feedback.
• Use Food Service System (FSS) reporting functions to monitor unit performance by reviewing key metrics related to purchasing, inventory, menu mix and costing. Notify Dining Systems of suspected errors or issues.

Supervision:

• Interview, select, hire and onboard staff.
• Ensure that staff are equipped to perform their work through understanding of their working and learning environment and needs.
• Supervise the work completed by direct reports, ensuring appropriate productivity and quality.
• Evaluate the work completed by direct reports and foster venues for feedback up and down the organization to support and affirm individual, unit and Department success.
• Provide guidance to direct reports on requirements and/or opportunities for learning and professional development.
• This position supervises Banquet Captains and directs the work of student staff.

IMPACT TO THE UNIVERSITY
Bay Laurel provides catering service for a variety of events and gatherings and is representative of the University for many of its guests including prospective students, donors, and elected officials.

POSITION COMPLEXITIES
Bay Laurel is primarily an off-site caterer for the University of Washington. High degrees of organization and coordination are needed to ensure that a variety of service needs are met to a diverse clientele. As with any catering business, the position will work a variety of schedules to meet customer needs and participate in all aspects of delivery and event production.

WORKING CONDITIONS
This is a professional staff position that is expected to have flexible availability, working schedules that are typical for a catering operation, including extended hours, weekends and holidays. This position works in an operation that provides continuous service seven days a week from early morning until late night and will require irregular shifts to ensure maximum coverage by management. The incumbent in this position is required to be present and visible during special University or HFS events that may occur in the evening and/or weekend. Ability to work indoors or outdoors, load, unload, drive catering trucks and lift 50 pounds and carry 25 pounds.

REPORTS TO
Catering Banquet Manager

QUALIFICATIONS
Bachelor’s degree in hospitality, business administration or related field or accredited culinary certification and one year of experience that demonstrates experience including:

• Effectively addressing customer inquiries and service issues
• Hiring, training and managing the performance of culinary support and service staff
• Establishing and maintaining controls for kitchen and food safety and sanitation
• Controlling costs through the use of financial reports, inventory, purchasing and production records and online payroll, budgeting and financial systems
• Communicating effectively one-on-one, in groups and through presentations to live and virtual audiences
• Using Microsoft Office products for communication through MS Teams and Outlook and preparing documents, reports and presentations using Word and Excel

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Experience managing both on- and off- site catered events.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• A satisfactory outcome from the employment reference check processes and education verification.
• Washington State Driver’s License.
• Washington State Food Worker Card within two weeks of hire.
• Washington State Class 12 Liquor License within 30 days of hire.
• ServSafe Certification within three months of employment and maintenance of Certification thereafter.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $5,675.00 per month

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Shift:

• 8 hour shift

Work Location: In person