Catering Sales and Operations Manager

Catering Sales and Operations Manager

$55,000/year

5200 Historic Old Hwy 90 - Main Building

Exec. Vice President of Culinary Operations

Flexibility to support and attend client-facing events with required evenings, weekends, and holidays.

This position supports the San Antonio Food Bank’s mission by leading catering sales, client relationships, event planning and execution, team performance, and event-level profitability. The Catering Sales and Operations Manager owns the full catering cycle: inquiry, qualification, consultation, proposal, contracting, planning, execution, invoicing, collection follow-up, and post-event review.

This role balances growing revenue while delivering consistent hospitality, operational excellence, and meaningful mission support.

Sales, Client Experience, and Business Development

• Build, track, and manage a qualified pipeline of corporate, non-profit, donor, community, and repeat-client opportunities; maintain accurate activity, forecasts, and lost-business records.

• Translate client goals, guest needs, budgets, and event requirements into compelling, feasible proposals that support conversion and margin goals.

• Serve as the primary client contact, communicating expectations and final details clearly, resolving concerns promptly, and pursuing repeat business and referrals.

• Create complete event plans covering menus, staffing, rentals, equipment, setup, delivery, service timelines, vendors, and contingencies.
• Maintain accurate records of current contracts, event details, calendars, client notes, close out records, incidents, vendor and rental agreements, feedback, and reconciliation inputs.

• Lead setup, service, breakdown, and closeout; enforce standards for safety, presentation, guest interaction, timing, cleanliness, and service recovery.

• Partner across internal teams including culinary, finance, facilities, and operations along with external vendors to guarantee readiness; confirm owners, deadlines, production needs, and readiness milestones.

• Develop staffing models that meet service standards while respecting budgets.

• Own hiring, onboarding, training, scheduling, briefing, coaching, and feedback for event staff, as assigned.

• Set clear expectations, provide real-time direction, conduct post-event debriefs, and promote professionalism, safety, inclusion, accountability, and service.

• Apply approved pricing and discount guidelines and complete cost estimates before proposals are finalized.

• Monitor food, beverage, labor, rental, delivery, and other direct costs; review event profitability, explain variances, and recommend corrective action.

• Manage the administrative closeout process.

• Equivalent combination of formal education, industry training, and progressive professional experience.
• At least 5 years of progressively responsible experience in catering, hospitality, event management, food service, or a comparable client-facing sales and operations role.
• Responsibility of front-of-house or event teams. A track record of providing clear instruction, delivering actionable performance feedback, and keeping staff motivated in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated success managing a sales pipeline, developing proposals, building relationships, and leading front-of-house event execution.
• Experience with production planning for large-quantity food service operations.

• Current Serv Safe Manager’s Certification (or must successfully obtain it within the first 30 days of employment).
• Possession of a current Texas driver’s license, valid auto liability insurance, and a clean driving record.

• Working knowledge of event costing, pricing, labor planning, gross margin, invoicing, and budget variance review.
• Excellent written and oral communication, use of judgement, problem-solving skills, and handling inquiries or complaints professionally.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite
• Proficiency with CRM/database, catering or event-management scheduling software, proposal and invoicing creation.
• Excellent ability to keep digital files, paper records, and daily schedules orderly. Comfortably manages multiple projects at the same time, catches small details, and builds reliable tracking systems so that no deadline or regulation is missed.
• Personal access to reliable…