Director of Catering and Sales

Director Of Catering & Sales

The Director of Catering & Sales is responsible for leading and growing Bear's private catering business, including both on-site and off-site catering. This position owns the catering sales process from lead generation and relationship development through booking, planning, execution, invoicing, and follow-up, with a strong emphasis on developing sales strategies and campaigns that increase revenue and expand the company's catering business.

The Director works closely with the administrative office and operational leadership to create and maintain efficient systems and processes that make catering easier to sell, order, communicate, staff, execute, and reconcile. This includes coordinating the flow of information between sales, administrative, culinary, operations, and event teams, while identifying opportunities to eliminate inefficiencies and improve the guest and employee experience.

The Director will develop and execute sales strategies in partnership with the Chief Marketing and Experience Officer, including targeted campaigns, promotions, strategic partnerships, and outreach initiatives. While the CMEO will provide marketing strategy and support, the Director is responsible for driving the execution of catering sales initiatives, tracking results, and reporting performance and opportunities to company leadership and ownership.

The Director will also maintain relationships with key company partners and Bear's Foundation connections to identify additional catering opportunities.

This position is responsible for the overall financial and operational performance of the catering department and for building a scalable catering business that can consistently deliver an excellent guest experience while meeting company sales and profitability goals.

• Strategic Leadership & Oversight
• Catering Sales & Business Development
• Sales Strategy, Campaigns & Marketing Collaboration
• Catering Operations & Process Improvement
• Event Planning & Execution
• Financial Management
• Team Leadership & Development

Other Responsibilities

• Adhere to and continuously update department dashboards and operational calendars to ensure completion of all required tasks in accordance with company deadlines.
• Document all workflows, processes, and procedures related to the department, ensuring they are maintained in the company's operations manual, and continuously update them as changes occur.
• Ensure all required tasks, sales activities, events, follow-ups, financial responsibilities, and deadlines are completed.
• Continuously review and update SOPs as systems, staffing, technology, and business needs change.
• Maintain accurate and timely records related to catering sales, events, staffing, invoices, payments, and financial performance.
• Participate in company-wide initiatives and events as requested.
• Represent Bear's Smokehouse professionally with clients, partners, vendors, community organizations, and other external stakeholders.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by company leadership.

Work Schedule

This role's schedule is determined by the needs of the business and is adjusted weekly to accommodate upcoming events requiring the position's presence. On non-event days, the role typically follows standard office hours. The position averages 55 hours per week, depending on workload. Flexibility is essential, as evening, weekend, and holiday availability will be required to work or attend events, meet with staff, complete projects and/or meet deadlines, and address urgent operational matters, sometimes on short notice.

Emergency coverage of staff and adjusting schedule to meet last minute needs or unforeseen circumstances is required. This position must also be flexible to field calls during off-shift hours from staff and department managers in need of immediate guidance or decisions. Additionally, the role involves participation in large company events outside of regular office hours, contributing to "all hands on deck" efforts to ensure successful execution.

Occasional travel required.

Skills & Experience Required

• Minimum of 3 years of experience in catering, hospitality, event sales, event management, or a related field, with preference given to candidates with restaurant or food-service experience.
• Minimum of 3 years of management experience with responsibility for teams, budgets, or multiple areas of an operation.
• Proven experience generating sales and developing new business, preferably in catering,…