Catering Sales and Operations Manager

Job Title: Catering Sales and Operations Manager

Compensation: $55,000/year

Location: 5200 Historic Old Hwy 90 - Main Building

Reports To: Exec. Vice President of Culinary Operations

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

General Summary: 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.

Impact:

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.

Event Operations, Planning, and Coordination

- 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.

People and Leadership

- 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.

Financial and Administrative Accountability

- 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.

Required Job Qualifications:

Education & Experience

- 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.

Certifications & Licenses

- Current ServSafe 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.

Skills & Competencies

- 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 transportation is required for travel within the surrounding areas.

Preferred Job Qualifications:

- Experience working in a non-profit, social-enterprise, high-volume, or multi-event catering operation.

- Bachelor’s or Associate’s Degree with coursework in hospitality management, culinary arts, event management, business administration, marketing.

- TABC/responsible beverage service certification, or other hospitality-related credential.

- Working leadership experience to deliver clear, real-time instructions during event execution, keep front-of-house staff motivated through long shifts, and provide actionable feedback during post-event debriefs to continuously elevate service quality.

Physical Demands

Ability to stand, walk, bend, and move continuously for extended periods (up to 8-10 hours) during event set up, service, and breakdown. Must lift, push, pull, and carry event equipment, catering trays, crates, and supplies up to 40-50 pounds.
Frequently bends, stoops, reaches, kneels, and twists during event set up and take down.

Visual acuity and hearing are necessary to monitor, manage, and communicate in noisy, fast-paced event environments.

Work Environment

This job is primarily performed in an indoor environment and will require attendance at indoor and outdoor events. You will be required to drive to different locations with varying conditions including walk-in coolers. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and levels of work to be performed and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties.