Job overview
Play the functions of the strategic business director of hotel catering/kitchen operations (including restaurant/bar, room service and banquet/catering when applicable). Responsible for supervising the formulation and implementation of departmental strategies, and ensuring the implementation of brand service strategies and brand initiatives. This position ensures that the catering/kitchen operation meets the brand’s target customer needs, ensures employee satisfaction, and is committed to increasing revenue and maximizing the financial performance of the department. Develop and implement a hotel-wide strategy, provide products and services that can meet or exceed the needs and expectations of brand target customers and hotel staff, and achieve return on investment.
Applicant's profile
Education and experience requirements
• High school diploma or high school equivalent (GED); 6 years of working experience in catering, kitchen, banquet management or related professional fields.
or
• Obtain a two-year degree in catering service management, hotel and restaurant management, hotel management, business administration or related majors from an accredited university; 4 years of work experience in catering, kitchen, banquet management or related professional fields.
Skills and knowledge
• Customer and personal services -understand the principles and procedures for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting service quality standards, and evaluating customer satisfaction.
• Financial resource management -determine the expenditure required to complete the work, and account for these expenditures.
• Administrative Management -Understand the business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resource modeling, leadership skills, production methods, and personnel and resource coordination.
• Apply business knowledge -understand market dynamics, enterprise-level goals and important aspects of the company's business to accurately diagnose strengths and weaknesses, predict opportunities and risks, identify problems, and develop strategies and plans. Adjust individual and team actions based on strategies and plans to drive business performance.
• Material Resource Management -Obtain and supervise the proper use of equipment, facilities and materials required to complete specific tasks.
Core work activities
Establish and maintain catering/kitchen goals
• Set expectations and hold the catering leadership team responsible for demonstrating the required service behaviors.
• Review financial reports and statements to determine the budget implementation of the catering department.
• According to the brand business strategy, make suggestions on the financial support of catering equipment and renovation.
• Work with the catering leadership team to identify areas to focus on and develop strategies to improve the department’s financial performance.
• Set challenging, realistic and achievable goals to guide operations and performance.
• Work hard to improve service performance.
Develop and maintain a budget
• Formulate and manage catering budgets.
• Monitor the actual and expected sales of the department to ensure that revenue targets are met or exceeded, and identify and respond to opportunities.
• Ensure that cash control and alcohol control policies are established for the catering area, and all relevant employees follow them.
• Focus on maintaining profit margins without affecting customer or employee satisfaction.
Lead the catering/kitchen team
• Use interpersonal and communication skills to guide, influence, and encourage others; promote sound financial/business decision-making; demonstrate honesty/integrity; lead by example.
• Encourage and establish mutual trust, respect and cooperation among team members.
• Achieve and exceed goals, including performance goals, budget goals, and team goals.
• Set an example and demonstrate appropriate behavior.
• Develop methods to increase profits, including estimating costs and benefits, and exploring new business opportunities.
• Identify opportunities to increase profits and create value by questioning existing processes, encouraging innovation and driving necessary changes.
• Ensure regular and continuous communication in all areas of catering (such as pre-dinner briefings, staff meetings, culinary teams).
• Establish and maintain an open cooperative relationship with direct subordinates and the entire catering team. Make sure that direct reports do the same in their team.
• Formulate a catering business strategy that complies with the brand business strategy and guides its execution.
• Identify the development needs of others, and guide, counsel or otherwise help others to improve their knowledge or skills.
• Understand market trends and introduce new catering products to meet or exceed customer expectations, create more revenue and ensure a competitive position in the market.
Ensure excellent customer service
• Provide services that exceed expectations, achieve customer satisfaction and retain customers.
• Improve service quality by communicating and assisting individuals to understand customer needs, and provide guidance, feedback and personal counseling when needed.
• Review the results of the review card and satisfaction results with the catering team and ensure that appropriate corrective actions are taken.
• Review review cards, guest satisfaction results, and other data to determine areas for improvement.
• Empower employees to provide excellent customer service.
• Estimate the cost-benefit ratio and maintain the balance between profit and service satisfaction.
• Share with hotel leaders a plan to take corrective actions based on the review card and guest satisfaction results.
Manage and carry out human resource activities
• Provide guidance and instructions to subordinates, including setting performance standards and monitoring performance.
• Counsel and support the catering leadership team to effectively manage wages, catering costs and controllable expenses (such as restaurant supplies, uniforms, etc.).
• Hire catering leadership team members who demonstrate strong functional expertise, creativity and entrepreneurial leadership to meet the needs of the business.
• Use the performance evaluation process to set goals and expectations for direct reports and ensure that employees are responsible for successful performance.
• Ensure that expectations and goals are clearly communicated to subordinates; subordinates are also free to raise questions and/or concerns.
• When necessary, bring the problem to the attention of the human resources department.
• Ensure that employees are treated fairly and justly.
• Guide the team to improve performance by providing specific feedback.
Other responsibilities
• Inform and/or update relevant information in a timely manner to senior management, colleagues and subordinates.
• Provide information to supervisors, colleagues and subordinates via telephone, writing, email or in person.
• Analyze the information and evaluate the results to select the best solution and solve the problem.
• Estimate the consumption of food, alcohol, wine, and other beverages to predict the quantity to be purchased or requested.
• Order and purchase equipment and supplies.