Job Overview
Employment Type
Full-time
Compensation
Salary
Range $56,057.00 - $65,000.00
Work Schedule
Weekend Shifts
Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Retirement Plan
Paid Time Off
Employee assistance program
Professional development opportunities
Job Description
Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute (WCHI) is a distinguished educational establishment known for providing high-quality culinary arts and hospitality training. Located at the City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) Kennedy-King campus, WCHI offers students practical, real-world experience in fully operational dining facilities. These include fine dining restaurants and café sites where students acquire front-of-the-house and kitchen skills. Additionally, hands-on training is amplified through catering events and special business enterprise operations, enabling students to develop their culinary and hospitality expertise comprehensively.
Washburne Catering, a business enterprise under CCC, operates to support culinary and hospitality students and programs at WCHI. It integrates experiential learning with business operations, fostering an educational environment where students can gain valuable insights into professional food service management and hospitality delivery. The institute is committed to excellence, providing students with opportunities to engage in real-life food preparation, event management, and customer service within a unique academic setting that blends practical training with career readiness.
The Catering Manager role at Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute is a full-time position focused on planning, managing, and overseeing all catering operations and services. Reporting directly to the Food and Beverage Director, the Catering Manager is accountable for the seamless execution and financial success of catered events, ensuring that customer expectations regarding planning, service delivery, food quality, and beverage provisions are met consistently. This position demands the combination of operational expertise and instructional leadership, as it emphasizes the integration of hands-on supervision, mentorship, and assessment of students’ performance during catering events.
The Catering Manager is pivotal in aligning catering operations with academic programs, supporting approved curricula, and defining student learning outcomes. This role fosters skill development, professionalism, and workforce readiness while maintaining high standards of service delivery. The manager collaborates closely with chefs, kitchen staff, vendors, and support personnel to coordinate logistics, schedule staff, and manage supplies, ensuring efficient and effective event operations.
Beyond event management, the role involves training and supervising student workers and food service staff, enforcing food safety regulations, and driving continuous improvement in operational processes. The Catering Manager is also responsible for financial management, including preparing budgets, monitoring expenditures, and analyzing profit and loss statements to guarantee the financial viability of catering events.
With a salary range between $56,057 and $65,000, this role offers a meaningful career opportunity within an educational institution committed to equal opportunity and affirmative action. The position requires the ability to work weekends as necessary and mandates Chicago residency within six months of hire for full-time employees. The Catering Manager position is an excellent fit for professionals passionate about culinary arts, hospitality management, education, and workforce development, seeking to make a significant impact on students' career readiness and operational success in a dynamic, hands-on learning environment.
Washburne Catering, a business enterprise under CCC, operates to support culinary and hospitality students and programs at WCHI. It integrates experiential learning with business operations, fostering an educational environment where students can gain valuable insights into professional food service management and hospitality delivery. The institute is committed to excellence, providing students with opportunities to engage in real-life food preparation, event management, and customer service within a unique academic setting that blends practical training with career readiness.
The Catering Manager role at Washburne Culinary & Hospitality Institute is a full-time position focused on planning, managing, and overseeing all catering operations and services. Reporting directly to the Food and Beverage Director, the Catering Manager is accountable for the seamless execution and financial success of catered events, ensuring that customer expectations regarding planning, service delivery, food quality, and beverage provisions are met consistently. This position demands the combination of operational expertise and instructional leadership, as it emphasizes the integration of hands-on supervision, mentorship, and assessment of students’ performance during catering events.
The Catering Manager is pivotal in aligning catering operations with academic programs, supporting approved curricula, and defining student learning outcomes. This role fosters skill development, professionalism, and workforce readiness while maintaining high standards of service delivery. The manager collaborates closely with chefs, kitchen staff, vendors, and support personnel to coordinate logistics, schedule staff, and manage supplies, ensuring efficient and effective event operations.
Beyond event management, the role involves training and supervising student workers and food service staff, enforcing food safety regulations, and driving continuous improvement in operational processes. The Catering Manager is also responsible for financial management, including preparing budgets, monitoring expenditures, and analyzing profit and loss statements to guarantee the financial viability of catering events.
With a salary range between $56,057 and $65,000, this role offers a meaningful career opportunity within an educational institution committed to equal opportunity and affirmative action. The position requires the ability to work weekends as necessary and mandates Chicago residency within six months of hire for full-time employees. The Catering Manager position is an excellent fit for professionals passionate about culinary arts, hospitality management, education, and workforce development, seeking to make a significant impact on students' career readiness and operational success in a dynamic, hands-on learning environment.
Job Requirements
- Associates degree from an accredited college or university
- Minimum of three years of progressively responsible work experience in catering food service management or hospitality operations
- Food Service Sanitation certification by the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois
- Ability to work weekends as required
- Ability to lift 25lbs or more
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365
- Ability to maintain a professional demeanor
- Strong leadership and organizational skills
- Excellent communication and customer service skills
- Ability to train and mentor students or entry level staff
- Ability to manage multiple events
- Ability to develop and manage budgets
Job Qualifications
- Associates degree from an accredited college or university preferably in Hospitality Management Culinary Arts Business Administration or a related field
- Minimum of three years of progressively responsible work experience in catering food service management or hospitality operations
- Experience supervising training or mentoring students or entry-level staff in hospitality operations or workforce development environment
- Food Service Sanitation certification by the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois is required
- In depth knowledge of catering restaurant and food service industry practices
- Understanding of food health and safety regulations
- Expertise of best practices in food service management with a specialty in catering
- Ability to maintain a professional demeanor in all workplace interactions
- Excellent interpersonal written and verbal communication skills
- Strong organizational skills
- Excellent customer service and teambuilding skills
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to lead and provide direction
- Excellent problem solving skills with the ability to generate innovative ideas and effective solutions
- Ability to work with and relate to a culturally diverse student body faculty and staff
- Ability to provide hands on instruction coaching and feedback in a fast paced operational environment
- Ability to collaborate with academic leadership to ensure alignment between operational practices approved curricula and assessment requirements
- Ability to manage multiple events
- Ability to develop operating budgets
- Ability to work weekends as required
- Ability to take initiative with willingness to take on responsibilities and job challenges
- Ability to adapt to change and manage shifting priorities
- Physical ability to perform duties including ability to lift 25lbs or more
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 Word Excel PowerPoint Outlook Teams
Job Duties
- Meets with prospective customers to discuss and plan catered events including location menu selection food and beverage options and pricing complementary services and associated costs
- Develops catering proposals and prepares catering service contracts for management approval
- Maintains and updates records of all catering sales contacts and agreements using software including PeopleSoft
- Prepares and maintains master schedule of catered events and schedules staff to work events
- Works closely with chefs and kitchen staff to plan and coordinate logistics for preparation presentation and delivery of food items
- Works catered events directing activities and overseeing staff to ensure quality of food and service and resolving customer complaints
- Leads and manages catering operations as an instructional environment providing direct instruction supervision and mentorship to students
- Trains and supervises catering staff including student food service workers and food service workers
- Prepares operating budgets for events monitors expenditures and ensures compliance with health and sanitation requirements
Job Criteria
Experience
Mid Level (3-7 years)
Job Location
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