Catering Banquet Captain

Central Washington University is recruiting a Catering Banquet Lead to join our Catering team in Ellensburg, Washington. This role is an important member of our team as they enhance the vision for the University. The role is a campus-based position, which means you get to see the lives you are impacting. We're offering a salary, depending on experience, from $38,868 - $51,588 annually plus the awesome CWU benefits.

Who we are:

We are a team of individuals committed to Changing Students' Lives. No matter what job, each of us plays a part in supporting and empowering our students to fulfill their dreams.

Working in higher education provides career growth and career choice. Think of a university campus like a mini city, operating across 380 acres. You'll find diverse academics, libraries, athletics and sporting events, full service and quick serve dining, conferences and events from small to large, recreation centers, housing, health services, police and public safety for the campus population of ~10,000 students.

Central Washington University has been named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Top Producing Institution for the 2022-2023 academic year. In addition, for the seventh time in eight years, CWU is a recipient of the prestigious Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. Come join us on our journey to encourage, inspire, and create spaces where all identities thrive on campus.

Tour our campus in Ellensburg here. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjdhOegDa9A

What we offer:

Our investment in you begins the day you join our team, a healthy and successful future for you is important to us. We offer medical, dental, life and disability insurance, retirement and optional savings plans, tuition assistance for you and your dependents, discounts across town, an employee assistance program for individualized counseling, and a wellness incentive program. Learn more: Benefits, Perks, and Leave.

The Role:

The Catering Banquet Lead actively participates in the daily scheduled events, while regularly instructing, training, and checking the work of others. Responsibilities include verifying Banquet Event Order (BEO), gathering event items, and executing events. This position is directly involved in leading catering students. This position ensures professional event execution, leads event activities, and helps gather for next day's events. Ensures proper food storage practices are taken and maintains a sanitary work environment. The Catering Banquet Lead is a hands-on member of the Front of House (FOH) Staff and must be able to perform the duties found in any of the dining units on campus. The Catering Banquet Lead is responsible for service all menu items in alignment with food safety and quality standards:

• Ensuring recipes compliance, execution, and food safety practices
• Serving all dishes to meet company standards for flavor, color, and aroma
• Guiding event staff and assisting with their training
• Performing all Front of House (FOH) responsibilities, including event setup and teardown
• Ability to close event as the onsite lead on limited basis

All employees are expected to support CWU's commitment to diversity and to bring and support inclusion into the university environment.

- Ensures the successful and timely service of events under the direction of the Catering Operations Manager
- Serves menu selections for customers according to established production standards and specific recipes
- Properly sets up and uses equipment for service. Cleans and sanitizes equipment once service is completed
- Reads, interprets, and follows standardized BEO
- Support event setup, including dance floor, staging, audio visual equipment, moving of tables, buffets, pipe and drape, and other event related items
- Reads, interprets, and follows event instructions entered in Cater Trax
- Reviews seating diagrams for acceptability and accuracy
- Assisting managers and organizers with planning the layout and logistics of events
- Asks questions about events in collaboration with kitchen team to ensure event knowledge. Ensures event staff are updated with event knowledge
- Monitors customer counts and consumption of food items during service hours
- Visually inspects food products before and during meals to ensure quality
- Ensures food items are always properly garnished and merchandised
- Supports department mission of serving exceptional food to the campus community
- Interprets and explains established event and service procedures. Initiates need corrections on event guides
- Ensure a safe work environment. Report safety hazards immediately
- Coordinates of special dietary meal needs
- Ensures correct serving and portion sizes are served and monitored
- Helps validate costumers' IDs and monitors all beverage consumption in order to address severe intoxication
- Works as a bartender or server, when necessary
- Advises of specific need for non-menu items not ordered through Computrition. Record inventory on monthly reports. Assist in rotating products in storage areas
- Assist with inventory as assigned by the Unit Manager
- Participates in the physical counting in storage locations. Straightens up storage area, mark cases, boxes, and bags for efficient inventory
- Assist with transporting daily food orders to proper storage location after delivery from the warehouse or vendors as needed
- Orders needed items on a daily, weekly and/or monthly basis
- Enter production counts into menus and runs requested cost management reports
- Has a general understanding of nutritional values and allergy awareness
- Welcoming guests upon their arrival and assisting them with their seating arrangements

Lead Duties:
- Assigns and checks work with food service workers and student employees. May provide feedback to supervisor to assist with work assignments and job performance
- Delegates duties to team members for each event
- Regularly assigns tasks, instructs and checks work of temporary employees and student staff members
- Completes or assigns all event gatherings for assigned shift
- Developing and providing staff with the necessary training, including customer service, serving etiquette, and how to use each piece of service equipment
- Running the floor and coordinating the food and drink service in conjunction with the kitchen and service staff
- Inspects the uniforms of all floor staff prior to event to ensure propriety

Other Functions:
- Performs more detailed cleaning of work area during non-operational times
- Assists in working and setting up for special events on or off campus as needed
- Leads student employees in the absence of leadership

- Other duties as assigned

• Two years of work experience as a food service worker, or the equivalent education/experience in a large scale food service or catering operation.
• Willingness to work long hours, irregular shifts, and on weekends and holidays.
• The ability to provide an excellent level of customer service, even in stressful situations.
• Knowledge of banquet bar policies, including pour cost, drink recipes, and service ware.
• Excellent leadership abilities and the ability to lead many staff members.
• Great time management and multitasking abilities.
• Demonstrated willingness and/or experience working with students and/or co-workers from a wide range of abilities, backgrounds, and experiences.
• OR applicable combination of education and/or experience which demonstrates the ability to perform the essential functions of the position.
• Special conditions of employment:
  • Must have or be able to obtain a WA. State Food Handlers permit within 30 days of initial hire date
  • Must be able to obtain SERVSAFE Certification within 6 months of initial hire date
  • Must have or be able to obtain alcohol service certification within 30 days of initial hire

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading other staff in a large-scale food service or catering operation
• Catering Event experience within a university or hospitality driven environment
• Must have some computer competencies with Windows (word and excel) use of email
• Demonstrated participation in programs designed to promote inclusion
• A record of promoting inclusivity in the work environment

Competencies

• Accountability/Dependability: Accepts responsibility for quality of own work; acknowledges and corrects mistakes. Shows up on time, meets standards, deadlines and work schedules.
• Judgement: Makes timely, informed decisions. Analyzes options and determines appropriate course of action.
• Teamwork: Promotes cooperation and mutual support to achieve goals. Encourages participation and mutual support.
• Adaptability/Flexibility: Responds positively to changing business needs and responsibilities. Adapts approach and methods to achieve results; recovers quickly from setbacks and finds alternatives.
• Commitment to Diversity: Recognizes the value of diversity and helps create environment that supports and embraces diversity.

Don't meet every single requirement? At CWU we're dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway. This may be the job for you!

Salary: This position is based on the range 37 of the Washington State Classification Listing, which has a minimum annual salary of $38,868 and maximum annual salary of $51,588. In accordance with RCW 49.58.110, the above salary reflects the full salary range for this position. Individual placement within the range is based on the candidate's current experience, education, skills, and abilities related to the position.

Schedule/Appointment: Varies based on event needs

Working Conditions: Dining Service's mission is to provide exceptional food services to the campus community. All staff are expected to work in support of this mission in every function they perform. All staff are expected to work in support of the department's continuous quality improvement program, so service and products are properly handled, prepared, garnished/merchandised, and served to our customers. Work is performed primarily indoors, at times in hot/cold/noisy/wet areas with some exposure to hazardous equipment and products. Working in temperatures from 0 degrees (freezer) to 350+ degrees (around cooking equipment) is common. Work requires walking and standing (often in a stationary position) for the majority of each shift. Bending/climbing/carrying/pulling/pushing/lifting associated with loading/unloading of supplies and preparation, plating and serving of food is required. Occasional overtime is required, and shift work may be required. Additional physical requirements of the position include: Pushing utility carts, and hand carts with up to 150 lbs. of supplies around to various workstations; correctly lifting 35lbs. individually from the floor or shelf locations to heights of 48' so products can be poured into smaller containers or put on worktables. There is some exposure to hazardous equipment and products found in kitchen environments. Work will be in a kitchen setting. Work requires the ability to use both hands for production work. Meals are served on campus seven days a week therefore requiring staff to be scheduled between Monday to Sunday. Staff members are hired with the understanding that they may be scheduled to work throughout the week. Cross training may include use of cook knife, wok, and other restaurant equipment. Evening or weekend shifts may be required.

Benefits: CWU offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical and dental insurance, retirement and optional savings plans, life and disability insurance, along with vacation and sick leave plans depending on employment classification. For additional information please visit Benefits, Perks, and Leave.

An employee of CWU may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program if the employee has student loans. To learn more, visit: https://ofm.wa.gov/state-human-resources/public-service-loan-forgiveness-program.