Wolfgang Puck Cateringis the nation's most innovative and respected catering organization. We offer a unique combination of restaurant, catering and special event experience to our guests. Our team of chefs, planners and servers are supreme producers, dedicated to the celebration of life through good food and welcoming hospitality.
Founded in 1998 by renowned Chef Wolfgang Puck, CEO Carl Schuster and Chef Matt Bencivenga, Wolfgang Puck Catering continues to set the standard for culinary excellence, bringing our team’s legendary combination of innovative cuisine and refined service to the worlds’ most renowned and demanding corporate, cultural and entertainment settings. Delivering a restaurant-quality experience in a special event setting, Wolfgang’s experienced team caters intimate weddings, convention galas, family occasions, and such noteworthy events as the Academy Awards® Governors Ball. In keeping with Wolfgang’s culinary passion, Wolfgang’s Eat, Love, Live ™ (WELL™) philosophy is a commitment to provide fresh, natural and organic ingredients and celebrate local farmers, sustainable seafood and humanely treated animals.
We offer a unique combination of restaurant, catering and special event expertise to our guests.
WPC currently provides catering services at entertainment and cultural centers in major markets including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, Dallas, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC and Atlanta. For additional information, visit www.wolfgangpuck.com.
Working for Wolfgang Puck Catering will allow you the opportunity to work with GREAT people like yourself! You will be surrounded by people who are passionate about what they do.
NATIONAL DIRECTOR/VP OF CATERING SALES
Purpose: Leads the Catering Operations Sales Team; enhance venue and vendor relationships; and grow the operations catering business and align consistently throughout the brand and business operations. Reports directly to the WPC President and is responsible for leading the company’s catering sales operation performance. Working in partnership with operations leaders, the successful candidate will lead the Catering Sales Team to achieve their individual revenue targets while managing the business’s key metrics including profitability, net new clients and customer satisfaction. The VP/Director of National Catering Sales must be adept at multi‐tasking and have demonstrated ability to lead a team through motivation that achieve objectives, educate & train the Catering Sales Team on creative sales negotiation and closing strategies; determine other training requirements as needed. Responsible for ensuring the sales team demonstrates outstanding and comprehensive customer service to clients throughout the event sales and planning process including thorough needs assessment, detailed event planning, seamless execution and prompt follow-up and metric alignment that measure results. This position is for a seasoned candidate who has demonstrated track record and experience in off premise catering sales. Primarily must demonstrate the ability to build their book of business as well as create relationships with both internal and external clients. PRIMARY MARKETS 1. Local Corporate Business; 2. Social Markets; 3. Meeting and Convention Planners; and 4. Hotels
CORE WORK ACTIVITIES
Building Successful Relationships that Generate Sales Opportunities
- Works collaboratively with off-property sales channels to ensure sales efforts are coordinated, complementary and not duplicative.
- Builds and strengthens relationships with existing and new customers to enable future bookings.
- Develops relationships within community to strengthen and expand customer base for sales opportunities.
- Manages and develops relationships with key internal and external stakeholders.
- Provides accurate, complete and effective metrics as aligned to MAP goals.
Managing Sales Activities
- Leads and Participates in all “weekly” sales calls with members of OP sales team to acquire new business and/or close on business.
- Executes and supports the operational aspects of business booked; generating proposals, writing/review contracts, customer correspondence etc.
Using Knowledge of Market Trends and Target Customer Information to Maximize Revenue
- Identifies new business to achieve personal, team & company revenue goals.
- Understands the overall market - competitors' strengths and weaknesses, economic trends, supply and demand etc. and knows how to sell against them.
- Closes the best opportunities for the location based on market conditions and location needs.
- Gains understanding of the location's primary target customer and service expectations; serves the customer by understanding their business, business issues and concerns, to offer better business solution.
Providing Exceptional Customer Service
- Supports the company's service and relationship strategy, driving customer loyalty by delivering service excellence throughout each customer experience.
- Services our customers in order to grow share of the account.
- Executes and supports the company's customer service standards.
- Provides excellent customer service consistent with the daily service basics of the company.
- Sets a positive example for guest relations.
- Interacts with guests to obtain feedback on product quality and service levels
Additional DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ( for VP and sales team)
- Assist in development of yearly/quarterly marketing plan to meet and exceed budgeted sales goal
- The ability to generate new and on-going business through:
- creation/maintenance of client database ;build and maintain potential/existing client database
- prospecting – at least # calls/visits per week (cold calls, referrals, old business)
- networking – attending at least one civic/professional activity per month
- ability to build and maintain the sales process (as outlined by audit program)
- conduct tours/entertain potential clients
- create menu presentations for potential clients
- negotiate/achieve maximum revenue/profit while satisfying for all sales activity
- close deals and generate appropriate paperwork
- provide weekly/monthly sales activity reports
- prepare and submit LOST BUSINESS reports monthly.
- Attend appropriate weekly communication meetings with operation team to ensure successful event(s)
Job Requirements
- Bachelor's degree (B.A.) from four-year college or university; 7-15 years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- 10+ years Catering Sales experience.
- Highly developed, operationally savvy, industry professional with demonstrated leadership in managing people, product and the overall guest experience.
- Ability to direct multiple Managers to ensure profitability through management of the Sales team
- Ability to develop financial and business operating plans; demonstrated experience in Budgeting, P & L, labor and sales forecasting and reporting.
- Full working knowledge of BOH operations that include the ability to establish credibility with senior culinary professionals.
- Human Resource and Employee Relations experience including: Management hiring, training, mentoring and development. Holds managers accountable for performance and administers performance reviews.
- Must have exceptional leadership skills and be able to establish and maintain effective working relationships with all levels of management and employees. Ability to organize and implement projects. Demonstrated ability to motivate people.
- Highly intelligent, driven, a quick learner, and someone with a strong attention to detail.
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Great People. Great Service. Great Results.
WPC is part of Compass Group North America. Based in Charlotte NC, Compass Group North America is the leading foodservice management and support services company with $12.8 billion USD (£8 billion) in revenues in 2013. With over 500,000 associates worldwide, its parent company, UK-based Compass Group PLC had revenues of £17.6 billion in the fiscal year ending September 30, 2013.
At Compass Group North America, our superior balance of efficiency and quality attract the highest caliber level of service our clients deserve. We retain the finest workers with a highly competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits plan. If you're looking for a career where you set the standard for personal advancement, then Compass Group North America is for you! Working together, we will continue to experience success as the industry's best.
Achieving leadership in the foodservice industry Compass Group North America is a diversity growth-oriented organization. Our goal is to improve the quality of work life by using fair and consistent treatment and providing equal growth opportunities for ALL associates. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer that considers applicants without regard to race, sex, religion, national origin, disability or protected veteran status.
Job ID: JML03161545338