Senior Director of Catering and Conference Services

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Connecticut.

📋 Description

• Provide strategic direction and oversight for banquet, catering, and convention services functions across the hotel portfolio.

• Develop and implement strategies across the portfolio to enhance banquet and catering revenue, profitability, market share, and customer satisfaction.

• Collaborate with regional, enterprise sales, general management, sales and marketing, and property leadership to boost commercial performance and meet revenue targets.

• Lead, coach, and mentor teams in catering, convention services, and property sales.

• Conduct business reviews that focus on production, booking pace, conversion, profitability, forecasting, and potential business opportunities.

• Ensure adherence to company standards, brand requirements, menu guidelines, banquet service expectations, and event execution procedures.

• Act as the corporate liaison with ownership groups through meetings, business reviews, and presentations.

• Monitor industry trends, customer purchasing behaviors, competitive positioning, banquet pricing, and emerging best practices.

• Identify and facilitate strategic banquet and catering opportunities, including large group events, conventions, association business, and enterprise accounts.

• Collaborate with Sales, Revenue Management, Marketing, Culinary, Operations, and Brand partners.

• Lead commercial merchandising initiatives such as website audits, digital content management, meeting space presentations, photography, floor plans, virtual tours, and online visibility.

• Develop and uphold standards for sales resources, proposal templates, event collateral, digital assets, and customer-facing materials.

• Evaluate commercial technology platforms, digital channels, and customer acquisition opportunities.

• Support budgeting, forecasting, business planning, talent development, hotel openings, transitions, acquisitions, and other corporate commercial initiatives.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in hospitality management, business administration, or a related field is preferred.

• A minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in catering, convention services, and hotel sales leadership.

• Strongly preferred: experience leading multi-property catering and convention services.

• Previous experience with major hotel brands is preferred.

• Proven success in leading high-performing catering, convention services, and sales teams.

• Extensive knowledge of hotel catering and convention service operations, banquet sales, event planning, food and beverage revenue management, commercial strategy, digital merchandising, and customer relationship and acquisition management.

• Strong understanding of catering sales, convention service processes, contract negotiations, and event execution.

• Working knowledge of hotel websites, digital merchandising, sales platforms, and online customer experience.

• Experience managing commercial content, sales collateral, and portfolio-wide initiatives.

• Strong project management capabilities.

• Strong financial acumen and analytical skills.

• Excellent presentation, communication, and executive relationship management skills.

• Strong leadership, coaching, and talent development abilities.

• High level of professionalism, integrity, and accountability.

• Effective verbal and written communication skills, able to adapt communication style to various audiences.

• Willingness to travel regularly to hotels across the United States, averaging approximately 50% of the time.

🏝️ Benefits

• Medical insurance through Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.

• Dental insurance through Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.

• Vision insurance through EyeMed.

• Vacation, sick, and holiday programs.

• Pet insurance through the ASPCA.

• Supplemental, spousal, and child life insurance.

• Short- and long-term disability plans.

• 401(k) Savings Plan with matching contributions.

• YouDecide discounts.

• Hotel room discount programs.

• Investment in industry-leading tools, training, and support.