The beautiful Hilton San Jose is adding an Assistant Director of Catering and Events to join their amazing team. This is an exciting opportunity for a hospitality professional to sell and service local catering groups while supporting forecasting and event operations for a beautiful full-service hotel environment.

The ideal candidate will bring strong relationship-building skills, attention to detail, and a passion for creating exceptional guest and client experiences. This role offers the opportunity to work closely with clients from initial booking through event execution while contributing to the overall success of the catering and events department.

What will I be doing?

As the Assistant Director Catering and Events, you will be assisting with to achieving superior business results in the areas of ensuring outstanding guest service, team member engagement, favorable financial outcomes, strategic leadership and talent development, culture, innovation, and event operations. As ADOCE you are responsible for the negotiation of business through proposals and contracts to close business. Creative design of menus and events to maximize revenue and event experience. Maintain existing relationships with corporate and social accounts. As ADOCE you are responsible for event documentation and coordination with Sales, other hotel departments and customers to ensure consistent, high-level service throughout the pre-event, event, and post-event phases of all hotel events. This position primarily handles complex events. You will be required to ensure a seamless turnover from sales to service back to sales. Recognizes opportunities to maximize revenue by upselling and offering enhancements to create outstanding events. Serve as the event planner primary contact following turnover on property and is responsible for his/her experience.

Position Summary 

As a Team Member your essential functions in this role include such things as: • Strategy – Be globally aligned with the Americas Commercial Operations function while locally supporting superior business results. • Leadership – Help develop innovative, forward-thinking team members. • Culture – Ensure a best-in-class workplace that delivers on Hilton’s value, mission, and purpose. • Talent - Hire, engage and develop the world’s best hospitality team members. • Operations Excellence - Embrace and lead implementation of all Americas C&E initiatives and objectives with a consistent commitment to excellence in execution, comprehensiveness, and timeliness. 

STRATEGY: • Drive innovation and creativity within event delivery. • Ensure that high quality service standards are maintained through continuous reviews of processes and procedures. • Actively support the sales process. 

LEADERSHIP: • Provide overall leadership and direction in all Events matters. • Serve as a highly visible, participatory leader who proactively and consistently engages with their GM/EC, Sales, Catering and Events team members, external guests, and suppliers. • Remain current on event trends to evaluate innovative ways for process/practice improvements and shares best practices. • Participate or represent Hilton in industry social/meeting/events professional associations. 

CULTURE: • Inspire high-performing multi-cultural, multi-generational teams that build Hilton’s Catering and Events talent pipeline. • Integrate Hilton’s Values/Mission/Purpose when implementing C&E initiatives and support Team Member-centric and guest-centric programs • Lead with Hilton culture engaging with Team Members through direct and meaningful interactions. • Be an ambassador for customer service. 

TALENT: • Motivate and provide a work environment in which team members are productive. • Listen and respond to team members needs while having an open-door policy. • Manages group and interpersonal conflict effectively. 

EVENTS OPERATIONS EXCELLENCE: • Possess subject matter expertise and ensure standards/practices. • Assist to ensure the proper use of all function space, exhibit hall, and event spaces. • Assist in the development and management of departmental budgets. • Assist in the overseeing of short, medium, and long-term forecasting and actual cost reporting for events. • Assist in ensuring in proper staffing for the needs of the business. • Assist in the integration of current trends in event management and design. • Participate in customer site inspections and assists with the sales process as necessary.

What are we looking for?

Required QualificationsMinimum of three (3) years of Senior Catering or Events experienceMinimum of three (3) years of forecasting and budgeting experiencePreferred Qualifications

It would be advantageous for candidates to demonstrate the following:

Knowledge of hotel property management systems, specifically Delphi.fdcHotel catering and/or event management experienceRelevant degree in business development or a related business fieldIndustry certifications such as CMP or CPCE preferred

 

Compensation 
Base salary range: $100–$110,000, plus opportunity for quarterly bonus. Compensation is based on experience and qualifications.

Sales Incentive

Hilton offers a best-in market SIP (Short-Term Incentive Plan) to our Sales, Catering & Events teams to reward our employees for their contributions to our company’s financial success. The Plan includes a quarterly component worth 20% of bonus eligible earnings. The quarterly incentive may have multiple individually weighted objectives, meaning multiple opportunities to earn a payout

The Benefits – Hilton is proud to support the mental and physical wellbeing of all Team Members so they can Thrive personally and professionally in a diverse and inclusive environment, thanks to innovative programs and benefits such as: 

Access to pay when you need it through DailyPay 

 

Medical Insurance Coverage – for you and your family 

 

Mental health resources including Employee Assistance Program Best-in-Class Paid Time Off (PTO) Go Hilton travel program: 100 nights of discounted travelParental leave to support new parentsDebt-Free Education: Team Members will have access to a wide variety of educational credentials through our partnership with Guild Education, including: college degrees and professional certifications* 401K plan and company match to help save for your retirement Hilton Shares: Our employee stock purchase program (ESPP) - you can purchase Hilton shares at a 15 percent discount Career growth and development Team Member Resource Groups Recognition and rewards programs 

* Available benefits may vary depending upon property-specific terms and conditions of employment and the terms of the collective bargaining agreement if applicable.  

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