Catering Coordinator Job Description, Skills and Salary
Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a catering coordinator. Feel free to use our catering coordinator job description template to produce your own. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a catering coordinator.
Who is a Catering Coordinator?
A catering coordinator oversees food service operations for corporate events, restaurants, resorts, hotels, and other culinary establishments.
Catering coordinators, on the other hand, operate in the food sector and are in charge of arranging and executing catering events. They ensure that the team adheres to health and safety best practices at all times, as well as doing everything possible to ensure client and customer pleasure.
Professional catering teams design, prepare and serve meals for wedding receptions, charity events, holiday brunches, and office celebrations under the supervision of a catering coordinator.
Catering Coordinators oversee catering operations and frequently employ their sales and marketing skills to persuade new consumers to place orders with your business.
As a catering coordinator, you communicate with vendors or suppliers to obtain the necessary supplies or equipment, supervise staff members who will interact directly with guests, and maintain track of the event’s funds and other paperwork.
A catering coordinator is also in charge of greeting guests, responding to questions and concerns, resolving problems and pressing issues, and ensuring that everything runs properly.
In a hotel, the catering coordinator strives to increase the quality and variety of meals served. They may not be in charge of food preparation, but they do oversee the kitchen personnel to ensure that meals are properly cooked, presentable, and delicious.
You should have a friendly demeanour, a passion for customer service, and strong networking and financial management skills to be successful in this position.
Catering coordinators assist management with food and decor budgets, manage finances, and maintain a professional demeanour and personal grooming standards.
Communication and managerial abilities are essential for the Catering Coordinator’s professional path. Degrees in culinary arts or hospitality management may be advantageous, although experience in a catering role is frequently the most important qualification for catering coordinators.
Catering Coordinator Job Description
Below are the catering coordinator job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a catering coordinator job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.
A catering coordinator typically has a wide range of responsibilities, which can include:
- Ensuring that food delivery orders are received and processed.
- Coordinating the recruitment, training as well as supervision of all delivery drivers, event servers, and other staff.
- collaborating with vendors to establish event set-up needs
- Estimating the cost of ingredients for certain catering projects.
- Organizing personnel and collaborating with chefs and event coordinators.
- Customer satisfaction is ensured by following up with the client.
- Ensuring that all food safety regulations are met.
- Maintaining punctuality at work, appointments, and meetings on a daily basis.
- Assigning tasks to the culinary crew in accordance with the event’s requirements.
- Creating and implementing strategies to meet catering revenue targets.
- Keeping an eye on event events to ensure that things go off without a hitch.
- Evaluating and reporting on the success of catering events to team members.
- Keeping a good working relationship with vendors and merchants.
- Responding to consumer complaints/concerns and informing senior management as soon as possible.
- Assisting with the catering operation’s general organization and security controls.
- Attending community activities with catering sales managers in order to raise catering brand recognition.
- Outlining all event requirements, including event setup, necessary transportation arrangements, venue location, guest lodging, vendors, food and beverage menus, and audio-visual requirements.
- Creating pricing frameworks and bargaining with customers
- Assuring that food preparation complies with health and food safety regulations.
- Maintaining administrative and financial records for the catering industry.
- Managing the payroll and keeping a close eye on the budget.
- Ensuring that all fire, licensing, and employment standards and regulations are followed by chefs.
- All components of an event are coordinated, including preparation, setup, cleanup, and event management.
- Assigning responsibilities to a group of cooks and servers and ensuring that they are accomplished according to customer.
Qualifications
For big events, catering coordinators are usually the first point of contact. However, in order to be the ideal candidate for this position, you must possess the following qualifications:
- A bachelor’s or associate’s degree in hospitality, culinary arts, or related field preferred.
- High school diploma or GED certificate.
- Certified Professional Catering Executive (CPCE) certificate is a plus.
- Experience in the foodservice industry is advantageous.
- Current food handler’s card.
- Excellent communication and organizational skills.
- Attention to detail.
- Use of appropriate tools, such as Excel, to budget and keep track of event planning expenses.
- Excellent communication skills, both verbally and in writing.
- Possess a strong work ethic and an optimistic outlook.
- Working in a fast-paced atmosphere is a must.
- Multi-tasking ability.
Essential Skills
Catering coordinators have a wide range of responsibilities that necessitate a diverse set of abilities. They have a mix of business, financial, and interpersonal skills.
A catering coordinator must possess the following abilities in order to thrive and remain relevant in this field:
- Customer service:
Customer service is defined as the capacity to interact with customers in a pleasant and helpful manner. When a consumer calls to inquire about a catering order, you can be the first person they speak with. Your customer service abilities can assist you in providing information and answering queries to customers.
- Financial skills
Because you’ll be in charge of budgeting, forecasting, accounting, revenue management, and cost controls as a catering coordinator, you’ll require financial abilities. You can quickly lose sight of your budget if you don’t have these financial skills, and you may find that even if you have a lot of work, you’re losing money on the jobs you’re taking.
- Teamwork
Catering coordinators in the foodservice business rely on teams of workers to create a memorable dining experience for their customers. They rely on servers, cooks, and hosts to fulfill their tasks, and they must be able to work together to overcome obstacles and achieve common goals in a food service establishment.
- Decision-Making Capabilities
Because you will always be presented with multiple decisions at once, a catering planner should be able to make judgments swiftly and efficiently. You should be able to make decisions that will assist you in dealing with pressure and resolving issues.
- Hospitality
You communicate with guests and other team members as a catering coordinator. As a result, you must keep a nice attitude when interacting with others. Your level of interpersonal skills puts visitors at ease.
- Communication:
A catering coordinator’s ability to communicate is another key talent. You may be in charge of communication with clients, vendors, and other catering personnel. Strong communication skills can assist you in clearly conveying information and answering inquiries. Communication skills can also be used to draft and submit contracts, contact clients and suppliers, and send emails to employees.
- Marketing abilities
Finding and negotiating contracts with clients is one of the responsibilities of a catering coordinator. You will have a difficult time getting clients for your catering business or the firm where you work if you lack marketing skills. You’ll need to figure out how to market your company effectively on a limited budget. You should be able to market your business and attract customers using both traditional and online methods.
- Leadership:
A catering coordinator is generally in charge of a group of catering employees and volunteers. As a result, they must possess great leadership abilities. A catering coordinator’s leadership skills can be used to ensure that their staff works efficiently and effectively. They can also assign tasks and obligations to their team members using their leadership talents.
- Time management:
Time management is another key skill for catering coordinators to possess. They frequently have a number of jobs to perform in a single day, and maintaining on time is critical to ensuring that the event runs successfully. Catering coordinators may also be responsible for managing the schedules of their own employees as well as other catering personnel.
- Organization Skill:
Organizational abilities are essential for every firm to run smoothly. A catering coordinator must be well-organized in order to perform all of their responsibilities on schedule. This includes maintaining client information records, handling various calendars, and managing multiple projects. Staying organized might help you be more efficient and complete chores more quickly.
- Multitasking ability:
An excellent catering coordinator must be able to wear a variety of hats. This is because, among other things, you will be in charge of budgeting, menu design, client management, site visits, vendor meetings, and administrative chores. You must master the art of juggling all of them without missing a beat.
- Creativity:
Working in the food industry necessitates innovation. Catering planners should be innovative when it comes to food selection and event setup, among other things. You should also be open to introducing new food products to menus and refining existing dishes. Customers will constantly come back for more of your services if they are impressed by your level of inventiveness and ingenuity.
- Problem-solving:
As a catering coordinator, you can be in charge of managing the entire event, including any potential problems. Your ability to swiftly and effectively handle difficulties can aid in maintaining a positive work environment and ensuring the event runs successfully. Because you may be in charge of teaching your team how to solve problems, your ability to communicate the solution may aid them in developing their own problem-solving skills.
- Resilience:
The hospitality sector has a reputation for being a demanding industry to work in. Catering coordinators must be able to cope with high levels of stress brought on by continual multitasking, a lot of rushing back and forth, and perhaps demanding customers or coworkers.
How to become a Catering Coordinator
Getting a job as a catering coordinator is a great way to get your foot in the door of the food and hospitality business. However, you can use the following processes to get started on this professional path:
- Education:
A bachelor’s degree is frequently required to work as a catering coordinator. Some category organizers have a background in hospitality, event planning, or something similar. Some catering planners may have a culinary degree, giving them a solid basis in food preparation and service. Through mock training receptions and internships, catering students learn how to utilize kitchen equipment, develop and execute meals, and give pleasant customer service.
- Training & Experience:
Most catering coordinators pick up the skills and information required for their jobs on the job. Shadowing current catering coordinators and doing chores under supervision may be part of their training until they are confident enough to handle work on their own. Learning about the company’s rules and processes, as well as customer service standards and food safety needs, may be part of the training.
- Certifications & Licenses:
Although certificates are not required for catering coordinators, some employers may favour individuals who have them. Certifications demonstrate that professionals want to improve and advance in their careers.
If you’re looking for professional certification, the Certified Professional Catering Executive (CPCE) certificate is available from the National Association of Catering and Events. To obtain this credential, you must first fill out an application form and then pass an exam. Contracts and agreements, bookkeeping, beverage management, sales and marketing, event management, catering services, and food manufacturing are all included in this certificate.
- Apply for Catering Coordinator Jobs:
Individuals who are interested in pursuing this career path can apply for a catering coordinator position after obtaining the necessary education, skills, training, and experience. You can apply for this career post by searching for food industries that are hiring. You can also inquire at nearby restaurants and event centres to see if they are hiring for this position. If you wish to start your own business, though, you can meet people to present your services, negotiate contracts, and seal sales.
Where to work as a Catering Coordinator
Catering coordinators work in the restaurant business. Restaurants, motels, event centres, and other food service establishments are among them. They may be expected to travel to multiple places to oversee catering operations, depending on the industry. They are in charge of catering events’ planning and execution.
Many schools with event-hosting facilities employ catering coordinators.
Catering Coordinator Salary Scale
According to salary.com, the average income for a catering coordinator is $41,879 as of April 26, 2022, with a salary range of $36,864 to $46,740.
Catering coordinators’ salaries, on the other hand, vary based on their degree of education and experience, the size of the firm for which they work, the geographic location of their profession, certifications, and other abilities, among other factors.
