A catering director is in charge of all tasks pertaining to food services for various events. They frequently supervise a staff to handle all aspects of catering, including food preparation and cleanup. Corporations, non-profit organizations, and government agencies all employ many directors. Some work as independent contractors for special events and run their own businesses. A director typically has education and experience in the hospitality industry, and some may also have a background in sales and marketing.
A catering director’s primary responsibility is to plan meals for events and ensure that enough food is available for attendees. In order to plan the best menu possible for events, directors must be able to coordinate with department heads and event planners. They must also be able to cook for large groups and organize staff in order to do so. Directors are frequently culinary school graduates or major in a hospitality degree from traditional colleges and universities. Certificates in people and project management skills are also possible.
A director’s job requires him or her to train and manage a team of caterers. Caterers in a corporate or other organizational setting report to the catering director on a daily basis to receive assignments, ask questions, and receive feedback. A self-employed director works with independent contractors in the same way, but only before and during the event. The director frequently has the authority to hire and fire caterers, to give job performance reviews, and to provide the resources required for the team’s continued success. It is also the director’s responsibility to develop strategies to improve the catering team’s performance and the overall catering experience.
A catering director’s duties and responsibilities include selling. Selling catering services takes up the majority of a director’s time, even more than planning the events themselves. They are responsible for finding and maintaining accounts on behalf of the companies for which they work. A catering director for a hotel, for example, might organize tours for potential clients in order to sell them on the catering services available and to explain why the company they work for is the best. Directors who are comfortable selling to clients and have done so before often thrive and achieve success in their careers.