Graduate Hotels®, is seeking a Catering Sales Manager to join Graduate Charlottesville and its wonderful team of hospitality enthusiasts.  

Graduate Hotels creates authentic, playful spaces that connect a community’s travelers, students, and locals. Through thoughtfully curated design, creative F&B and community-focused events, we create hotels worthy of their hometown.

We are a diverse team of experience makers and storytellers. As a Graduate Hotels team member, you are the local insider shaping guest experiences. Our goal is to make every guest feel like a local even if it's their first time in town. In order to help you deliver on that goal, we encourage our team members to embody the same mindset as our guests through Graduate experiences and encouraged community exploration. 

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Understand and champion the Graduate brand and strategy; be a storyteller!

• Drive customer loyalty in order to grow share of the account by delivering service excellence throughout each customer interaction  

• Identifies and solicits new accounts from telemarketing, appointments, site tours, cold calls, and inquiries via email, phone, and in person interactions 

• Provides advice to clients on all aspects of hotel facilities and services when proposing and contacting groups and events 

• Achieve all predetermined sales goals for revenue and sales activity 

• Provide prompt and accurate responses to all client requests for proposals and information 

• Organize banquet or catering services and plan any changes to the configuration of the event space

• Sign contractual agreements

• Upsell any catered events; work to book events from groups already committed on the rooms side

• Log all inquiries and communication in Delphi, and utilize Opera & Synxis as needed. Ensure all pertinent aspects of solicitation, closing, and customer communications are complete and documented. Maintain existing accounts with active trace/follow up system 

• Respond to all wedding block & catering inquiries within 24 hours. Provide prompt and accurate responses to all client requests for proposals and information 

• Service, plan and greet all groups as needed. Work with operational team; print & distribute event orders and resumes, lead BEO & resume meetings.

• Make sure billing is up to date; follow up on any deposits and make sure commissions are clearly marked

• Quote pricing to clients within provided guidelines and utilize business reviews as needed.

• Participate in Quarterly/Annual Business and Marketing Plans, assist with budget process 

• Other duties as assigned 

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of High School education, post-high school education preferred 

• Minimum of 3 years in hotel or conference Catering/Sales preferred 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing 

• Excellent listening and problem-solving skills 

• Ability to exceed expectations of guests and team members 

• Negotiating Skills 

• Strong computer skills 

• Must have flexible work hours that may include evenings, weekends, and holidays 

• Experience with Delphi.fdc & Opera preferred

About Graduate Hotels®

Graduate Hotels is a hand-crafted collection of hotels that reside in dynamic university-anchored towns across the country.  Each hotel pays homage to the heritage of its unique town through cultural nods to the local community.  Launched in 2014, there are currently 28 hotels across the U.S. and an additional seven hotels set to open by the end of 2021. Graduate Hotels is owned by Adventurous Journeys (AJ) Capital Partners, a vertically integrated real estate developer, owner and operator. For more information on Graduate Hotels, please visit www.graduatehotels.com.

*Graduate Hotels Management is an Equal Opportunity Employer