Guest Experience Manager, Catering

1 Hour ago • 5-7 Years • Events • Operations

About the job

Summary

The Guest Experience Manager, Catering at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts ensures exceptional client experiences by overseeing event operations and catering staff. This role involves coordinating with various teams (Sales, Service, Culinary, Parks & Resorts) to guarantee event integrity. Responsibilities include executing events from a logistical and catering perspective, leading teams during events, promoting food safety, and managing client relationships. The position demands strong leadership, conflict resolution, and communication skills. It also requires handling administrative tasks, providing performance feedback, addressing complaints, and collaborating cross-departmentally to achieve shared goals. The ideal candidate will possess extensive catering/convention experience in a resort environment, proven team management abilities, and the creativity to enhance guest and client experiences.
Must have:
  • 5+ years Catering/Convention experience
  • Convention business understanding
  • Team management & leadership
  • Event planning & execution
  • Conflict resolution skills
  • Excellent communication
Good to have:
  • Food & Beverage Management experience
  • Event planning/services experience
  • Partnership development skills
  • Walt Disney World procedures knowledge
  • Matra, My Time, CDS knowledge
  • Lean Manufacturing/Continuous Improvement experience
  • Food safety certification
  • Bachelor's Degree in Hospitality Management
Perks:
  • Health and savings benefits
  • Educational opportunities
  • Disney-provided extras
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Job Summary:

About the Role & Team:

"We make magic!” That’s our motto at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, and it permeates everything we do. As a Catering Guest Experience Manager, you will provide clients with a memorable catering experience, managing Event Operations/Catering Cast Members with leadership and a creative and positive work environment. This position will be the liaison between the Sales and Service teams, the Culinary team, and the Parks and Resorts teams, to ensure the integrity of the partners and the events.

 If selected for this role, you will report to the Catering Manager.

This is a Full-Time role.

What You Will Do:

  • Execute events both from a Convention logistic and Catering operation side

  • Work directly with Catering, Culinary, and Entertainment partners and with all clients, accordingly

  • Lead Convention and Catering Cast during Events

  • Be responsible for overall performance of the client catering happiness during an Event

  • Promote a safe work environment and food safety culture

  • Demonstrate technical and position required expertise (e.g., safety and service standards, regulatory requirements, processes and procedures)

  • Be visible and available to respond to the needs of client, cast members, and peers from other workgroups

  • Lead and guide cast members through event operational performance, by delivering real-time feedback

  • Recognize team members for outstanding performance, customer service, and safety-supportive behaviors

  • Set near-term priorities, clear and consistent direction and expectations for cast members

  • Build employee engagement through frequent communication, following-up and following through with cast members, mentoring, listening, and providing developmental feedback

  • Work cross-departmentally and cross-organizationally to achieve shared goals, understand impact of decisions on other functional areas

  • Identify and clear obstacles to ensure successful event

  • Perform administrative duties such as attend meetings, compile operational metrics, complete required reports and read and respond to emails

  • Investigate/ respond to performance, attendance, safety complaints, and other work issues

  • Communicate event details with Park and resort Partners, Conventions Services, Clients, and Cast

Required Qualifications & Skills:

  • At least five years Catering or Convention experience in a resort environment or relevant experience

  • Understanding of the Convention business

  • Experience coordinating the planning, communication, execution, and evaluation of events

  • Creativity to find solutions in new ways and improve the Guest and Client experiences

  • Ability to empower and manage a team

  • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment

  • Ability to lead in stressful situations

  • Ability to optimally resolve conflict

  • Ability to effectively work with cast members at all levels of the organization

  • Schedule availability to include weekends, variable shifts, and holidays

Preferred Qualifications:

  • At least two years of Food & Beverage Management experience

  • Event planning or event services experience

  • Talent for developing partnerships and work with all team members in the organization

  • Knowledge of Walt Disney World procedures

  • Knowledge of Matra, My Time, CDS

  • Lean Manufacturing/Continuous Improvement experience

  • Experience working in a high volume, restaurant or catering environment

  • Food safety certification

Education:

High School Diploma or equivalent

Preferred Education:

Bachelor's Degree in Hospitality Management or equivalent

Additional Information:

Benefits and Perks: Disney offers a rewards package to help you live your best life. This includes health and savings benefits, educational opportunities and special extras that only Disney can provide. Learn more about our benefits and perks at .

#LI-TF1

#DXMedia

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About The Company

From classic animated features and exhilarating theme park attractions to cutting edge sports coverage, and the hottest shows on television, The Walt Disney Company has been making magic since 1923, creating unforgettable stories that connect with audiences around the world. And we’re just getting started!

The key to our success…. The Cast, Crew, Imagineers and Employees who honor Disney’s rich legacy by stretching the bounds of imagination to create the never-before-seen, bringing unparalleled entertainment experiences to people of all ages. Begin a career that delivers unparalleled creative content and experiences to audiences around the world and just imagine the stories you could be part of…

What is #LifeAtDisney like? It’s a series of magical moments with cast members and employees developing and telling our stories in the most innovative ways. Whether it’s a day spent as a Disney VoluntEAR, or celebrating the release of a new interactive experience, retail product or movie, our days are filled with the knowledge that we are creating entertainment experiences the whole family can enjoy. Follow @DisneyCareers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for a peek behind-the-curtain, and discover how you could connect to a world of stories with Disney!

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