Director of Catering

Established in 1865, The Merion Cricket Club is a premier racquet and dining Club in Haverford, PA. The Club is home to 2,500 memberships and features athletic programs that include tennis, squash, paddle tennis, cricket, croquet and other lawn games. MCC’s dining program consists of five a la carte restaurants (including seasonal venues) and a catering facility capable of hosting 350 seated guests. The Club’s membership is extremely engaged and actively supports the Club’s highly regarded dining, social and private event programs which generate in excess of $5.5 million annually – 1/3 of which is generated through our Catering Department.

The Club recently completed a multi-year, multi-million dollar Campus Master Plan which has significantly enhanced the Club’s many lifestyle amenities by investing heavily in fitness & wellness, and adding an outdoor, recreational resort style pool, a new Paddle Tennis complex featuring 4 courts and a premiere social pavilion.

Merion is well positioned financially generating $20 million in annual revenue. The Club is available for its members enjoyment year-round and experiences active participation in dining, social activities and athletics throughout the year with little variation in our business volumes owing to seasonality.

Qualifications & Skills

• Must possess strong “people skills” and excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proficient in Windows and Microsoft Office and Jonas Club Software System.
• Must have the ability to work under pressure with time restraints.
• Must be extremely detail oriented.
• A minimum of five years’ experience in Club/Hotel catering.

Required Competencies

• Career minded and passionate about the position.
• Consistently exceed the expectations of both our members and guests and create memorable experiences.
• Able to think “outside of the box” and continue to keep improving the quality and creativity of each event.
• A charismatic, energetic, forward-thinking and creative individual with high ethical standards and an appropriate professional image. Conducts themselves with a high degree of professionalism.
• Strong management skills including planning, setting priorities, decision making, facilitating process improvement and is committed to continued personal/professional growth.
• An intelligent and articulate individual who can relate to people at all levels of an organization and who possesses excellent written and oral communication skills. Must be able to communicate policies, procedures, regulations, reports, etc., to staff, members and guests.
• Ability to use effective problem-solving skills and make independent and timely decisions when circumstances warrant while also exhibiting sound and accurate judgment.
• Ability to work in a rapidly changing work environment. Must be able to adapt to changes, manage competing demands and is able to deal with frequent change, delays or unexpected events.
• Must possess confidence to recommend operational improvements and have experience in developing business growth strategies.
• Must be highly visible and have the ability to maintain a flexible work schedule including nights, weekends, and holidays as dictated by the event schedule.
• Must possess entrepreneurial mindset and will be responsible for catering business development.

Overall Responsibilities

• Directly responsible for Catering operations.
• Works with the Catering Managers in coordinating all aspects of catering business from point of sale to guest departure.
• Updates weekly function information in Catering software and distributes to all affected staff; works as a liaison between client, kitchen, service and management by communicating all needs of events to each department.
• Works with the Executive Chef and Director of Clubhouse Operations to determine selling prices, menu and other details for catered events.
• Site tours: Provides guest tours and offers suggestions in an effort to sell the merits of the Club’s facilities for the occasion being planned.
• Responsible for ensuring room reservations and space inventory at all times.
• Creates detailed floor plans and timelines for each event.
• Performs all required administrative duties to effectively and efficiently direct the Catering Office. This includes maintaining comprehensive records, contracts, correspondence, confirmation letters, deposits, answering emails and voicemails.
• Coordinates all aspects of events to ensure that all details and expectations of the host have been exceeded, including menu planning, contract pricing, and billing.
• Coordinates the event to ensure proper, friendly and timely service, beautiful presentation of food and beverage, welcoming décor, lighting, cleanliness, music, flowers, etc.
• Attends staff and management meetings where applicable.

Salary & Benefits

The Merion Cricket Club will offer compensation appropriate for any combination of accreditation and experience in accordance with a $1.5 million Catering program. Benefits include health, dental and life insurance; participation in 401(k); paid time off; continuing education.

Reports to

Director of Clubhouse Operations