Catering Assistant

About Roanoke College

Roanoke College is a place where every student who works hard has the opportunity to succeed. We champion potential, providing essential learning and leadership through innovative academic programs and transformative educational experiences, giving students the mettle, mindset, and empathy to pursue lives of purpose, build meaningful careers, and meet society’s most pressing needs. Located in scenic Salem, Virginia, Roanoke College is an intimate, welcoming community that has served the local region and beyond for nearly 200 years. Now, we’re building on momentum and offering a Roanoke experience for today’s students and a legacy that belongs to every Maroon. Learn about the College's new strategic plan, Imagine Roanoke: A Strategic Plan for Roanoke College and the 21st Century Learner.

Roanoke College is a nationally ranked residential liberal arts college affiliated with the Lutheran Church (ELCA), located in the beautiful Roanoke Valley of Virginia. A Phi Beta Kappa institution, Roanoke College is an equal opportunity employer and actively seeks diversity among its faculty, staff, and students; women and members of under-represented groups are especially encouraged to apply.

The Position

Roanoke College Catering Services is a high-volume ($800,000+year in sales) department that provides on- and off-site catering, offering casual to high-end event support for campus and non-campus partners. This position serves an essential role by helping deliver non-negotiable standards of service and operations. Candidates who may be successful as the Catering Assistant will have a disposition to deliver excellent culinary and hospitality experiences, be able to learn quickly, be highly organized, understand general catering and food safety concepts, understand safe alcohol service, and ensure consistency in service standards.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serves as a representative of Roanoke College, displaying courtesy, tact and respect in all interactions with our students, members of the RC community and with the public.
• Responsible for proper storing and disposing of all food after all catered events and enforcing proper methods of safety and sanitation during events.
• Assist in ensuring clear communication with management, staff, and other employees.
• Closing event/shift lead, supervise student and on-call/temporary staff for events where you are shift lead or closer to ensure closing checklists and cleanup are complete.
• Able to communicate applicable food allergy, special diet, and ingredient information to clients.
• Apply and enforce proper methods of safety and sanitation as instructed by the VDH and Dining Service management.
• Responsible for all advance setup, special details, and service of catered events.
• Responsible for the cleanliness and order of the ballroom kitchen and catering storage areas.
• Works closely with supervisor to ensure that all requirements and details of an event are met.
• Responsible for the timely delivery of all catered events.
• Responsible for the care and the return of all equipment after each event.
• Work a flexible schedule in accordance with the schedule of events.
• Upon completion of an event, notes final information on the event form.
• Drive department and college vehicles, including passenger vans, cargo vans, and food truck.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to quickly resolve issues and adapt to last-minute changes.
• Demonstrated supervisory experience with hiring, managing, and scheduling employees.
• Possess or obtain ServSafe Manager certification within 6 months of hire date.
• Possess or obtain TiPS (or comparable) safe alcohol service certification within 30 days of hire date.
• Ability to communicate (write, read, speak, hear/understand) English fluently.
• Night, weekend, and holiday availability
• Complete Virginia ABC service training courses and obtain certificates of completion.
• Be able to legally transport, open, dispense, and serve alcohol in the state of Virginia
• Possess a valid, current Virginia drivers license.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with point-of-sale systems and credit card payment processing
• Proficiency with computers (i.e. logging in, accessing websites, managing passwords, completing online training, etc..)
• Fluency with Microsoft Office suite (including, Word, Excel, Outlook)
• Experience with simple graphic design software (i.e. Canva, Adobe Express)
• Experience with catering software (i.e. CaterTrax, CaterEase, Spoonfed, etc…)
• Experience working in medium-large catering (over $650,000/year gross sales) setting.