Catering Leadership Intern | Part-Time | The Palm Beach County Convention Center

Catering Leadership Intern

The Catering Leadership Intern provides students with a structured, hands-on learning experience in high-volume banquet and catering operations at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. This eight-week internship is designed to complement academic coursework by combining supervised experiential learning, professional mentorship, and competency-based skill development within a fast-paced convention center environment.

Working under the guidance of the F&B General Manager, Catering Sales Managers, Director of F&B, Operations Supervisors, and other Food & Beverage Leaders, interns will rotate through multiple areas of front-of-house operations to develop hospitality leadership skills, event execution knowledge, guest service expertise, and an understanding of large-scale catered event management. Throughout the program, interns will gain exposure to plated meal service, buffet operations, receptions, exhibitor catering, concessions operations, event logistics, Banquet Event Orders (BEOs), staffing coordination, inventory management, service standards, and hospitality leadership. The Assistant Catering Supervisor Intern must be available to work weekdays, weekends, mornings, afternoons, evenings, and holidays based on event schedules and internship requirements.

This role pays an hourly rate of $15.00.

This role is expected to last from September 14, 2026, and will end on November 9, 2026. This position will remain open until November 9, 2026.

Responsibilities

• Participate in a structured catering rotation program through multiple areas of front-of-house operations, including banquet service, event setup, guest experience, staffing, event planning, and operational execution.
• Learn and assist F&B Leadership with the execution of plated meals, buffet services, receptions, coffee breaks, exhibitor catering, and other specialty catered events while progressively developing independent hospitality leadership skills.
• Observe and participate in banquet production for plated meals, buffet service, receptions, coffee breaks, and other specialty catering and concessions events.
• Observe and participate in banquet event execution, including room preparation, table settings, service timelines, guest interaction, event transitions, and post-event breakdown procedures.
• Learn and assist with event setup, buffet presentation, food replenishment, action stations, and banquet service execution.
• Participate in production planning meetings, menu reviews, and pre-shift meetings to understand operational planning and execution.
• Learn and assist inventory management practices, product receiving procedures, storage standards, and inventory rotation utilizing First-In, First-Out (FIFO) principles.
• Observe and assist with guest experience management, including responding to guest requests, addressing service concerns, and identifying opportunities to exceed expectations.
• Observe purchasing, food costing, labor planning, production forecasting, and event logistics to develop an understanding of culinary management.
• Learn and work alongside catering leadership to understand scheduling, delegation, quality assurance, and team communication within a high-volume production environment.
• Participate in weekly coaching meetings with assigned Supervisor mentors to review progress, receive feedback, establish learning goals, and evaluate competency development.
• Maintain professionalism, reliability, and a willingness to learn while demonstrating initiative and engagement throughout the internship.
• Follow all company policies, food safety regulations, sanitation standards, and workplace safety procedures.
• Complete assigned learning activities, competency evaluations, reflection journals, and internship projects as required by the accredited internship program.
• Perform other learning assignments and educational projects that support the goals of the internship program.

Key Learnings

• Event Service & Guest Experience: Gain hands-on experience executing plated, buffet, concessions, coffee break, and specialty catering events while maintaining service, presentation, and guest experience standards.
• Catering Operations & Event Planning: Learn how events are planned and executed from the BEO through completion, including timelines, staffing, production coordination, purchasing, food costs, and communication between departments.
• Client Relations & Sales: Gain exposure to client communication, needs assessment, proposals, menus, pricing, site visits, tastings, and the overall process of building and maintaining client relationships.
• Operational & Financial Management: Develop an understanding of the business side of catering, including inventory control, receiving and storage, purchasing, invoices, purchase orders, billing, revenue reporting, expense tracking, and financial accountability.
• Leadership, Communication & Problem-Solving: Build supervisory and leadership skills through coordination with culinary and front-of-house teams, managing guest flow, addressing service issues, supporting event transitions, and learning to make operational decisions in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Currently enrolled in an accredited Hospitality Management, Event Management, Food Service Management, Culinary Arts, Business Administration, or related academic program.
• Passion for hospitality, event operations, and a strong desire to develop professionally within the convention center and catering industry.
• Basic knowledge of hospitality operations, customer service principles, or food and beverage service preferred.
• Ability to learn quickly in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
• Strong communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated professionalism, initiative, adaptability, and willingness to receive coaching and constructive feedback.
• Ability to stand for extended periods and safely lift heavy objects.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule.
• ServSafe Food Handler Certification preferred or ability to obtain certification within established onboarding requirements