East Coast Operations Manager

East Coast Operations Manager

Salary: 120,000-140,000

Job Summary

Location: Position can be located within New York City, Charlotte, or Atlanta

Portfolio: New York City, Toronto, Atlanta, Charlotte, Washington DC

Reports To: Account Director

Travel: Regular travel across East Coast sites required.

Position Summary

This role serves a dual function within the corporate foodservice program: leading national catering support for a complex, multi-site client portfolio, while providing operational oversight across East Coast locations. The Manager partners with site-level leadership, the national event services team, and client stakeholders to ensure catering execution, hospitality standards, and financial performance are consistent, elevated, and brand-aligned across all seven sites. The successful candidate is an executive-presence operator who can move fluidly between national strategy and on-the-ground execution — strengthening systems, coaching teams, and representing the program with professionalism in front of senior client audiences

Responsibilities

Serve as the point of accountability for the national catering program, ensuring standards, menus, pricing, and service models are applied consistently across all supported sites.

Coordinate with the client's national event services team on high-visibility programs, executive functions, and cross-site events.

Lead order intake, presentation standards, and sales data entry/tracking for executive floor and national function requests.

Build and maintain a quarterly marketing and promotional calendar in partnership with Compass and client stakeholders, including signage, labels, social content, and seasonal campaigns.

Establish and maintain tracking systems for catered events; verify deliveries are on time, on standard, and meet client expectations.

East Coast Operational Oversight

Provide functional oversight of operations at NYC, Toronto, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Washington DC — partnering with each site's General Manager, Experience Manager, and Campus Chef.

Travel routinely across the portfolio to audit standards, support large events, and reinforce a unified Campus and Urban service model.

Managing Cross sector partnerships ensuring brand and standards compliance

Distribute detailed function sheets and communication tools to keep all sites and stakeholders aligned.

Team Leadership

Manage and develop catering production, sales, and lead associates across the supported sites.

Carry out supervisory responsibilities including interviewing, hiring, training, scheduling, performance appraisal, recognition, coaching, and progressive discipline — in accordance with Compass policy and applicable law.

Build a strong, stable, hospitality-driven team culture; mentor site-level catering leads.

Conduct regular team meetings to keep communication open between management and front-line staff.

Client & Hospitality Leadership

Act as a primary liaison between Compass/Bon Appetit and client representatives on catering matters.

Maintain proactive, positive engagement with guests, clients, and executive stakeholders.

Lead executive floor catering presentation — ensuring displays are current, signage and labeling are accurate, and food is merchandised to standard.

Be physically present at major events to manage room flow, hospitality, and real-time client communication.

Resolve client and guest concerns swiftly, professionally, and to a service-recovery standard.

Financial & Administrative Accountability

Prepare and manage the annual catering budget; make sound business decisions on labor, product, and capital.

Conduct weekly inventory and ordering as assigned; maintain appropriate equipment, product, and décor inventories.

Partner with culinary leadership on quarterly menu refreshes reflecting seasonality and food trends.

Oversee planning and execution of external catering functions as required.

Compliance, Safety & Standards

Ensure all team members are trained in and follow food safety, sanitation, and HACCP standards.

Verify all catering staff hold required alcohol service certifications and adhere to responsible service standards.

Uphold OSHA, corporate, and client safety requirements across the portfolio.

Maintain professional appearance and conduct; model Compass standards in attendance, punctuality, and grooming

Requirements

Education / Experience: Bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university; or 15 years of related experience and/or training; or an equivalent combination.

Required Skills:

Demonstrated multi-site or multi-unit catering / hospitality leadership experience, ideally within a corporate or B&I foodservice environment.

Strong client-facing executive presence; comfortable representing the program in front of senior client stakeholders.

Proven ability to standardize operations across geographies while respecting site-level nuance.

Financial fluency: budgeting, cost control, and basic mathematical/analytical skills (discounts, ratios, percentages, proportions).

Strong written, verbal, and computer skills (including Microsoft Office, catering management systems, and digital signage/marketing tools).

Ability to interpret a variety of instructions in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Schedule & Physical Requirements:

Stamina to work 50+ hours per week and extended shifts of 10+ hours when business dictates.

Flexibility to work different shifts, weekends, and travel across West Coast sites as needed.

Ability to reach, lift, stoop, bend, stand, and walk (including stairs) throughout the shift.

Ability to regularly lift up to 10 lbs. and occasionally lift up to 50 lbs.

Ability to taste and evaluate food and beverage products