SENIOR MANAGER, NATIONAL CATERING, PRIVATE DINING & STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP

JOB OVERVIEW

The Senior Manager, National Catering, Private Dining & Strategic Partnerships is responsible for driving incremental revenue through catering, private dining, restaurant buyouts, national accounts, online booking channels, and tour & travel partnerships. This role leads the development and execution of a scalable national sales strategy focused on expanding catering and event revenue, building strategic partnerships, increasing digital lead conversion, and growing group dining business across key flagship markets including Downtown Chicago, Washington D.C., Las Vegas, Orlando, and Pigeon Forge. 

This individual will own the catering and private dining sales funnel from lead generation through booking conversion, while developing national account relationships and positioning Giordano’s as a preferred destination for group dining, travel groups, corporate events, and private celebrations. 

QUALIFICATIONS/SKILLS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Experience & Education

• Hospitality Leadership: 7+ years of experience managing high-volume catering sales, private dining operations, or hospitality sales across multiple regions.
• Track Record: Proven success scaling an off-premise or event business, with a history of meeting or exceeding multi-million dollar annual sales targets.
• Strategic Deals: Demonstrated experience sourcing, negotiating, and executing high-value corporate partnerships and vendor agreements.
• Degree: Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, Marketing, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience).

Core Competencies & Skills

• B2B Sales Mastery: Advanced pipeline management, enterprise-level corporate client acquisition, and contract negotiation skills.
• Financial Acumen: Deep understanding of restaurant financial management, including P&L management, labor optimization, and food cost margins for events.
• Operational Excellence: Ability to standardize standard operating procedures (SOPs) across different regions to ensure consistent guest experiences.
• Team Leadership: Experience hiring, coaching, and managing remote or multi-unit sales and operations teams.

Software & Technical Proficiency

• Event Management Software: Advanced proficiency in Tripleseat, Gather, or similar hospitality CRM platforms.
• POS & Analytics Systems: Familiarity with Toast, MICROS, Avero, or comparable restaurant business intelligence platforms.
• Enterprise Tech: Experience using Salesforce, HubSpot, or standard corporate productivity suites (Google Workspace, Microsoft Excel)

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

NATIONAL CATERING & PRIVATE DINING LEADERSHIP

- Lead the national strategy for catering, private dining, and large-format event sales. 

- Develop and execute initiatives that drive catering revenue, private dining bookings, restaurant buyouts, and group dining sales. 

- Build and maintain a robust sales pipeline of corporate, social, nonprofit, and community event opportunities. 

- Develop annual sales plans, budgets, and revenue targets for catering and private events. 

- Partner with Operations to ensure exceptional event execution and guest satisfaction. 

- Establish sales goals, performance metrics, and reporting systems to drive accountability and growth. 

ONLINE BOOKING & LEAD GENERATION MANAGEMENT

- Oversee all inbound inquiry channels, including website quote requests, online event forms, private dining inquiries, and catering requests. 

- Partner with Marketing, Digital, and Operations teams to optimize lead generation and conversion performance. 

- Develop lead management processes and service-level standards to ensure prompt follow-up. 

- Monitor lead volume, conversion rates, response times, and booking performance. 

- Create reporting and analytics that measure inquiry-to-booking conversion and overall sales effectiveness. 

- Drive improvements to the guest booking experience and online event inquiry process. 

- Ensure every qualified lead receives timely and professional follow-up. 

- Collaborate on enhancements to event packages, menus, and website content to increase booking conversions. 

FLAGSHIP MARKET DEVELOPMENT

Primary focus markets include: Downtown Chicago, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, Orlando, & Pigeon Forge  

Responsibilities include: 

- Developing localized sales strategies for each market. 

- Building relationships with major employers, hotels, attractions, convention centers, and tourism organizations. 

- Identifying opportunities related to conventions, business travel, group tours, and destination tourism. 

- Driving awareness and utilization of Giordano’s catering and private dining capabilities. 

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT & PROCESS MANAGEMENT

- Build and maintain a best-in-class catering and private events sales program. 

- Develop sales playbooks, lead management procedures, CRM workflows, and reporting standards. 

- Establish scalable systems for prospecting, lead tracking, and revenue forecasting. 

- Create proactive outbound sales initiatives targeting corporate, hospitality, and tourism segments. 

- Train and support restaurant leadership teams on private dining, catering, and local sales opportunities. 

- Continuously evaluate and improve sales processes to maximize efficiency and conversion rates. 

NATIONAL ACCOUNT DEVELOPMENT

- Identify, secure, and manage national account relationships across corporate, education, healthcare, sports, entertainment, hospitality, and travel sectors. 

- Develop strategic partnerships that generate recurring catering and event revenue. 

- Negotiate multi-unit agreements and preferred vendor relationships. 

- Build long-term relationships with key decision-makers and purchasing organizations. 

- Collaborate with Marketing and Operations to maximize account growth opportunities. 

TOUR & TRAVEL SALES LEADERSHIP

- Lead all tour group, travel industry, and group dining sales efforts. 

- Develop partnerships with: Tour Operators, Motorcoach Companies, Student Travel Organizations, Receptive Operators, Destination Management Companies (DMCs) 

- Create programs that attract domestic and international group travel business. 

- Develop relationships with Convention & Visitors Bureaus (CVBs), tourism boards, hotels, attractions, entertainment venues, and convention centers. 

- Represent Giordano’s at key travel, tourism, hospitality, and group sales conferences. 

- Build awareness of Giordano’s as a preferred dining experience for tour groups and travel partners. 

RESTAURANT BUYOUTS & LARGE GROUP EVENTS

- Drive revenue through restaurant buyouts, corporate events, holiday parties, convention dining, sports team meals, and large group gatherings. 

- Build relationships with event planners, meeting planners, convention organizers, DMCs, and hospitality partners. 

- Negotiate contracts and event agreements while maintaining profitability goals. 

- Maximize sales opportunities tied to major conventions, trade shows, sporting events, and tourism activity.

SALARY- $120K - 130K Base + Commission

Full Benefits:

Medical Dental Vision. Prescription 4 Weeks Paid Time Off EAP STD and LTD 401K