Sr. Sales Manager, Cornell Catering

Student and Campus Life (SCL) inspires transformation in all Cornell students on their journey of individual, academic, and personal evolution. Our division is comprised of leading student affairs experts who support our campus on pressing student life matters including public service, health, wellness, social justice, residential living, food services, sports, recreation, career services, and student activities and organizations including sorority and fraternity life. We provide support and services to roughly 25,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students on multiple campuses in the U.S. and abroad.

As a division of Cornell Dining, Cornell Catering is the preferred catering service for Cornell University events and is uniquely qualified to serve the entire Cornell community and beyond. We are proud to work for Cornell and place a strong emphasis on Cornell Pride; our focus on students is one of the many concepts that differentiate Cornell Catering from other caterers. With its team of experienced professional staff, Cornell Catering is a full-service caterer that provides incredible food and beverages to guests at formal banquets for thousands, elegant weddings for hundreds, or intimate dinners for a few. Over the past thirty-five years, Cornell Catering has worked with clients to create customized events that meet specific objectives and budgets.

   

The Senior Sales Manager leads and manages all sales operations and development activities for a catering operation that curates over 2000 events annually with revenue exceeding 5 Million. This position plays a critical role in managing and retaining high-profile VIP client accounts as well as developing strong campus partnerships and creative sales strategies for cultivating new business that’s focused on consumer satisfaction and overall revenue generation for Cornell Catering through the management and support of a sales team. The Senior Sales Manager ensures that all client expectations are consistently met through developing sales standards and efficiencies and working closely with the Catering team on food cost, pricing, menu development, and overall execution including leading and assisting with events as appropriate.

A successful Sr. Sales Manager will:

• Display strong leadership and communicate effectively to inspire, motivate, and develop an engaged and dynamic team to ensure consistency and efficiency within the department.

• Demonstrate excellent customer service and a friendly demeanor to put clients at ease and ensure strong and lasting relationships with our campus partners, our clients, and our service providers.

• Be highly adaptable and flexible in a constantly changing environment, ensuring the proper support for other members of the team to consistently exceed client expectations.

• Exhibit strong organizational skills to ensure appropriate follow-up with past and current clients

• Remain well-informed of new food and catering trends for student groups, departments, and wedding clients.

• Possess superior negotiation skills

• Use creativity to find opportunities within departments across Cornell Campus and beyond to exceed targeted sales goals.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in hospitality or related field and at least three years of experience in a hospitality setting and/or catering sales environment or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Previous supervisory experience or experience in managing effective teams

• Superior verbal and written communication skills including effective sales and negotiating skills

• Technical/computer skills, including experience with MS Word Office productivity tools

• Must be able to occasionally lift and carry weight up to 50 lbs as needed when onsite for events.

• Experience in and/or demonstrated commitment to supporting diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and well-being.

• Demonstrated skill in the understanding of cultural differences.  

Preferred Qualifications

• Additional professional or education experience preferably in a collegiate hospitality setting

• Familiarity with the Cornell campus and departments is helpful.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. This position is located in Ithaca, New York. The successful applicant will be expected to work on campus.

   

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