Inside Sales

Job Description

Job DescriptionRita’s Catering Job Description

Job Title: Catering Sales Manager
Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–5:00 PM, with additional flexibility as required by client, event, and business needs
Reports To: Director of Catering / Senior Management
Compensation: $45,000 base salary plus commission, with targeted total annual compensation of approximately $85,000–$120,000 based on sales performance
Revision Date: September 2026

Position Overview

The Catering Sales Manager is responsible for developing, managing, and growing catering revenue for Rita’s Catering through business development, client relationship management, event planning, execution, and follow-up.

This position manages an established book of business while actively pursuing new revenue opportunities. The Catering Sales Manager is expected to take ownership of high-value and complex accounts, provide leadership and support to the Sales team, collaborate closely with Operations, Culinary, Staffing, and other departments, and contribute to ongoing improvements in sales systems and processes.

This role requires a high level of organization, accountability, communication, initiative, judgment, and client service.

Essential Job FunctionsSales and Business Development

• Prospect, identify, develop, and cultivate new client relationships.

• Actively pursue new catering, corporate, and partnership opportunities.

• Develop and maintain a consistent pipeline of prospective clients and new business.

• Conduct regular outreach through networking, referrals, market research, existing relationships, and other appropriate sales methods.

• Identify opportunities to expand business within existing accounts.

• Work toward established sales, revenue, prospecting, and client-contact goals.

• Participate in the development and execution of strategies designed to increase catering revenue.

Client Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong, long-term client relationships through proactive and consistent communication.

• Serve as the primary point of contact for assigned clients and accounts.

• Develop a strong understanding of client preferences, event history, expectations, and business needs.

• Proactively identify opportunities for repeat business, referrals, account growth, and additional services.

• Address client concerns promptly and professionally.

• Maintain a high standard of responsiveness, professionalism, follow-through, and attention to detail.

Event Sales, Planning, and Execution

Manage events from initial inquiry through completion, including:

• Client consultation

• Menu development

• Proposal preparation

• Pricing

• Contract preparation

• Deposits and payments

• Event planning

• Kitchen communication

• Staffing

• Rentals

• Delivery logistics

• Event setup

• Event execution

• Billing

• Client follow-up

Ensure all event information is accurate, complete, and communicated to the appropriate departments with sufficient lead time.

Major and High-Profile Events

• Take full ownership of major, complex, and high-profile events.

• Develop detailed event plans and timelines when appropriate.

• Anticipate potential challenges and address them before they affect execution.

• Coordinate closely with Culinary, Operations, Staffing, Sales Support, and other departments.

• Participate in client meetings, site visits, and events in person when appropriate.

• Provide on-site coordination when required.

Menu and Culinary Coordination

• Communicate menu selections and event requirements clearly and accurately to the Culinary team.

• Ensure special requests, dietary restrictions, allergies, service requirements, and client expectations are properly documented.

• Work collaboratively with Culinary to ensure menus are accurate, operationally feasible, and aligned with client expectations.

Sales Planning and Forecasting

• Maintain visibility into confirmed events, tentative business, major opportunities, and client activity.

• Provide timely and accurate information regarding expected revenue, upcoming events, potential risks, and significant sales opportunities.

• Maintain current account and opportunity information in sales systems.

• Assist management with forecasting and planning for staffing, operations, and production needs.

Administrative Responsibilities

• Maintain accurate client and prospect information.

• Maintain appropriate sales activity and contact records.

• Track event deposits, payments, adjustments, and invoicing information.

• Ensure Function Reports and other event documentation are complete and accurate.

• Verify pricing, gratuities, billing details, deposits, and event adjustments before final distribution.

• Ensure all administrative information is communicated to Sales Support and other departments in a timely manner.

Caterease and Sales Systems

• Maintain a high level of proficiency in Caterease.

• Ensure event information is entered accurately and consistently.

• Assist with maintaining and improving menus, packages, pricing, templates, and event documentation.

• Identify opportunities to improve system accuracy, consistency, and efficiency.

• Support implementation and adoption of improved sales processes.

Customer Follow-Up

• Conduct timely follow-up after events.

• Send thank-you communications when appropriate.

• Solicit client feedback.

• Address concerns professionally and promptly.

• Identify opportunities for future business and repeat events.

Leadership and Team Support

• Serve as a dependable resource to the Catering Sales team.

• Assist with onboarding and training newer Sales team members.

• Share knowledge, best practices, account-management techniques, and departmental processes.

• Help maintain consistency in client service and sales procedures.

• Provide guidance and support to team members when appropriate.

• Help identify areas where additional training or process improvement may be beneficial.

Departmental Coverage

• Maintain sufficient awareness of department activity to provide effective coverage when needed.

• Remain informed regarding key clients, major upcoming events, team priorities, sales activity, and operational concerns.

• Provide continuity and support when department leadership or other Sales team members are unavailable.

Cross-Department Collaboration

• Maintain strong communication with Culinary, Operations, Staffing, Delivery, Sales Support, Accounting, and Management.

• Ensure sales commitments are communicated clearly and are operationally realistic.

• Work collaboratively to resolve client, event, scheduling, and operational concerns.

• Promote a team-oriented approach to event planning and execution.

Communication and Accountability

• Maintain reliable accessibility to clients and internal team members during working hours.

• Communicate schedules, availability, and coverage needs clearly.

• Proactively communicate client concerns, operational risks, workload issues, scheduling conflicts, and significant event changes.

• Follow through on commitments and assigned responsibilities.

• Escalate significant concerns before they negatively impact a client, event, or department.

Work Location and In-Office Participation

• Participate in scheduled in-office work, team meetings, training, planning sessions, and other activities as required.

• Maintain flexibility to increase in-office participation based on client needs, major events, training, department meetings, or operational priorities.

• Attend client meetings, site visits, tastings, events, or internal meetings in person when appropriate.

Additional Responsibilities

• Act as Event Coordinator as needed.

• Assist with solicitation of corporate cafeteria contracts and other business opportunities.

• Participate in networking events, community events, trade events, tastings, and promotional activities.

• Assist with special projects designed to improve Sales operations or increase revenue.

• Provide additional departmental or operational support as needed.

Performance Expectations

Performance may be evaluated based on:

• Sales revenue

• Account retention and growth

• New-business generation

• Prospecting activity

• Sales pipeline development

• Client satisfaction

• Accuracy of event documentation

• Successful event execution

• Responsiveness and follow-through

• Team collaboration

• Leadership and team support

• Process improvement

• Completion of assigned projects

• Compliance with established sales and operational procedures

Requirements

• Demonstrated motivation for sales and business development.

• Proven ability to work toward sales and revenue goals.

• Strong prospecting, presentation, negotiation, and closing skills.

• Strong account-management and client-service skills.

• Food and beverage knowledge.

• Familiarity with Rita’s menus, products, service standards, and operating procedures.

• Ability to manage multiple accounts, events, deadlines, and priorities simultaneously.

• Ability to manage high-value and complex client relationships.

• Strong judgment and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to work effectively across multiple departments.

• Caterease proficiency.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel.

Skills and Abilities

• Strong organizational and time-management skills.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills.

• Strong presentation and sales skills.

• Excellent attention to detail.

• Strong follow-through and accountability.

• Ability to prioritize effectively.

• Ability to anticipate problems and develop solutions.

• Ability to work independently while remaining accountable to company and departmental priorities.

• Ability to train, mentor, and support other team members.

• Ability to maintain professionalism with clients, employees, and business partners.

• Ability to adapt to changing client, event, and operational needs.

• Demonstrated initiative, ownership, and sound judgment.

General Expectations

The Catering Sales Manager is expected to demonstrate a high level of ownership over clients, events, sales opportunities, and assigned projects.

As a senior member of the Sales team, the Catering Sales Manager is expected to contribute beyond individual account management by supporting team development, improving processes, collaborating across departments, and helping drive the overall success of Rita’s Catering.

The role requires flexibility and responsiveness based on client, event, and business needs. Responsibilities and priorities may evolve as the business continues to grow.

NOTE: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. The employee may be required to perform other related duties and responsibilities as assigned based on the needs of Rita’s Catering.