Assistant Director, Event Operations (Banquets)

Recognized as one of Top 21 Iconic Hotels in the World by National Geographic Traveler magazine, honoured with Travel + Leisure Magazine’s World’s Best Award for Top 10 City Hotels in Canada, and awarded Best Historic Hotel in the Americas, Fairmont Empress is located in Victoria, BC overlooking the city’s sparkling Inner Harbour.

This Forbes Four-Star, 4-Diamond property offers 464 beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites, Willow Stream Spa with signature West Coast experiences, Q at the Empress Restaurant featuring Pacific Northwest cuisine and award winning wine list, and Q Bar with its regionally focused cocktail culture was recently named to Canada’s 50 Best Bars list. World famous Tea at the Empress is a bucket list experience in the hotel’s sophisticated Lobby Lounge. Located on Vancouver Island, Canada’s Castle on the Coast is the ideal starting point to explore British Columbia’s stunning natural beauty.

What is in it for you: 

• Employee benefit card offering discounted rates at Accor properties worldwide 
• Exclusive Employee and Friends & Family Discounts at Fairmont Empress
• Exclusive access to the Pacific Northwest Food & Beverage Discount Program with 50% off at our dining destinations in Vancouver, Victoria, and Whistler
• Opportunity to develop your talent and grow within your property and across the world! 
• Complimentary meal during your shift through our Colleague Dining Program 
• Complimentary uniform laundering
• Access to our comprehensive benefits and wellness programs, including extended healthcare benefits and RMT, dental, vision, and complimentary counseling, wellness sessions, financial and family planning through LifeWorks
• Access to our company-matched Defined Contribution Pension Plan (DCPP)
• Opportunity to develop your talent through coaching and our Leadership Mentoring Programs
• Competitive annual salary commensurate with experience, starting at $75,250

What you will be doing:

Reporting to the Director of Events, responsibilities and essential job functions include, but are not limited to, the following:

Ensure the smooth daily operation of the banquet department as well as all banquet bar services.

• Meet clients for specific rooms and functions
• Responsible for daily operation by managing on the floor
• Review all banquet event orders to ensure proper set-ups are in place and correct
• Responsible for critically assessing procedures, policies, and methods of operation and alter them where necessary.
• Responsible for the financial success of the department by monitoring productivity, revenues and costs.
• Ensure all financial reporting is maintained and accurate (billing, payroll, etc.)
• Responsible for building relationships with the Conference Services Department to ensure that a common vision in direction is shared and our customer's expectations are exceeded. 
• Responsible for building relationships with other Food & Beverage departments to ensure that all resources are being equally shared and that the entire division operates as a team.
• Responsible for ensuring that all equipment, fixtures, and furniture of the department are kept in good supply and in the best repair possible.
• Maintain and ensure that all function information is kept up to date with respect to all changes and/or revisions
• Participation in the budgeting process of the department by establishing clear and precise priorities for operational expenditures.
• Actively develop and maintain a safety culture within the department and ensure departmental adherence to and awareness of Health & Safety standards.
• Ensure departmental participation in all hotel-wide environmental initiatives, and to develop departmental specific environmental initiatives.
• Responsible for the smooth and efficient functioning of the day-to-day operations of the Event department including adherence to and the application of the provisions of the Collective Agreement.
• Responsible for developing and maintaining a constructive, harmonious and communicative working relationship with all supporting departments.
• Contribute to a positive work environment and ensure all concerns are communicated to Event Management in timely fashion
• Coach and train the Event leadership team in all aspects of the department, monitoring their development and providing critical feedback and performance reviews.
• Responsible for ensuring guest satisfaction goals (VOG) for the Department are met and / or exceeded.
• Developing strong interpersonal relationships with guests on an ongoing basis.
• Responsible for attendance at Leadership meetings, daily convention, pre-convention and other meetings as required.
• Other duties as assigned

Your experience and skills include:

• Post-secondary Degree in Hospitality or Food and Beverage Management an asset.
• Minimum two years of experience in Food and Beverage Supervisor and/or Management position
• Supervisory/management experience in a banquet facility is an asset
• Ability to work a flexible schedule including evenings, weekends, and overnight shifts
• Must be a highly organized individual with the ability to handle numerous tasks at any one time.
• The ability to delegate tasks to team members and facilitates their completion.
• Must have strong, proven leadership qualities and management skills.
• Must have proven departmental scheduling and operational productivity.
• Previous experience working in a unionized environment considered a strong asset
• The ability to recognize and correct guest service issues through an established presence on the Banquet floor.
• Must exhibit excellent communication skills.
• Working knowledge of Silverware, OSEM, Word and Excel an asset.
• Serving it Right Certification

Physical Aspects of Position (include but are not limited to): 

• Frequent standing and walking
• Frequent ascending or descending ladders, stairs and ramps
• Occasional bending and kneeling
• Occasional carrying and lifting up to 20lbs

Visa Requirements: Must be legally eligible to work in Canada. The hotel is unable to assist candidates in obtaining Canadian work authorization.

Your team and working environment: Welcome to Canada’s Castle on the Coast. The Empress Hotel sits proudly at the centre of culture and history in Victoria, British Columbia. This is the best of all worlds – where contrast meets distinction, opulence blends harmoniously with the understated and fabled history meshes with contemporary affairs. This award-winning Victoria hotel and National Historic Site is an alluring blend of classic and contemporary, vintage and cutting-edge: Where Modern meets Iconic. Come join our wonderful team of hospitality experts!

Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:
We are an inclusive company and our ambition is to attract, recruit and promote diverse talent.

Why work for Accor?
We are far more than a worldwide leader. We welcome you as you are and you can find a job and brand that matches your personality. We support you to grow and learn every day, making sure that work brings purpose to your life, so that during your journey with us, you can continue to explore Accor’s limitless possibilities.
By joining Accor, every chapter of your story is yours to write and together we can imagine tomorrow's hospitality. Discover the life that awaits you at Accor, visit https://careers.accor.com/

Do what you love, care for the world, dare to challenge the status quo! #BELIMITLESS