About the Role
The Private Event Operations Manager supports the Director of Private Events in managing the day-to-day operations of private and member events, ensuring they run smoothly from setup to breakdown. This role is crucial for handling administrative and on-the-ground details to keep events on schedule, within budget, and aligned with member expectations, working closely with various teams to uphold The Battery's high standards of service and hospitality.
Responsibilities
- Assist in keeping department costs at or below budget.
- Support the Private Events Team in planning and managing events for internal clients.
- Assist with management of in-house staffing levels, including scheduling of all outsource staff.
- Assist with inventory of event items such as plateware, cutlery, glassware including beverages and dry goods.
- Meet guest expectations and communicate to the Director of Private Events any situations in which a guest’s needs were not met to their satisfaction.
- Supervise accurate and timely tabulation of private event and member event checks.
- Keep events on track while managing labor costs within budget and maintaining client satisfaction.
- Coordinate events effectively with culinary and food and beverage teams.
- Assist with budgetary goals set for the department.
- Assist with upselling private event clients on food and beverage offerings, third-party vendors, and related services.
- Communicate effectively with other departments to ensure smooth service delivery.
- Ensure effective communication through daily briefings and other scheduled meetings, including confirming that culinary leadership has menus at least one week in advance.
- Assist the Director of Private Events with vendor ordering, including invoicing and receivable.
- Assist in developing project strategy from concept to completion across multiple departments, including Operations, Registration, Web Development, and Accounting.
- Assist with day-to-day implementation of events, including statement-of-work development, contract negotiation, staffing, site management, speaker and content management, food and beverage, audiovisual, production, function-space allocation, and on-site operations.
- Develop new business connections and grow existing business through relationship cultivation, networking, and client prospecting.
- Establish and maintain strong client relationships.
- Keep the Director of Private Events fully informed of problems or matters arising during private events.
- Make personal contact with guests and assist with requests.
- Ensure the overall aesthetic of events aligns with The Battery brand standards.
- Assist in pre-production phases which include menu creation with client logo, allergy notations.
- Assist in hiring and training event staff.
- Attend pre-shift meetings as necessary and conduct informative, professional line-ups before events in conjunction with other members of the private events team.
- Communicate immediately with the Director of Private Events when employee issues arise that cannot be resolved independently.
- Attend weekly Banquet Event Order (BEO) meetings.
- Manage and schedule employees, including outsourced labor, when applicable.
- Assist in creating service-flow and training materials for all staff including outsourced labor.
- Provide clear guidance to back-of-house and front-of-house team members and collaborate with other food and beverage managers and directors.
- Confirm staff compliance with company grooming and appearance standards, applied consistently and in a job-related, non-discriminatory manner.
- Ensure that company standards, policies, and procedures are maintained.
- Lead and execute daily bartending operations while maintaining exceptional service, hospitality, and guest engagement.
- Maintain menus, classic cocktail, and beverage offerings while managing recipe development and consistency.
- Train and mentor bar staff on cocktail technique, spirits, wine, beer, service standards, and responsible alcohol service.
- Oversee bar setup, organization, mise en place, cleanliness, and adherence to health and safety standards.
- Manage bar inventory, ordering, par levels, product quality, and beverage cost controls.
- Collaborate with management, culinary teams, and vendors to develop beverage experiences, events, and special programming.
- Stay current on spirits, cocktails, industry trends, and emerging techniques to continuously evolve the bar program.
Requirements
- Strong sense of accountability and dependability, particularly under time pressure and last-minute changes.
- Clear, professional written and verbal communication with Members, guests, staff, and vendors.
- Sound judgment and discretion in resolving day-to-day operational issues and escalating matters appropriately.
- Composed and professional under pressure, including in high-stress event situations.
- Able to anticipate and respond to guest and client needs, resolving service concerns promptly and professionally.
- Strong team-leadership skills, providing clear guidance and consistent follow-through with event staff and outsourced labor.
- Flexible and adaptable to changing event schedules, priorities, and operational demands.
- Strong planning, prioritization, and time-management skills; able to multitask effectively.
- High school diploma or equivalent.
- Minimum of three years in a food and beverage focused environment.
- Minimum of three years of event planning and management experience in an upscale casual or fine dining environment.
- Able to bartend when necessary while maintaining client and guest relations.
- Basic math and computer skills.
- Familiarity generating a Banquet Event Order (BEO) / Group Event Order (GEO).
- Flexibility with schedule, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
- Valid food handler’s certification and RBS Training certification (alcohol server training).
- Ability to work up to 40+ hours per week in this full-time position.
- Able to maneuver freely through all areas of the property.
- Heavy Member/guest contact is required.
- Able to tolerate varying noise levels, temperature, illumination, and air quality.
- Requires hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity.
- Requires normal sense of smell, taste, touch, and sound.
- Able to respond to visual or aural cues.
- Continuously or periodically bend, twist, lean, lift, push, pull, kneel, walk, stand, and/or sit up to 8+ hours per shift.
- Lift up to 50 pounds in order to perform the essential functions of event setup and breakdown.
- Work in a stressful environment and stressful situations.
- Work in an environment where the climate constantly changes.
Skills
- Event operations management
- Budget management
- Staff scheduling
- Inventory management
- Guest relations
- Event coordination
- Upselling
- Interdepartmental communication
- Vendor management
- Project strategy development
- Statement-of-work development
- Contract negotiation
- Site management
- Client relationship management
- Team leadership
- Beverage program management
- Bartending
- Cocktail technique
- Spirits knowledge
- Wine knowledge
- Beer knowledge
- Responsible alcohol service
- Bar inventory management
- Beverage cost control
- Trend analysis
Location
- San Francisco
Work Type
- On-site
- Full-time
Experience Level
- Minimum of three years in a food and beverage focused environment
- Minimum of three years of event planning and management experience in an upscale casual or fine dining environment
Education Level
- High school diploma or equivalent
About the Company
- The Battery is San Francisco’s premier modern-era private social club, recognized by the Michelin Guide with Two Keys.
- The Club features seven distinctive bars and lounges alongside acclaimed dining rooms serving breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner.
- The Battery also offers a boutique 14-suite hotel, including penthouse accommodations, elegant private event spaces, lush gardens, and sweeping views of the San Francisco skyline.
- Members enjoy a dynamic cultural calendar of world-class speakers, performing arts, curated experiences, publications, and excursions.
- Through Battery Powered, the Club’s member-funded 501(c)(3) foundation, The Battery has directed more than $35 million in grants to organizations building a stronger society.
