Crafting distinctively delicious food starts early morning in Au Bon Pain cafe. While our bakers line the shelves with hot, freshly baked pastries, muffins, bagels and scones, other team members brew our rich coffee and espresso blends from the highest-quality Arabica beans, set up the health smart oatmeal bar, and prepare dozens of fresh eggs for nourishing breakfast sandwiches. Their passion for quality and freshness continues throughout the day with mouthwatering sandwiches and wraps served on freshly baked breads; hearty soups, stews and macaroni and cheese; enticing salads topped with our signature dressings; and assortments of cut and whole fresh fruit; cheese and crackers; energy bars; nuts; yogurt and indulgent cupcakes, cookies and brownies.

Au Bon Pain caters to today's sophisticated but time-constrained customer in many ways. One day you may enjoy a made-to-order customized sandwich or salad, designed by you and prepared just the way you like it. And the next day, you may only have time to grab a pre-made salad, sandwich, wrap or snack. But no matter how you shop Au Bon Pain, we promise that our food will always be delicious and fresh and our service fast and friendly.

Au Bon Pain--Taste the goodness in every flavor-full bite!

Au Bon Pain is interviewing for a Vice President of Catering!  This is an exciting opportunity to enter into a growing company with a strong catering infrastructure already in place. There is huge potential to build on existing catering sales and move the catering department forward. This position will be located at the Au Bon Pain Corporate Support Center in Boston.

Job Summary

In collaboration with senior leadership, and in a direct effort to drive revenue growth and ensure excellence in the execution of ABP Catering Program, this position defines, implements, and leads the strategy for the function.  This includes catering sales, gift baskets, the call center, and operational execution (including service and delivery) at the café level.  This position has P&L responsibility and works with others on the Brand and Operations teams to ensure the catering menu is relevant to our customers.  This role provides leadership in a cross functional environment to ensure that all employees who are involved in catering have the training, guidance, and support to ensure excellent execution of the ABP Brand.

Key Responsibilities

• Define, implement and lead a staged implementation of a 3 year business plan designed to drive sales, guest engagement, and ensure superior execution

• Fully accountable for the P&L of the overall Catering business,  and the overall performance of the function

• Working with Human Resources, Operations, and Brand, design the structure of the department and ensure that there is an effective team in place to drive the catering business and its ongoing performance

• In collaboration with the Brand team, develop a robust sales and marketing strategy for the business, including advanced online and social media solutions that attracts new guests and increases frequency of existing guests

• Participate in the development of an online ordering website that is easy to use and builds the online ordering business

• Ensure consistency of product and service delivery that meets or exceeds Brand standards

• Lead the catering sales team to develop new business opportunities in each market

• Lead the catering call center to ensure and/or develop skills in suggestive selling, outbound selling, and excellent guest service

• In collaboration with Operations leadership, develop systems, processes and team member training that ensure excellent operational execution and delivery at the café/commissary level

• In collaboration with Operations leadership, lead the execution of large catering events by anticipating needs, being present in the preparation and execution of the events, and clearly communicating expectations to all team members

• Review all Catering related processes and procedures and update them accordingly to ensure effective operations at both the café and support center levels

• Analyze competitive trends  and collaborate with Brand team to ensure menu items, pricing, and marketing initiatives are competitive and relevant

• Lead the tracking of marketing programs, gather consumer insights, and use to evaluate and make appropriate changes to catering program.  Share findings with leadership and cross-functional teams and ensure integration into future initiatives and programs.

• Other related responsibilities.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in a related field or the equivalent combination of education and experience

Experience and Skills

• 15+ years of progressively responsible experience managing a department in a general manager/director/VP level capacity with full P&L accountability in the catering, hospitality, and/or restaurant industry

• At least 5 years’ experience in a senior level leadership capacity with multiple direct reports

• A successful track record of leading cross functional teams, building relationships, and driving improvement and change

• A successful track record of both defining a strategy and leading the ‘hands on’ implementation of the strategy

• Solid business and financial acumen, including:  strong analytical and measurement/tracking skills; able to conduct analysis and present findings in a concise and accurate manner; draw meaningful conclusions and establish action plan; and set performance benchmarks

• Project and process management skills, including:  effective management of time and budget; able to balance multiple priorities to meet deadlines; identify and implement system and process improvements

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to influence in a matrix environment

• Ability to solve problems and make changes to accommodate a rapidly changing marketplace

   

  Travel

   

• Approximately 35% travel

Working at ABP:

5 day work weeks

7 week structured training program

Career growth opportunities

Competitive salary, weekly pay

Quarterly bonuses

Benefits:

Medical insurance/Dental insurance/Vision insurance

Pet insurance Employee Referral Programs

Vacation Time

401K Workplace banking and much, much more!