Job Description About the role
Dinner Lab is looking for a Traveling Event Manager to plan and execute events in our markets across the country: from finding interesting venues for our dinners, to hiring and managing part-time servers, to creating wine, beer, and cocktail pairings for each dinner. Simply put, our Event Managers find a way to make dinner in an abandoned warehouse more enjoyable than a night at a five-star restaurant. We want someone who is willing to throw themselves into the mix and get their hands dirty to ensure each event is better than the previous. In the course of ten minutes you may have to make a decision about tonight’s event, next week’s event, and the rehearsal dinner Dinner Lab is hosting in two months. In other words, forward-thinking is a huge part of the job. We sell an experience that only happens once, and you need to be able to deal with an ever-changing catalog of chefs from all over the country, foodies who have an incredibly high bar for new experiences and cuisines, and a management team that is crazy about improving our guest experience every day.This is a full-time position with near-constant travel around the country. It's an incredibly exciting opportunity to explore new cities and culinary cultures, meet new people, and develop ninja-like project management skills. Depending on where you live, you may spend 1-2 weeks per month in your home base, but this position can be based pretty much anywhere as long as you're comfortable (and excited about) hitting the road for several weeks at at time. Ex: week 1 in Minneapolis, week 2 in Denver, week 3 in Phoenix, week 4 in Kansas City, week 5 in Minneapolis, lather + rinse + repeat). We cover all travel and lodging costs :-).

Key Responsibilities

• Create and execute comprehensive project plans for each event, from securing the space three weeks before the dinner to setting up tables two hours before guests show up.
• Conduct research and scour each city to find hip and hidden gems for our dinners, and work closely with your local Community Managers in each market to cultivate and maintain positive relationships with location owners/managers of spaces we’ve used before.
• Manage all venue-related operations, including set-up: coordinate rental equipment deliveries, manage efficient set-up and break-down of tables and chairs, ensure the decor is in line with our brand standards, etc.
  • You’re the person who just turned an empty boxing gym into the dinner venue every Dinner Lab member wants to Instagram.
• Lead and manage an impeccable service staff in each city.
• Recruit, hire, train, and manage a team of part-time servers and bartenders.
• Cultivate and maintain strong, positive relationships with current part-time staff.
• Work closely with Chef de Cuisine and Guest Chef to develop alcohol pairings for the night, including a signature cocktail, and educate part-time staff and members about the menu.
• Make sure each guest receives a unique, memorable experience: efficient service (pacing, adherence to dietary restrictions, etc.), excellent food, and warm interactions with all Dinner Lab staff.
• Review and analyze each event’s feedback from guest comment cards, and create action plans to drive improvement.

 Skills and Experience

• At least 2 years of professional experience (required)
• At least 2 years of full or part-time restaurant and/or event planning experience (required)
• Willingness and ability to travel--have we mentioned that you will constantly be on the road?
• GRIT! This is not your typical desk job: you’ll be working mostly in the field and managing an ever changing dining room. You’re equal parts GM, floor manager, off site manager, captain, bartender, host, and cheerleader all rolled into one.  
• Exceptional planning and project management skills: proven ability to independently manage multiple projects and tasks at once, and effectively prioritize in a fast-paced work environment to meet tight deadlines.
• Must be comfortable with ambiguity, and able to work well without close supervision.
• Flexibility and ability to quickly adapt to new information.
• Ability to proactively anticipate and solve problems. You ran out of ice? A server didn’t show up? Broken equipment? No problem, you resolve the issue on the spot (and probably already saw it coming).
• Strong organization skills with fastidious attention to detail. Your calendar freaks most people out, but you could tell us tomorrow’s schedule with your eyes closed.
• Demonstrated ability to smart choices about what to prioritize and what matters most, especially when things get busy (or go wrong at the last minute)
• Impeccable oral and written communication skills: whether it’s over email, phone calls, in-person meetings, text messages, or smoke signals, you talk and people listen.
• Proven ability to train, lead, and motivate a team of people.
• Exceptional ability to build relationships and work well with a variety of individuals. You like talking to strangers, and they love talking to you.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel and Google Drive. Experience with Salesforce is a plus.
• Ability to safely and efficiently operate a 24-foot U-Haul :-)
• Sense of humor—you have a good database of cat .gif’s
• Passion for food and booze.

Compensation this position is : salaried How to apply Deadlineno deadline