Catering Director in Wilmington, North Carolina at Tailwind Deli News & Gifts Inc

Job Title: Director of Catering

Position Summary

Tailwind Hospitality is seeking an entrepreneurial and relationship-driven Director of Catering to build and launch our catering program in Jackson Hole and establish the foundation for a scalable catering platform across our airport hospitality portfolio.

This role will lead the development of a premium catering operation that extends Tailwind’s existing airport café, restaurant, bar, and concessions concepts into high-touch catering services supporting airport partners, corporate operators, local communities and travelers.

The Director of Catering will be responsible for designing the program from the ground up, building relationships, developing operational processes, driving sales, and ensuring Tailwind delivers an elevated hospitality experience that reflects the quality and service standards of our airport concepts.

This position will initially focus on Jackson Hole and, upon successful launch, will help shape Tailwind’s broader catering strategy across additional airports nationwide. Candidates must reside in or relocate to the Jackson Hole, Wyoming area and be able to travel daily to Jackson Hole Airport to support ongoing catering operations and business development activities.

Essential Responsibilities

Program Development & Launch

• Build Tailwind’s catering program from the ground up at Jackson Hole
• Develop catering workflows, ordering procedures, service standards, packaging expectations, and fulfillment processes
• Establish scalable operational systems that can be replicated across Tailwind locations
• Partner with culinary and operational teams to align catering offerings with existing airport concepts

Sales & Business Development

• Drive catering revenue through relationship-building and proactive business development
• Identify opportunities to expand catering services to private aviation customers, airport partners, corporate travelers, and other premium clientele
• Build repeat business through exceptional service delivery and strong client engagement
• Develop strategies to convert one-time orders into long-term recurring accounts

Relationship Management

Build and maintain strong partnerships with:

• Location management teams
• Airport partners
• Local community contacts and organizations
• Corporate and local hospitality partners

Serve as Tailwind’s primary ambassador for catering in the Jackson Hole market.

Operational Leadership

• Ensure seamless execution of catering orders with exceptional quality, presentation, accuracy, and responsiveness
• Develop service standards for urgent and short-turn catering requests
• Support menu development and service enhancements that reflect the Jackson Hole market and premium guest expectations
• Collaborate with on-site leadership to ensure operational consistency

Strategic Growth

• Evaluate opportunities to expand Tailwind’s catering model into additional airport locations
• Provide recommendations for infrastructure, staffing, and systems needed for broader program growth
• Help establish Tailwind as a recognized airport hospitality catering partner across the organization

Qualifications

Required:

• 5+ years of experience in catering, hospitality business development, premium foodservice, private aviation catering, or luxury service environments
• Proven experience building client relationships and growing recurring revenue
• Strong understanding of high-touch hospitality service expectations
• Experience launching, growing, or scaling hospitality programs
• Demonstrated entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to build processes from the ground up
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and sales skills
• Strong operational instincts with the ability to translate sales into execution

Preferred:

• Experience in airport hospitality, private aviation, FBO catering, or premium resort hospitality
• Familiarity with premium resort and destination-driven service environments.
• Knowledge of aviation catering platforms and customer expectations

Core Competencies

• Strategic Relationship Building
• Hospitality Sales Development
• Program Creation & Implementation
• Operational Excellence
• Premium Service Execution
• Revenue Growth Strategy
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Innovation & Entrepreneurial Leadership

Mental Effort:

Work Environment:

STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS

Employees in this position are required to adhere to any job-related instructions and perform any additional duties assigned by authorized personnel. The requirements outlined in this document represent the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities necessary for this role.

This document does not establish an employment contract, either explicit or implied, other than maintaining an "at-will" relationship.

This is an equal-opportunity employer committed to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit-based factors. We provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you require any accommodations during the application process, please contact our HR department at recruiter@tailwindconcessions.com.