Hospitality Industry Job Titles and Descriptions

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Hospitality Industry Job Titles and Descriptions

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BY ALISON DOYLE

 

Updated July 17, 2018

•••

What job titles can you expect to see in hospitality industry job postings? The hospitality industry is a broad category. It includes jobs working in hotels, restaurants, casinos, theme parks, cruise lines, and other facilities that help customers meet their leisurely needs.

Many jobs in the hospitality industry involve dealing with customers face-to-face in a variety of ways. But there are also behind-the-scenes jobs that include positions in sales, marketing, and accounting. Food services jobs also abound in the hospitality industry, including wait staff and food preparation jobs.

There are also many management-level jobsacross these areas, including hotel managers and executive chefs. Hence, jobs in the hospitality industry can either involve a lot or very little customer interaction. Many jobs are entry level, but hospitality is an area where you can climb the ladder to a managerial role that has more responsibilities—and a higher salary.

Most Common Hospitality Job Titles

Below is a list of some of the most common job titles indigenous to the hospitality industry. 

Concierge. A concierge interacts directly with customers, providing them with various services. They act as liaisons, providing guests with particular services they request or the concierge anticipates what they might need. These services could range from providing a babysitter to getting tickets to a show to suggesting a restaurant.

At some hotels, this is an entry-level job. However, some luxury hotels require concierges to have years of hospitality experience. A concierge needs to be a problem solver with extensive customer-service skills who is unflappable and can handle difficult patrons.

Other front-of-the-house hospitality jobs include:

Casino Host





Cruise Ship Attendant





Front Desk Associate





Front Desk Supervisor





Front Office Attendant





Front-of-House Manager





Gaming Dealer





Guest Relations Manager





Guest Services Associate





Guest Services Supervisor





Hotel Clerk





Hotel Receptionist





Reservationist





Reservations Agent

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Event Planner. Many hotels have conference rooms or event spaces that they rent out for various events, ranging from meetings to weddings. An event planner works with the company, or individual, to arrange the event and then ensures the event runs smoothly.

Hospitality jobs in the field of event planning include:

Events Manager





Executive Conference Manager





Executive Meeting Manager





Meeting and Convention Planner





Meeting Coordinator





Meeting Manager





Meeting Planner





Meeting Specialist





Special Events Manager





Wedding Coordinator



Executive Chef. An executive chef is a managerial role that involves a lot of work behind the scenes in the hospitality industry. An executive chef oversees the food operations in restaurants, hotels, casinos, or other venues that serve food. He or she must supervise all cooks, sous chefs, and other kitchen employees. They typically order all of the food, plan the meals, and prepare food in the kitchen.

While it is not necessarily required, many head chefs have some training through a culinary school, technical school, community college, or a four-year college.

Most people work their way up to executive chef from entry-level roles like line cooks. Over time, they develop the managerial skills required to manage an entire kitchen, and the cooking skills to develop menus.

Other jobs related to executive chef, including jobs many people have while working their way up to executive chef, include:

Cafe Manager





Catering Manager





Chef





Cook





Food and Beverage Manager





Kitchen Manager





Pastry Chef





Restaurant Manager





Sous Chef



Hotel General Manager. A hotel general manager, or hotel manager, makes sure that a hotel (or inn, lodge, or another venue with sleeping accommodations) is running smoothly. This involves interacting with guests, managing staff, handling the finances of the property, and much more.

Some hotel managers have a degree or certificate in hotel management, while others have a high school diploma and a few years of experience working in a hotel. Hotel general managers need to have strong business skills, management skills, and interpersonal skills.

Other jobs related to the management and/or administration of a hospitality facility include:

Back Office Assistant





Catering Sales Manager





Director of Hotel Sales





Director of Marketing and Sales





Group Sales Manager





Guest Room Sales Manager





Hotel Manager





Lodging Manager





Sales and Marketing Manager





Shift Leader





Shift Manager





Spa Manager





Wedding Sales Manager



Housekeeper. Housekeepers are responsible for maintaining a standard of cleanliness throughout a hotel or other hospitality venue. They typically clean individual hotel rooms as well as the common areas. They make beds, do laundry, clean bathrooms, stock linens, and more.

Being a housekeeper requires some physical stamina because you often have to lift heavy loads and be on your feet most of the day.

There are many other jobs related to maintenance and cleaning in the hospitality industry. There are also opportunities for management positions within the fields of maintenance and cleaning.

Some other related housekeeping job titles include: 

Director of Housekeeping





Director of Maintenance





Director of Operations





Executive Housekeeper





Housekeeper





Housekeeping Aide





Housekeeping Supervisor





Lead Housekeeper





Maid





Maintenance Supervisor





Maintenance Worker



Porter. Porters are tasked with handling baggage for guests. They might bring luggage up to guests’ rooms or take luggage down to the lobby.

A porter is one of many support staff positions in the hospitality industry. Another common position is that of valet (also known as parking lot attendant). A valet parks patrons’ cars when they come to a hotel, restaurant, or other venue.

Other support staff positions similar to that of porter and valet include:

Baggage Porter





Bell Attendant





Bellhop





Bellman





Driver





Parking Lot Attendant





Valet





Valet Attendant





Valet Parking Attendant



Waiter/Waitress. Waiters and waitresses work in restaurants, bars, hotels, casinos, and other food-serving establishments. They interact directly with customers taking orders, serving food and beverages, and take payments from patrons.

While no formal education is required, waiters and waitresses must have strong interpersonal and communication skills. They also have to be detail-oriented because they need to remember customers’ orders, especially complicated drink orders. This job is ideal for people in the hospitality industry who want to engage with customers face-to-face.

Other job titles similar to waiter and waitress in the hospitality industry include: 

Back Waiter





Banquet Server





Barback





Barista





Bartender





Busser





Cafe Manager





Catering Assistant





Food Runner





Food Server





Head Waiter





Host





Hostess





Maître d’





Server





Sommelier



 https://www.thebalancecareers.com/hospitality-job-titles-2061496