Thank you for your interest in The Otesaga Hotel.  We are starting to hire seasonal staff for our 101st season.  The listed positions are for right now. Additionally we will have a Job Fair on Thursday, March 25.  Further information will be posted shortly.

Please note that we require that applicants be at least 18 years old.

Current Openings

ASSISTANT BEVERAGE MANAGER

The Assistant Beverage Manager assists with the hiring process, schedules & monitors staff and oversees banquet operations.  Responsibilities also include our beverage program, cost management and working closely with our wine program and beverage education with both guests and servers.  You are also responsible for inventory, Par levels, and service & storage areas.  Experience using a POS system is a plus.

Qualifications:  2+ year food & beverage experience, working knowledge of mixology, excellent communication and leadership skills to assure 5-star guest service.  Must lift 50+ pounds.

BELL / DOOR / VALET PERSON -  Must be 18+ and have an excellent driving record & people skills. Weekdays & weekends; varying hours.   Must be able to lift and move 50+ lbs.

CASHIER (Dining Room) – Handles room billing transactions & room service requests. Experience with breaking down sales transactions and computer ability required.  Lunch & dinner shifts

GUEST SERVICES FRONT DESK - Welcome & register guests upon arrival.  Assist guests and provide information. Relief position; 2 day shifts, 2 evening shifts and one 9:30 AM – 6 PM  Must be professionally friendly and good with people.

WAITSTAFF - Wait on diners in the Main Dining Room, Hawkeye Grill and special events.  Experience preferred.  All shifts, breakfast, lunch and dinner and all days of the week availability needed.

TABLE BUSSERS -  Set up, clear & move tables in the Dining Room and Hawkeye Grill, all shifts and days of week needed.  Must be able to lift and move 40+ lbs.

EXTERIOR CLEANER – Heavy cleaning to keep the outside of our  Hotel facilities clean and tidy. Free of cobwebs,  polish brass and light fixtures and anything to maintain a fresh and sparkling appearance.  Six days a week 5 am to noon 6 days a wk.  Must be able to climb ladders, and lift 50 pounds.

EXECUTIVE SOUS CHEF

The Otesaga Resort Hotel - a Historic Hotel of America in Cooperstown is one of New York State’s most distinctive resorts. Built in 1909, the Otesaga is a Modified American Plan resort. Dining options include the Main Dining Room serving fine American and International cuisine for up to 250 guests and the Hawkeye Bar & Grille with American cuisine or the Pro Shop overlooking Lake Otsego.  The Hotel features a spacious $5 million recently renovated kitchen. 

We seek an experienced candidate with excellent interpersonal skills to execute menu plans and supervise culinary staff for this elegant American Plan historic, Four-Diamond resort hotel located in upstate New York.  Responsibilities will include all aspects of interpreting the menu items for the kitchen personnel to ensure quality preparation and presentation of all culinary items in the Resort’s Main Dining Room, year-round casual restaurant, seasonal golf club grill and banquet areas.

As an established Four Diamond Resort we continually seek to elevate the quality and creativity of our cuisine.  We implement seasonal creative cuisine using the freshest quality products available, and local products to demonstrate the roots of our culinary spirit.

The Executive Sous Chef will support, mentor and lead our staff towards greater consistency to increase productivity while attaining beyond expectations service to our guests.  We are committed to working closely with the front of the House to improve their knowledge and be able to provide constructive viewpoints and feedback on elevating our service standards.

It is the Executive Sous Chef’s responsibility to be knowledgeable of Hotel house counts, activities, banquets and groups to execute plans for the culinary staff.  The Chef must maintain all daily documentation requirements, assure compliance with health/sanitation and safety requirements.

Job Requirements:

Basic Qualifications: A culinary school graduate or one who has completed a certified apprenticeship program is preferred with 10 years overall culinary experience and a minimum of three years Chef de Cuisine experience in a luxury 4-5 star hotel.

Additional Qualifications: Proven experience in producing classical cuisine, with extensive knowledge of International Food, including Asian, South American, and European International or European experience highly preferred. Proven experience in a high volume kitchen is critical along with hands on experience in creative, innovative and technically advanced culinary arts.

Presents a professional image with an ablility to enforce and maintain the standards, policies and procedures of The Otesaga including:

o Employee discipline standards o Control of labor cost documentation o Positive guest customer relations internal and external

o Grooming standards Maintenance policies

o Maintain knowledge of House counts, business levels, scheduled groups and activities

o Communicate effectively with all Food and Beverage Management

o Maintain supply levels

o Ordering disciplines

o Cleaning inspections, Health inspections and Serve Safe standards

o Communicate effectively with all Food and Beverage Management

o Ordering disciplines

o Cleaning inspections

o Proactively train employees, and leads them to success

o Plays a proactive not reactive leadership role

o Respects and supports decisions of management

o Manages employees through continuous coaching and counseling sessions

o Completes all paperwork and closing duties on time everytime oPerforms daily line ups and reviews department and hotel priorities

Working Conditions: Physical requirements include the ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs., walking, bending, standing 95% of the shift, and working in extreme temperatures.

Schedule will vary according to operational needs, but regularly includes evenings, weekends, and holidays. Sous Chef Benefits:

This year round job has the following benefits:

Paid vacation, Paid holidays & Paid sick time, Fully paid health insurance for the Sous Chef, Dental insurance, Life Insurance, Pension plan  & 401k, Complimentary golf, and Uniforms .

Applicants who do not already have legal permission to work in the United States will not be considered and those that have either extended or multiple Executive Sous Chef positions in their background will be favored.

Updated March 10, 2010

You are encouraged to check here in mid-March for information about our Job Fair which will be held on Thursday, March 25.  At that time we will post open positions and be hiring for the 2010 season (mid April through November).

We hope you can join us as we

open for our 101st Year of Gracious Hospitality