Beverage Supervisor - Mississippi State University

Proof of the Pudding is a chef-led hospitality company delivering food and beverage experiences at some of North America’s most complex sports, entertainment, cultural, and live-event venues.

Founded in Atlanta in 1979, Proof has built a national reputation for doing hospitality differently — from-scratch cooking at scale, hyper-local sourcing, and a partnership-first approach that treats clients as collaborators, not contracts. The company serves professional and collegiate sports venues, convention centers, cultural institutions, and large-scale destination events across the United States and Internationally.

Proof of the Pudding is seeking an experienced and hospitality-focused Beverage Supervisor to join our team at Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS. This position will support the execution of beverage operations across premium hospitality areas, clubs, suites, concessions, catering events, and other athletic and special events. The Beverage Supervisor will provide hands-on leadership to bartenders, beverage attendants, barbacks, and other beverage-service team members while ensuring exceptional guest service, efficient operations, responsible alcohol service, accurate inventory and POS practices, and compliance with all company, university, state, and local requirements.

The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader who thrives in a high-volume, fast-paced event environment and understands that successful beverage operations require strong preparation, communication, organization, and attention to detail.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee beverage operations during Mississippi State University athletic events, premium hospitality events, catering functions, and other assigned events.
• Supervise and lead bartenders, beverage attendants, barbacks, and beverage support staff.
• Assign team members to bars, beverage stations, premium areas, and other service locations based on event needs.
• Conduct pre-shift meetings to communicate event details, beverage menus, service expectations, staffing assignments, safety requirements, and responsible alcohol service expectations.
• Ensure all beverage outlets are properly set, stocked, organized, clean, and ready for service prior to guest arrival.
• Monitor beverage service throughout events and make real-time adjustments to staffing, product levels, and service flow as needed.
• Provide hands-on leadership during high-volume service periods and lead the team by example.
• Ensure bartenders and beverage staff provide professional, efficient, and friendly guest service.
• Maintain a strong focus on guest satisfaction and promptly address guest concerns or service issues.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local alcohol laws, including proper age verification and responsible alcohol service.
• Enforce Proof of the Pudding beverage policies and procedures regarding alcohol service, identification verification, intoxication, and responsible service.
• Monitor beverage inventory before, during, and after events to ensure proper product levels and minimize waste, shortages, and loss.
• Assist with receiving, organizing, storing, and securing beverage products and supplies.
• Monitor proper use of beverage equipment, bars, coolers, ice, glassware, smallwares, and other beverage-related equipment.
• Ensure accurate use of Point of Sale (POS) systems and adherence to all cash-handling procedures.
• Assist management with beverage sales reporting, inventory counts, product reconciliation, and other financial controls.
• Partner with the Beverage Manager and Operations leadership to identify opportunities to improve beverage sales, service speed, product availability, and overall guest experience.
• Work closely with culinary, catering, concessions, premium hospitality, and event operations teams to ensure seamless event execution.
• Communicate operational issues, staffing concerns, inventory shortages, equipment needs, and guest-service issues to management.
• Assist with recruiting, training, onboarding, and development of beverage team members as needed.
• Reinforce company standards regarding uniforms, grooming, personal appearance, professionalism, and guest interaction.
• Ensure beverage areas are maintained in a clean, organized, and professional manner throughout the event.
• Ensure proper closing procedures, including product storage, inventory control, cash/POS procedures, cleaning, breakdown, and securing beverage areas.
• Ensure compliance with all food safety, sanitation, HACCP, and workplace safety standards applicable to beverage operations.
• Report all accidents, injuries, guest incidents, alcohol-service incidents, and other safety or operational concerns promptly to management.
• Attend required company, university, safety, alcohol-service, and operational training sessions.
• Perform other duties as assigned.