Description
The Director provides leadership across all aspects of the
operation, including financial management, budget development,
personnel administration, vendor and contract management,
operational planning, food safety, regulatory compliance, and
customer experience. This position will champion innovation,
develop revenue-generating initiatives, strengthen campus
partnerships, and cultivate a culture of hospitality, operational
excellence, and continuous improvement while leading a
high-performing team.
Examples of Duties
- Provide overall vision, leadership, and strategic direction for
the University's comprehensive dining program, ensuring alignment
with institutional goals, student success initiatives, and
auxiliary services objectives.
Lead and oversee all residential, retail, catering, and
auxiliary dining operations, including two residential dining
centers, Starbucks, Student Center dining operations, Delyte's
Coffee Shop, Child Care dining services, Touch of Nature dining
operations, and other food service venues.
Lead the integration and coordination of residential dining,
retail dining, meal plan administration, catering, and auxiliary
food service operations to provide a seamless and consistent campus
dining experience.
Develop, administer, and monitor departmental budgets,
financial plans, and performance metrics, ensuring fiscal
responsibility and achievement of revenue and expense goals.
Develop and implement strategies to increase revenue, expand
services, and identify new business opportunities that enhance the
financial sustainability of dining operations.
Establish and grow a comprehensive campus catering program that
supports University events, conferences, athletics, student
organizations, and external customers while generating additional
revenue and enhancing campus engagement.
Evaluate dining trends, customer demand, and market conditions
to guide pricing strategies, service enhancements, facility
investments, and long-term planning.
Ensure compliance with food safety regulations, quality
standards, risk management practices, and established operating
procedures.
Develop and implement emergency response, business continuity,
and risk management plans for all dining and food service
operations.
Collaborate with food service staff and centralized support
units, including purchasing, nutrition, marketing, finance, and
information technology, to develop menus, direct food purchases,
manage inventory, forecast demand, and implement strategies that
maintain and grow revenue.
Partner with the ID Card Office to ensure the effective
administration and compliance of meal plans, dining dollars, and
flex dollar programs through Atrium and related systems.
Utilize CBORD Food Service Suite and other reporting tools to
monitor operational performance, purchasing, inventory, menu mix,
labor utilization, food costs, waste reduction, and key performance
indicators.
Negotiate, administer, and evaluate contracts with vendors,
suppliers, franchise partners, sponsorship partners, and service
providers to ensure quality, value, compliance, and operational
effectiveness.
Ensure compliance with franchise agreements, sponsorship
contracts, and University policies while maintaining strong
relationships with external partners.
Lead long-range facility planning, renovation projects,
equipment replacement initiatives, and capital improvement efforts
to maintain modern, safe, and efficient dining facilities.
Maintain appropriate staffing levels and organizational
structures by implementing effective recruitment, retention,
onboarding, and succession planning strategies.
Provide leadership development, coaching, mentorship, and
professional growth opportunities for management and supervisory
staff to ensure organizational effectiveness and continuity.
Manage labor budgets, staffing models, scheduling practices,
personnel records, and payroll approval processes.
Develop and implement innovative dining concepts, promotions,
themed events, and customer engagement initiatives that enhance the
campus dining experience.
Establish operational goals and expectations through regular
meetings with management staff and foster a culture of
accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous
improvement.
Ensure comprehensive training programs are provided in customer
service, hospitality, food safety, allergen awareness, food
preparation, leadership development, and operational
excellence.
Advance sustainability initiatives related to food sourcing,
waste reduction, recycling, energy efficiency, and environmental
stewardship.
Collaborate with campus stakeholders to promote nutrition
education, wellness initiatives, and accommodations for individuals
with dietary restrictions and food allergies.
Identify opportunities for operational enhancements and provide
proactive recommendations to improve programs, services,
efficiencies, and customer satisfaction.
Promote effective use of business systems, technology
solutions, and data analytics to improve operational performance
and decision-making.
Develop long-range strategic plans and recommendations that
support the growth, sustainability, and continuous improvement of
campus dining services.
Collect and analyze customer feedback, assessment data,
industry benchmarks, and operational metrics to guide
decision-making and evaluate program effectiveness.
Foster a customer-centered culture by actively engaging with
students, faculty, staff, alumni, visitors, and guests while
ensuring employees provide exceptional service.
Develop dining programs and services that contribute to student
recruitment, retention, engagement, campus life, and overall
student satisfaction.
Build strategic partnerships with academic departments to
develop curriculum, internships, applied learning opportunities,
and other high-impact educational experiences that support
workforce development and student success.
Cultivate partnerships with local businesses, producers,
community organizations, and industry partners to enhance dining
programs, experiential learning opportunities, and community
engagement.
Collaborate with University leadership, student affairs,
enrollment management, and student support offices to enhance
student participation, engagement, and overall campus
satisfaction.
Partner with Athletics staff to support the nutritional,
operational, and programmatic needs of student-athletes.
Serve as the primary dining services representative on
University committees, task forces, and strategic initiatives
related to student experience, wellness, sustainability, auxiliary
services, and campus life.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor's Degree in Hotel/Restaurant Management or related
field with 7+ years of related experience.
- Experience in a high-volume multi-unit operation.
- Strong knowledge of food and catering trends with a focus on
quality, production, sanitation, food cost controls, and
presentation
- Must be able to teach and motivate supervisory staff,
bargaining unit employees, student management, student employees,
and temporary staff, to provide safe, nutritious meals for student
customers, all while keeping industry, state and local
health/sanitation standards.
- Experience with budget management and financial planning.
Preferred Qualifications:
Required Documents: Please submit a letter of application
explaining how education and experience meet the qualifications,
resume/CV, and three references.
Contact: Shari Garnett,
sgarnett@siu.edu
