Director of Campus Dining

Job Description

The Director of Campus Dining will have ultimate responsibility for university residential dining hall services, retail dining services, including the Schine Center and campus cafes, and athletic dining. The Director will strive to meet student needs, control costs, drive revenues, work with the culinary leadership to constantly innovate and market effectively to the students. This role will provide tools and training to effectively implement a strategic vision for Syracuse University’s Campus Dining operations.

The Director will be expected to engage with students, campus and culinary leadership and centralized operational support services to execute menus that students value and that speak to our commitment to providing an outstanding student experience. The Director will also be expected to provide resources to support hitting quality and financial targets in each location.

Education and Experience

• Degree in Hotel/Restaurant Management or related field or 15 years of related experience.
• Experience in a high-volume multi-unit operation.
• 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.

Skills and Knowledge

• Prior experience (10 years) running high-quality food service in a multi-unit, high-volume college/university food services dining program, inclusive of residential and retailing dining.
• Comprehensive knowledge of food service trends.
• Understanding on how to create systems to manage and systematize at scale.

Responsibilities

• Administer and strategically direct the operational activities of all residential and retail dining locations, which currently include 6 residential dining centers, Schine Center, 13 cafes and 3 convenience stores.
• Ensure compliance with budget, quality guidelines, safety and standard operating procedures.
• Work with Executive Chef and Centralized Support Services (bakery, commissary, warehouse, purchasing, registered dietitian, marketing, ITS, finance) to develop appropriate menus, direct food purchases, monitor inventory, forecast future purchases in food management system software and maintain current sales while creating strategies to also enhance sales.
• Develop new and exciting themes and concepts, engage students, monitor and maintain budgetary goals and leverage marketing to communicate and promote.
• Support the Athletic Dining team to vision, support and fulfill needs of student athletes, performance nutritionists, and sports trainers
• Develop strategic plans and budget recommendations, leverage hiring and retention strategies, maintain records, review, and adjust staffing and scheduling models and labor budgets and assess food costs to achieve budget and food waste goals.
• Review and approve payroll.
• Develop training programs for all levels of Dining operations.
• Organize training sessions that ensure all employees receive and synthesize training.
• Organize train the trainers for other departmental directors so they effectively and correctly communicate to their staff.
• Ensure training programs are created in dining standards, customer service, hospitality, awareness of food allergies, cross contact, proper food handling and cooking techniques.
• Meet individually and as a team with management members to define operational standards, goals and objectives.
• Pro-actively provide recommendations on future enhancements to the campus dining program.
• Engage with all customers and assure employees do the same.
• Collect feedback and utilize to identify program enhancements.
• Collaborate with University leadership and student support services, offices and programs to drive student participation, engagement and satisfaction.

In addition to completing an online application, please attach a resume and cover letter.