Strategic Food Services Leader – Multi-Campus Dining

Massey University - Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa; Auckland; On-site; NZD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

UniSaver pension

Five university holidays per year

Healthcare plan

Campus gym discounts

Staff discounts across NZ

On-campus crèche/day care

Professional development

Staff study fee concession

Job summary

Massey University is seeking an experienced Food Services Manager to lead the delivery of the university's food services strategy across its campuses in New Zealand. The role involves driving commercial outcomes, managing residential dining and coordinating with service providers and stakeholders to ensure high-quality, sustainable service delivery.

The ideal candidate will have senior leadership experience in multi-site food services, strong financial acumen and a proven track record in

Qualifications

• Proven experience translating strategy into action and leading complex transformation programmes across multi-site operations.
• Strong commercial and financial management capability, including budgeting, forecasting and delivering sustainable outcomes.
• Senior leadership experience across multi-site food services, catering, residential dining, hospitality or similar environments.
• Experience in supplier and contract management, negotiating commercial agreements and managing vendor performance.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement and ability to build trusted relationships across diverse internal and external groups.
• Experience developing high-performing teams and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.
• Tertiary qualification in business or hospitality management is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead the implementation and ongoing delivery of Massey's food services strategy across multiple campuses.
• Drive portfolio performance through effective commercial leadership, financial stewardship and strategic decision-making.
• Establish governance frameworks, service standards and operational oversight for consistent, high-quality service delivery.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, partners, Accommodation Services, student groups and senior University stakeholders.
• Champion innovation, sustainability initiatives and future-focused food service models that support student wellbeing and campus life.

Skills

Food Services Management

Commercial Leadership

Strategic Planning

Business Transformation

Hospitality Operations

Residential Dining Services

Multi-site Operations Management

Financial Management

Budgeting & Forecasting

Contract Negotiation

Supplier Relationship Management

Vendor Performance Management

Stakeholder Engagement

Change Management

Governance & Compliance

Service Delivery Excellence

Operational Leadership

Team Leadership

Continuous Improvement

Customer Experience

Sustainability Initiatives

Performance Management

Business Development

Strategic Partnerships

Project Management

Organisational Capability Building

Process Optimisation

Commercial Strategy

Cross-functional Collaboration

Higher Education Services Management

Education

Tertiary qualification in business or hospitality management

Job description

Massey University is seeking an experienced Food Services Manager to lead the delivery of the university's food services strategy across its campuses in New Zealand. The role involves driving commercial outcomes, managing residential dining and coordinating with service providers and stakeholders to ensure high-quality, sustainable service delivery.

The ideal candidate will have senior leadership experience in multi-site food services, strong financial acumen and a proven track record in