Campus Dining Director: Strategy, Growth & Ops

Thompson Hospitality Corporation; Talladega (AL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Thompson Hospitality is seeking an experienced Food Service Director for Talladega University to lead daily operations and strategic direction of campus dining programs. This hands-on leadership role focuses on residential dining, retail, catering, and client partnerships while driving financial performance and student engagement.

The ideal candidate will be a strategic business leader who can elevate the dining experience for students, faculty, and staff and manage large, diverse teams with a

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of progressive food service management experience.
• At least 3 years in a senior leadership role with direct accountability for a high-volume operation.
• Experience in higher education dining or comparable large-scale, multi-concept contract food service operations.
• Direct P&L accountability including budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting.
• Experience leading multiple managers and large hourly teams with hiring, training, and performance management.
• Proven success managing client relationships and contractual service expectations.
• Working knowledge of food safety, sanitation standards, and ServSafe requirements.
• Strong proficiency with financial reporting tools and Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule including evenings, weekends, and special campus events.

Responsibilities

• Direct all aspects of campus dining operations, including residential dining, retail outlets, catering, and special events.
• Lead, coach, and develop culinary, management, and hourly teams to achieve operational and service excellence.
• Establish and maintain standards for food quality, presentation, sanitation, safety, and customer satisfaction.
• Oversee staffing, scheduling, labor productivity, training, and performance management.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, contractual obligations, food safety regulations, and brand standards.
• Assume full accountability for unit-level profit and loss, operating budgets, financial reporting, and overall business performance.
• Drive revenue growth through retail innovation, catering opportunities, meal plan participation, and effective business strategies.
• Serve as the primary operational liaison with university administration and campus stakeholders.
• Build strong relationships with students, faculty, staff, and campus leadership.
• Lead client meetings, business reviews, and operational presentations.
• Develop initiatives that enhance student satisfaction, dining participation, and campus engagement.
• Partner with culinary leadership to develop innovative, culturally diverse, and student-focused dining experiences.
• Support menu planning, wellness initiatives, sustainability efforts, and emerging dining trends.
• Identify opportunities to improve service delivery, operational efficiencies, and program participation.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen client retention and overall account performance.

Skills

Food service management

Higher education dining experience

P&L accountability

Leadership of large teams

Client relations

Education

Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management or related

Tools

ServSafe

MS Office

Food service management systems

Job description

Thompson Hospitality is seeking an experienced Food Service Director for Talladega University to lead daily operations and strategic direction of campus dining programs. This hands-on leadership role focuses on residential dining, retail, catering, and client partnerships while driving financial performance and student engagement.

The ideal candidate will be a strategic business leader who can elevate the dining experience for students, faculty, and staff and manage large, diverse teams with a