Dining and Events Supervisor

University of Puget Sound; Tacoma (WA); On-site; USD 31,000 - 33,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision

Retirement plan (403(b))

Paid vacation, sick leave, and holiday

Job summary

University of Puget Sound seeks a DES Supervisor to lead and mentor student staff in the Cellar and Lillis Café on the Tacoma campus. You will manage daily operations, scheduling, inventory, and service standards while coordinating with Dining and Event Services.

The role includes assisting with food preparation, equipment troubleshooting, and adherence to health regulations. Minimum requirements include a high school diploma with 2+ years supervisory experience in a busy kitchen or café setting.

Qualifications

• Must have supervisory or lead responsibilities in a high-volume food service environment.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Experience with budgeting and inventory management preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations of The Cellar and Lillis Café with focus on service and training.
• Recruit, train, and supervise student staff; conduct interviews and onboarding.
• Manage schedules, inventory, and vendor relations; ensure budget adherence.

Skills

Supervisory experience

Customer service training

Staff recruitment

Budget awareness

Food safety knowledge

Education

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Get Mobile Ordering app

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

University of Puget Sound

Job ID: 9017

Location:

Full/Part Time: Full Time

Regular/Temporary: Regular

Staff Posting Details

Appointment: Regular, full-time (1.0 FTE) position.

Work Location: This position is based in Tacoma, WA, and is an on-campus role only.

Please note that we generally do not sponsor applicants for work visas for staff positions. Therefore, we generally require applicants for staff positions to be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

Position Summary: The DES Supervisor is responsible for the daily operations of the Cellar Restaurant and Lillis Café by providing supervision and training of student staff, and managing business operations responsibilities. The DES Supervisor will be responsible for the set-up, scheduling, cleaning, inventory management, and service standards, in order to ensure a consistently high level of service. Complies with Dining and Event Services (DES) standards and philosophy in performing all key areas of accountability and other essential job functions and responsibilities. This person, in addition to their supervisory responsibilities, will also be responsible for all administrative aspects of the Cellar and Lillis Cafe: creating weekly schedules, overseeing cross-training programs, inventory management and ordering, and coordinating equipment repair services. Additionally, this person may be called on to prepare and serve food, or perform basic troubleshooting issues for equipment

Essential Job Functions And Responsibilities

• Manages daily Cellar and Lillis Café operations with an emphasis on customer service, mentorship and training
• Works with the Dining and Event Services management team to support all DES operations as needed.
• Recruits, trains and supervises a pool of Cellar and Lillis Café student staff members
• Interviews and hires student staff
• Ensures proper orientation and training of all student staff members
• Provides continuous customer service training
• Directs the student lead teams in evaluating and developing student staff performance
• Works with the supervisor to coach student staff on performance issues and takes corrective action as needed. Collaborates with student employment coordinator and Career & Employment Services (CES) when complex relation matters arise.
• Participates in progressive counseling as appropriate
• Is responsible for and approves timecards of all student staff
• Constructs and manages a student lead team in both The Cellar and Lillis Cafe to implement guidelines and procedures to ensure service standards
• Develops a cross-training program that ensures student staff can perform any and all required tasks
• Performs initial troubleshooting of food service equipment
• Coordinates repair services with outside equipment center when necessary
• Prepares weekly work schedules for Cellar and Lillis Cafe staff and finds suitable replacements in cases of staff absence
• Ensures that all Cellar and Lillis Cafe expenses are within budget based on guidelines provided by the Senior Outlets Manager.
• Manages the Get Mobile Ordering app used by students, staff, and faculty. Includes making edits to the menu, pricing of items, adding monthly specials, making adjustments when items are out of stock or no longer available, and monitoring hours of availability
• Receives delivered supplies and verifies that the correct items and quantities have been delivered
• Takes inventory of supplies and orders new stock from multiple vendors as needed
• Resolves customer complaints regarding food quality and customer service
• Exhibits strong knowledge of health regulations and food storage best practices, and maintains general cleanliness
• Follows and adheres to departmental and University protocols, standards, rules and policies
• Performs other related duties as assigned or requested by Cafes, Cellar and Student Employment Manager

Supervisory Responsibilities

The DES Supervisor is responsible for the supervision of the student leads and student staff in both The Cellar and Lillis Cafe. This position will be occasionally assigned to oversee the daily operations of the Diner, particularly during winter break and summer when the Cellar and Lillis are closed.

Budget Responsibilities

• Knowledge and basic understanding of budget
• Awareness of ordering, waste and theft issues
• Show professionalism in adhering to budget restrictions and changes
• Look for savings opportunities in both labor and product expenses

Qualifications

Candidates must be able to explain and/or demonstrate that they possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to safely perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and communication skills
• Working knowledge of computers and proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
• Ability to operate all equipment necessary to perform the job
• Must possess a valid Food Worker Card
• Valid driver's license
• Ability to pass a pre-employment background inquiry, physical exam (including drug screening) and strength test
• Regular and reliable attendance
• Ability to respectfully work, communicate and provide leadership within a diverse campus community

Education/Experience

High school diploma or equivalent and two years¿ of related experience to include supervisory or lead responsibilities in a high volume espresso making environment; or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Language Skills

Must be able to speak clearly, listen attentively, read, write, and understand English.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.

• Must be able to stand on one's feet for extended periods of time, use hand/finger dexterity continually, and perform repetitive motions
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, strenuous environment.
• Ability to lift up to 30 lbs.
• Ability to lift 35 lbs. on an occasional basis.

Compensation And Benefits

Career Framework Information:

Job Family: Auxiliary Services

Level: S3

Pay Grade: 3

The anticipated range for this position is $22.75 to $24.10. Decisions about starting salaries are made based on the extent and relatedness of the candidate's education and experience and on internal equity and market considerations.

Puget Sound offers a generous benefits package for eligible staff employees, including:

• Medical, dental, and vision
• Life insurance and long-term disability
• Employee Assistance Program
• Retirement plan options and 403(b) contributions
• Paid vacation, sick leave, floating holiday, campus holidays and bonus holidays
• Education benefits, such as full tuition for eligible employees and their families
• Access to university facilities and entertainment (fitness center, pool, library, concerts, lectures and more!)

Please Note

• Positions that work less than .75 FTE (1,560 hours per year) do not qualify for long-term disability or education benefits.
• Positions that work less than .50 FTE (1,040 hours per year) will accrue paid sick leave but are not eligible for additional benefits.
• Temporary positions that work at least .50 FTE (1,040 hours per year) will be eligible for benefits.

This position is non-exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act.

For more information on Puget Sound's non-exempt staff benefits package, visit: Summary of 2026 Benefits for Staff Members in Non-Exempt Positions.pdf - Google Drive

For the Campus Holiday and Bonus Day Schedule, visit: https://www.pugetsound.edu/human-resources

Application Deadline

Review of applications will begin immediately. Search and selection procedures will be closed when a sufficient number of qualified candidates have been identified.

Required Documents

• Resume
• Letter of Interest
• 3 Professional References (At least 2 supervisors)

Applications submitted without the required attachments will not be considered.

All offers of employment are contingent on successful completion of all required background checks.

University Diversity Statement

We Acknowledge

• The richness of commonalities and differences we share as a university community.
• The intrinsic worth of all who work and study here.
• The investigation and reflection enhance that education upon multiple perspectives.

We Aspire

• To create respect for and appreciation of all persons as a key characteristic of our campus community.
• To increase the diversity of all parts of our university community through a commitment to diversity in our recruitment and retention efforts.
• To foster a spirit of openness to active engagement among all members of our campus community.

We Act

• To achieve an environment that welcomes and supports diversity.
• To ensure full educational opportunity for all who teach and learn here.
• To prepare citizen-leaders effectively for a pluralistic world.

Puget Sound is committed to an environment that welcomes and supports diversity. We seek diversity of identity, thought, perspective, and background in our students, faculty, and staff. To learn more please visit: https://pugetsound.edu/about-puget-sound-0/mission-core-values/institutional-equity-diversity

The University of Puget Sound is an equal opportunity employer.