Director, Administration, Quality & Safety

Princeton University; Princeton (NJ); On-site; USD 161,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

Princeton University is seeking a Director of Administration, Quality & Safety to lead Campus Dining's administrative, quality, safety, compliance, risk management, and facilities functions. Reporting to the AVP Campus Dining, this role shapes policies, programs, and systems to support the department’s mission and service standards.

The position requires senior-level experience across operations and governance, with a focus on continuous improvement, workforce development, and stakeholder

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 8–10 years’ relevant admin/ops experience.
• Experience building a culture focused on compliance, safety, and continuous improvement.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills with multi-initiative prioritization.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with data interpretation.
• Ability to translate high-level business problems into actionable analysis and recommendations.

Responsibilities

• Lead initiatives to improve operational efficiency and service delivery.
• Manage strategic Campus Dining projects aligned with goals.
• Develop training programs for onboarding, compliance, and service standards.
• Coordinate with senior leaders, HR, and external regulators.
• Oversee policy development, communication, and training effectiveness.

Skills

Project management

Strategic leadership

Communication

Data analysis

Regulatory compliance

Risk management

People management

Change management

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree

Tools

ERP systems

HCM systems

Compliance software

Learning management

Job description

Overview

The Director of Administration, Quality & Safety provides strategic and operational leadership for administrative management, quality, safety, compliance, risk management, and facilities function that support Campus Dining.

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Campus Dining, this position serves as a member of the Campus Dining senior leadership team and ensures that the department’s administrative infrastructure, people-related processes, safety and compliance programs, risk controls, quality standards, and facilities priorities are coordinated, reliable, and aligned with Campus Dining’s mission, service standards, and long-term goals.

The role provides leadership across administrative planning, project management, policy development, operational coordination, position and workforce management, onboarding, orientation, training, University and Campus Dining systems, personnel compliance, quality assurance, food and workplace safety, regulatory compliance, internal controls, risk mitigation, space planning, renovations, and facilities coordination.

This position requires a senior professional with broad expertise in administration, operations, compliance, risk management, facilities coordination, project management, and relationship management to advance departmental priorities, strengthen internal practices, and support continuous improvement across Campus Dining.

A cover letter is required for full consideration.

Responsibilities

Administrative Management

• Lead initiatives that improve operational excellence, organizational efficiency, internal processes, and future service delivery models.
• Identify and manage strategic, high-priority Campus Dining projects that significantly advance organizational goals and objectives.
• Lead the strategy, design, and continuous improvement of department-wide training and development programs that strengthen onboarding, compliance, service standards, operational consistency, and employee readiness across Campus Dining.
• Contribute to strategic thinking and decision-making for the office, beyond individual domain responsibilities, as a member of the Campus Dining Leadership Team.
• Collaborate with senior management to align operational goals with Campus Dining’s mission; including facilitating the annual goal setting and planning process for the office, working closely with each Campus Dining senior leadership team member.
• Determine the resources required to implement strategic priorities and lead the organization’s overall human resources strategy.
• Partner with senior leaders, managers, chefs, University Services Talent & Organizational Development, and Office of Human Resources to assess workforce development needs, align learning priorities with operational goals, and build manager capability in coaching, performance management, and team development.
• Identifies best practices and utilizes a data-driven approach to administrative decision making and resource management.
• Lead Campus Dining policy development and review, ensure timely communication and dissemination of policies and procedures, and optimize software tools used to organize and share policy information.
• Establish systems, materials, reporting tools, and metrics to monitor training completion, evaluate effectiveness, identify gaps, and use audit results, incident trends, customer feedback, and operational data to drive targeted development and corrective action plans.
• Develop comprehensive project plans, including timelines, resource allocation and risk management strategies.
• Communicate project updates, milestones, and key deliverables to stakeholders; conduct regular project meetings to track progress, address challenges, and solicit feedback from team members.
• Partner with the Executive Director, Service & Operational Effectiveness and University Services leadership to develop and maintain a communication and marketing strategy.
• Supervise the Assistant Director, Quality, Safety & Compliance, Payroll & Operations Manager, Campus Wellness Dietician, Business Manager, and Hospitality Assistants.

Quality, Safety, Compliance, and Risk Management

• Maintains accountability for food safety standards, quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and safety programs. Partners with the University’s Office of Audit and Compliance and other campus stakeholders to strengthen internal controls, mitigate risk, and support a culture of continuous quality improvement.
• Ensure adherence to applicable regulatory, quality, privacy, safety, and compliance requirements.
• Partner with Campus Dining Leaders to conduct reviews, mitigate risk, strengthen internal controls, and implement best practices for safety and compliance.
• Oversee risk management programs that support organizational integrity and operational excellence.

Facilities

• Oversees space planning, renovations, and capital projects aligned with evolving operational and programmatic priorities.
• Ensure facilities maintain high standards for safety, accessibility, functionality.
• Partner with the Office of Facilities to plan for facility improvements, renovations, and space optimization to meet evolving campus needs.

Qualifications

Essential Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with eight to ten years relevant experience.
• Demonstrated success building and sustaining an organizational culture that prioritizes employee well-being, regulatory compliance, operational excellence, risk mitigation, service quality, and continuous improvement while aligning with institutional values and strategic objectives.
• Excellent organizational and project management skills; demonstrated ability to prioritize and manage multiple complex initiatives and projects simultaneously.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills; attention to detail coupled with the ability to think strategically and act decisively.
• Demonstrated ability to gather, analyze, interpret, and present data, including financial information, for varying constituencies and purposes.
• Ability to translate high-level business problems into actionable analysis to derive insights and recommendations.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to present complex information to diverse audiences.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels of the organization and foster a culture of accountability, inclusion, safety, and continuous improvement.
• Ability to collaborate effectively and build strong relationships with colleagues across diverse constituencies.
• Ability to exercise exceptional judgment, maintain confidentiality, and handle sensitive information and material in a discreet manner.
• Ability to navigate and manage change with sound judgment, emotional intelligence, agility, and flexibility.
• Experience working in enterprise systems, operational technology, or business applications.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and partnering with senior executives, human resources professionals, operational leaders, and external regulatory agencies.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree.
• Extensive knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations, including wage and hour requirements, equal employment opportunity, labor relations, leave administration, workplace accommodations, and employee conduct standards.
• Experience working in unionized environments and collaborating with labor representatives to support positive employee relations and contract administration.
• Experience utilizing enterprise resource planning (ERP), human capital management (HCM), compliance management, incident reporting, learning management, and workforce analytics systems to support operational decision-making.
• Experience with University financial systems.
• Demonstrated expertise in developing and implementing comprehensive compliance programs, internal controls, audits, investigations, corrective action plans, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Knowledge of occupational health and safety programs, emergency preparedness, incident management, accident prevention, workers' compensation administration, and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Experience overseeing food safety, sanitation, HACCP programs, environmental health standards, and quality assurance systems within food service, hospitality, healthcare, higher education, or similarly regulated environments.
• Proven ability to analyze operational and workforce data, identify trends, evaluate risk, and develop strategies that improve organizational performance, compliance, employee engagement, and safety outcomes.
• Strong project management skills with a demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, develop policies and procedures, and execute strategic initiatives in a dynamic environment.
• Professional certifications such as SHRM-SCP, SPHR, CSP, ASP, CHSP, HACCP or other relevant certifications in human resources, safety, compliance, risk management, or quality assurance.

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

The University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's qualifications, work experience, education/training, key skills, market, collective bargaining agreements as applicable, and organizational considerations when extending an offer. The posted salary range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate for a full-time position; salaries for part-time positions are pro-rated accordingly.

If the salary range on the posted position shows an hourly rate, this is the baseline; the actual hourly rate may be higher, depending on the position and factors listed above.

The University also offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees. Please see this link for more information.

Standard Weekly Hours

36.25

Eligible for Overtime

No

Benefits Eligible

Yes

Probationary Period

180 days

Essential Services Personnel (see policy for detail)

No

Physical Capacity Exam Required

No

Valid Driver’s License Required

No

Experience Level

Director#LI-GR1

Salary Range

$161,000 to $185,000