Director of University Dining Services

Southern Illinois University at Carbondale; Carbondale (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Southern Illinois University at Carbondale is seeking a Director to provide leadership across all aspects of the campus dining program. The role will drive revenue initiatives, manage budgets, and lead a high-performing team to deliver exceptional customer experiences across residential and non-residential dining venues.

The position requires a Bachelor's degree in Hotel/Restaurant Management or related field with 7+ years of experience, and a strong track record in high-volume operations, food

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Hotel/Restaurant Management or related field with 7+ years of related experience.
• Experience in a high-volume multi-unit operation.
• Strong knowledge of food and catering trends, with focus on cost controls and presentation.
• Ability to teach and motivate supervisory staff, student management, staff, and temporary workers while upholding health/sanitation standards.
• Experience with budget management and financial planning.

Responsibilities

• Provide vision, leadership, and strategic direction for the University's comprehensive dining program.
• Oversee residential, retail, catering, and auxiliary dining operations including multiple dining venues.
• Develop, administer, and monitor departmental budgets, financial plans, and performance metrics.
• Collaborate with campus stakeholders to develop menus, purchasing, inventory, forecast demand, and revenue growth.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

Operations management

Staff development

Customer service

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Hotel/Restaurant Management or related field

Job description

Description

The Director provides leadership across all aspects of theoperation, including financial management, budget development,personnel administration, vendor and contract management,operational planning, food safety, regulatory compliance, andcustomer experience. This position will champion innovation,develop revenue-generating initiatives, strengthen campuspartnerships, and cultivate a culture of hospitality, operationalexcellence, and continuous improvement while leading ahigh-performing team.

Examples of Duties

• Provide overall vision, leadership, and strategic direction forthe University's comprehensive dining program, ensuring alignmentwith institutional goals, student success initiatives, andauxiliary services objectives.
• Lead and oversee all residential, retail, catering, andauxiliary dining operations, including two residential diningcenters, Starbucks, Student Center dining operations, Delyte'sCoffee Shop, Child Care dining services, Touch of Nature diningoperations, and other food service venues.
• Lead the integration and coordination of residential dining,retail dining, meal plan administration, catering, and auxiliaryfood service operations to provide a seamless and consistent campusdining experience.
• Develop, administer, and monitor departmental budgets,financial plans, and performance metrics, ensuring fiscalresponsibility and achievement of revenue and expense goals.
• Develop and implement strategies to increase revenue, expandservices, and identify new business opportunities that enhance thefinancial sustainability of dining operations.
• Establish and grow a comprehensive campus catering program thatsupports University events, conferences, athletics, studentorganizations, and external customers while generating additionalrevenue and enhancing campus engagement.
• Evaluate dining trends, customer demand, and market conditionsto guide pricing strategies, service enhancements, facilityinvestments, and long-term planning.
• Ensure compliance with food safety regulations, qualitystandards, risk management practices, and established operatingprocedures.
• Develop and implement emergency response, business continuityand risk management plans for all dining and food serviceoperations.
• Collaborate with food service staff and centralized supportunits, including purchasing, nutrition, marketing, finance, andinformation technology, to develop menus, direct food purchases,manage inventory, forecast demand, and implement strategies thatmaintain and grow revenue.
• Partner with the ID Card Office to ensure the effectiveadministration and compliance of meal plans, dining dollars, andflex dollar programs through Atrium and related systems.
• Utilize CBORD Food Service Suite and other reporting tools tomonitor operational performance, purchasing, inventory, menu mix,labor utilization, food costs, waste reduction, and key performanceindicators.
• Negotiate, administer, and evaluate contracts with vendors,suppliers, franchise partners, sponsorship partners, and serviceproviders to ensure quality, value, compliance, and operationaleffectiveness.
• Ensure compliance with franchise agreements, sponsorshipcontracts, and University policies while maintaining strongrelationships with external partners.
• Lead long-range facility planning, renovation projects,equipment replacement initiatives, and capital improvement effortsto maintain modern, safe, and efficient dining facilities.
• Maintain appropriate staffing levels and organizationalstructures by implementing effective recruitment, retention,onboarding, and succession planning strategies.
• Provide leadership development, coaching, mentorship, andprofessional growth opportunities for management and supervisorystaff to ensure organizational effectiveness and continuity.
• Manage labor budgets, staffing models, scheduling practices,personnel records, and payroll approval processes.
• Develop and implement innovative dining concepts, promotions,themed events, and customer engagement initiatives that enhance thecampus dining experience.
• Establish operational goals and expectations through regularmeetings with management staff and foster a culture ofaccountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuousimprovement.
• Ensure comprehensive training programs are provided in customerservice, hospitality, food safety, allergen awareness, foodpreparation, leadership development, and operationalexcellence.
• Advance sustainability initiatives related to food sourcing,waste reduction, recycling, energy efficiency, and environmentalstewardship.
• Collaborate with campus stakeholders to promote nutritioneducation, wellness initiatives, and accommodations for individualswith dietary restrictions and food allergies.
• Identify opportunities for operational enhancements and provideproactive recommendations to improve programs, services,efficiencies, and customer satisfaction.
• Promote effective use of business systems, technologysolutions, and data analytics to improve operational performanceand decision-making.
• Develop long-range strategic plans and recommendations thatsupport the growth, sustainability, and continuous improvement ofcampus dining services.
• Collect and analyze customer feedback, assessment data,industry benchmarks, and operational metrics to guidedecision-making and evaluate program effectiveness.
• Foster a customer-centered culture by actively engaging withstudents, faculty, staff, alumni, visitors, and guests whileensuring employees provide exceptional service.
• Develop dining programs and services that contribute to studentrecruitment, retention, engagement, campus life, and overallstudent satisfaction.
• Build strategic partnerships with academic departments todevelop curriculum, internships, applied learning opportunities,and other high-impact educational experiences that supportworkforce development and student success.
• Cultivate partnerships with local businesses, producers,community organizations, and industry partners to enhance diningprograms, experiential learning opportunities, and communityengagement.
• Collaborate with University leadership, student affairs,enrollment management, and student support offices to enhancestudent participation, engagement, and overall campussatisfaction.
• Partner with Athletics staff to support the nutritional,operational, and programmatic needs of student-athletes.
• Serve as the primary dining services representative onUniversity committees, task forces, and strategic initiativesrelated to student experience, wellness sustainability, auxiliaryservices, and campus life.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
  

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in Hotel/Restaurant Management or relatedfield with 7+ years of related experience.
• Experience in a high-volume multi-unit operation.
• Strong knowledge of food and catering trends with a focus onquality, production, sanitation, food cost controls, andpresentation
• 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 studentcustomers, all while keeping industry, state and localhealth/sanitation standards.
• Experience with budget management and financial planning.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's Degree

Required Documents:

Please submit a letter of applicationexplaining how education and experience meet the qualifications,resume/CV, and three references.

Contact:

Shari Garnett, [e-mail]