Executive Director, Campus Dining Experience

Vanderbilt University; Nashville (TN); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

The Senior Director of Campus Dining at Vanderbilt University leads a self-operated residential dining enterprise serving approx. 2.5 million meals annually across 20 operations, with about 450 employees and $47 million in annual revenue.

The role drives culinary excellence, financial stewardship, workforce leadership, and student-focused dining innovations, aligning dining strategy with Vanderbilt’s residential mission and university priorities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in hospitality management, business administration, food service management, culinary management, or related field.
• Progressive leadership experience in large-scale dining, hospitality, or auxiliary services.
• Experience leading large organizations through multiple management levels.
• Experience managing complex operating budgets with accountability for financial and operational performance.
• Ability to lead workforce strategy and complex employee and labor-relations matters.
• Strong understanding of high-volume food-service operations.
• Demonstrated success leading organizational change, continuous improvement, and complex cross-functional initiatives.
• Strong financial, analytical, organizational, communication, and decision-making capabilities.
• Demonstrated ability to build effective relationships and influence employees, institutional partners, union representatives, students, and senior leaders.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for Vanderbilt’s self-operated residential dining enterprise.
• Translate university priorities into operating plans, performance expectations, resource strategies, and measurable outcomes.
• Lead organizational and operational change, building alignment among leaders, employees, students, and university stakeholders.
• Establish operating standards, performance measures, and management practices across Residential Dining.
• Develop and monitor budgets, forecasts, labor plans, and financial targets with disciplined oversight.
• Oversee workforce strategies addressing recruitment, retention, scheduling, overtime, training, and succession planning.
• Partner with Finance, Procurement, and other university functions on sourcing strategies and major decisions.
• Foster an inclusive, high-performing workplace culture and ensure alignment with student experience and safety.

Skills

Leadership

Financial management

Strategic planning

Communication

Labor relations

Education

Bachelor’s degree in hospitality management, business administration, food service management, culinary management, or related field

Master’s degree in business administration, hospitality management, organizational leadership

Job description

The Senior Director of Campus Dining at Vanderbilt University leads a self-operated residential dining enterprise serving approx. 2.5 million meals annually across 20 operations, with about 450 employees and $47 million in annual revenue.

The role drives culinary excellence, financial stewardship, workforce leadership, and student-focused dining innovations, aligning dining strategy with Vanderbilt’s residential mission and university priorities.