Food Service Administrator II - Illini Union

Illinois; Urbana (IL); On-site; USD 55,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Illini Union is seeking a Food Service Administrator II to oversee a Starbucks-style retail operation and other Food & Beverage services. You will develop sales plans, manage inventory, supervise staff, and ensure high-quality customer service in a university setting.

Responsibilities include coaching staff, monitoring performance, and coordinating with campus departments. This is a full-time onsite role with standard retail hours, requiring strong leadership and financial acumen.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Four (4) years from hospitality/food service related categories as measured by coursework or degrees.
• Food service management work experience.

Responsibilities

• Oversee and analyze sales plans, strategies, and operations for Starbucks-style retail store.
• Manage inventory and procurement, using sales reports and inventory systems.
• Maintain records for sales, purchases, sanitation, payroll, and brand reporting.
• Provide coaching and training to store team to meet operational goals.
• Monitor staffing levels and support talent acquisition and development.
• Communicate clearly with store team, brand reps and other departments.
• Ensure exemplary customer service and resolve staff and customer issues.
• Lead performance assessments and provide feedback to staff.
• Use management tools and financial reports to address trends in store performance.
• Solicit customer feedback to understand needs of campus community.
• Drive programs by planning actions and guiding the team to meet objectives.

Skills

Food service ops

Staff training

Customer service

Budget management

Interpersonal skills

Scheduling

POS systems

Leadership

Cash handling

Education

High school diploma

Hospitality coursework

Food service management exp

Bachelor's degree

University training

Job description

Job Summary

Under the guidance of the Associate Director of Hospitality, helps develop and manage one or more Food & Beverage Operations (i.e. Starbucks) for the Illini Union within the Retail Service Department, a position essential for balancing a complex budget and delivering services to students and the campus community in support of the overall mission of the Illini Union. As an integral member of the Retail Operations staff, assists the Assistant Director by developing and directing daily operations and planning and executing special projects at the discretion of the Assistant Director of Food and Beverage Operations/Senior Associate Director/Illini Union Executive Director.

Food Service Administrator II - Illini Union

Illini Union

Duties & Responsibilities

• Manages the operations of a Food & Beverage retail store (i.e. Starbucks) including the development and analysis of sales plans, strategies, tactics, and identifying opportunities for business growth, overseeing and participating in the day-to-day operations including the preparation of food and beverage products, POS system operation, customer service, and achieving benchmarks for any brand standards of a licensed operation.


• Manages inventory levels for products and merchandise through the use of sales reports, inventory systems, inventory records, and turnover figures to maximize sales while maintaining adequate stock levels.


• Responsible for maintaining accurate records for departmental sales, product purchases, sanitation inspections, equipment maintenance, payroll, scheduling, and any brand standard reporting required.


• Provides coaching, direction, and training to the store team to take action to achieve operational goals. Constantly reviews store environment and key business indicators to identify problems, concerns, and opportunities for improvement to provide coaching and direction to the store team to achieve operational goals.


• Monitors and manages store staffing levels to ensure staff development and talent acquisition to achieve and maintain store operational requirements while planning, identifying, communicating, and delegating appropriate responsibilities and practices to store employees to ensure smooth flow of operations


• Communicates regularly and uses discretion to filter communications to the store team, brand representatives and other departments. Communicates clearly, professionally, concisely, and accurately in order to ensure effective store operations.


• Displays a \"customer first\" attitude by training and holding staff accountable for delivering exemplary customer service and provides support to team members within the organization.


• Actively manages employees by regularly conducting performance assessments, providing feedback, and setting goals to improve employee performance.


• Utilizes management information tools and analyzes financial reports to identify and address trends and issues in store performance.


• Solicits customer feedback to understand customer needs and the needs of the university and local community.


• Drives the implementation of university or brand-related programs by developing action plans and directly motivating and instructing the store team to implement them to meet operational and organizational objectives.


• Demonstrates a calm demeanor during periods of high volume or unusual events and manages smooth transitions thereafter to keep store operating to standard and to set a positive example for the store team.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

• Position involves a great deal of moving between the retail area and storage areas and long periods of time behind the counter during busy hours.

Work Schedule, Travel, or Other Job Expectations

• Most work will be accomplished in a typical retail work environment.


• Work hours may be extended, and lunch periods/breaks may be shortened, during peak periods to meet operational needs.


• Work on some evenings and weekends may be required.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.


• 
  Any one or combination totaling four (4) years (48 months) from the categories below:
  
  
  
  • Coursework in hospitality administration/management, culinary science, food services management, or a closely related field, as measured by the following conversion table or its proportional equivalent:
  
  
  • 30 semester hours equals one (1) year (12 months)
  
  
  • Associate’s Degree (60 semester hours) equals eighteen months (18 months)
  
  
  • 90 semester hours equals two (2) years (24 months)
  
  
  • Bachelor's Degree (120 semester hours) equals three (3) years (36 months)
  
  
  
  


• Food service management work experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, hospitality, or related field.


• Minimum of four years of management experience in food & beverage and/or retail operations, University training in Business, Hospitality or related field.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of food service organization, operations, methods, and equipment, including a wide variety of institutional food service operations such as dormitory food service, catering, bakery, fast foods, and sit-down dining.


• Knowledge of food management techniques, including purchasing, food storage, inventory, food production and control, service personnel management, financial management, and facilities management.


• Knowledge of sanitation procedures, safe food handling practices, proper rotation of food products, and health and safety regulations.


• Knowledge of computer programs relating to menu management, inventory management, catering programs, and point-of-sale systems, including the ability to prepare sales reports and use sales information to allocate resources effectively.


• Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources management, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.


• Knowledge of marketing strategies, merchandising, and promotional advertising.


• Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effectiveness.


• Skill in researching current trends to create and standardize recipes.


• Strong communication, interpersonal, and customer service skills, including the ability to assess customer needs, meet service quality standards, and evaluate customer satisfaction.


• Intermediate math skills, including cash handling, recordkeeping, and concise report preparation.


• Skill in decision-making, independent judgment, initiative, leadership, operations analysis, and the ability to organize, prioritize, and multitask.


• Ability to supervise, train, instruct, and discipline employees; work effectively with students, faculty, staff, and the general public in a dynamic, fast-paced environment; interpret, follow, and enforce policies and procedures; meet deadlines; make sound decisions under pressure; and resolve employee and customer conflicts.


• Ability to work under pressure in stressful situations and ability to work on numerous projects simultaneously.

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Civil Service 0037 - Food Service Administrator II position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after 1/11/2027.

• Salary Information:The budgeted salary for thisposition is $55,000 - $60,000 per year.


• Fully Onsite position:This position willbe expected to work at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus on afull-time basis per the University’s Workplace Flexibility policy.


• Work Schedule:The expected work hours forthis position are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM (Central Time) with some weekend work required based on operational needs.


• Sponsorship:This position is not eligiblefor any type of sponsorship for work authorization.

For more information on Civil Service classifications, please visit the SUCSS web site at https://www.sucss.illinois.gov/pages/classspec/default.aspx .

Champaign-Urbana

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position; however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.

This position is intended to be eligible for benefits . This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify .

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Accommodations may also be requested on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions, or religion. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodation portal , or by contacting the Office for Access & Equity at 217-333-0885, option #1, or [e-mail] .