DIRECTOR, DINING SERVICES - K12 Belding Area Schools, Ionia, MI

Job Summary

Chartwells K12 | Compass Group USA
Belding Area Schools, Ionia, MI
Director of Dining Services (DDS)

We’re looking for a dynamic, high‑impact Director of Dining Services (DDS) to lead our long tenured account with Belding Area Schools in Ionia, MI. In this role, you’ll support four schools serving approximately 1,350 students, acting as the key partner to school administrators while working side‑by‑side with frontline teams to deliver exceptional dining experiences every day.

Reporting to the Area Director, you’ll bring visible, hands‑on leadership—driving operations, financial performance, compliance, and team development. This is a highly engaged role where you’ll spend time in schools coaching managers, building strong relationships, and ensuring consistency across a high‑profile district.

Even better—you’ll enjoy a strong work‑life balance with a steady Monday–Friday schedule, 7:00 AM–4:00 PM, giving you the opportunity to make a meaningful impact while keeping your evenings and weekends free.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manages hourly associates in the Food Service Department
• Oversees the overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of the account
• Interviews, hires, and trains associates; plans, assigns, and directs work; appraises performance; rewards and disciplines associates; addresses complaints and resolves problems
• Prepares and manages annual budget
• Utilize company systems for completion of required daily/weekly/monthly reports such as inventory, cash reports, production records, payroll/time-keeping, etc.
• Oversees and participates in the preparation and service of food and beverage items in adherence to company food standards for preparation, presentation, sanitation and safety (meeting HACCP and OSHA guidelines) and portion control

Preferred Qualifications:

• Assocaites degree, preferably in foodservice, hospitality management, dietetics, culinary or related fields preferred.
• Three years of direct foodservice operational management experience with inventory and purchasing knowledge and control, K12 experience preferred.
• Solid knowledge of food and catering trends with a focus on quality, production, sanitation, food cost controls, and presentation
• Previous P&L accountability or contract-managed service experience is desirable
• Strong supervisory, leadership, management and coaching skills
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal
• Ability to communicate on various levels to include management, client, customer and associate levels
• Fnancial, budgetary, accounting and computational skills
• Proficient computer skills to include; various computer programs, Microsoft Office programs, e-mail and the Internet