Associate Director, Dining Services

Salary/Position Classification

• $89,800-$93,300 annual, Exempt
• 40 hours per week
• This position will work onsite the Grand Forks, ND campus.

Purpose of Position

The Associate Director of Residential Dining provides strategic leadership and operational excellence for the university’s residential dining program. This role ensures an exceptional dining experience for students, faculty, staff, and guests by upholding the highest standards of food quality, service, and hospitality, while maintaining fiscal responsibility within established budgets.

The Associate Director guides the residential dining management team using industry best practices, fostering a culture of teamwork, accountability, and innovation. A strong commitment to culinary excellence, safety, sanitation, and presentation, along with effective marketing, point-of-sale management, and communication, drives the success of this key campus program.

Duties & Responsibilities

Management and Leadership

• Supervises a staff of 38 professional staff, 30-40 temporary staff, and 175-250 student employees. Provide operational and strategic guidance to all unit staff to support dining’s vision and goals
• Clearly articulates expectations, conducts unit-level trainings, meetings, and orientation sessions, provides ongoing performance assessment and feedback, holding self and team accountable for expectations and standards as well as department goals and objectives. Coach and mentor staff. Build morale and emphasizes teamwork and engagement
• Oversees the hiring process, interviews applicants and recommend candidates for hire
• Establish an environment of team and individual accountability
• Maintains service and culinary concept standards and procedures through training and daily formal and informal inspections, ensure consistency, quality, and appealing presentation through random inspections.
• Evaluate, counsel, and discipline employees in accordance with campus and departmental policies.
• Train staff on the proper startup, shutdown, and use of equipment.

Financial oversight

• Monitors budgeted food, variable, and labor costs, regularly reviews budget with staff, reviews and analyzes financial reports. Reviews profit and loss statement for accuracy and comparison to budget.
• Directs managers on appropriate staffing schedules
• Using established practices, oversee the acquisition of inventory, maintain sufficient levels per sales, minimize loss
• Oversees the units use of departmental cost containment programs, Food Pro, Humanity, & Lean Path

Marketing, Communications, Public Relations

• Anticipates, addresses, and resolves customer service issues.
• Collects feedback from students and guests and meets with residence advisory groups.

Safety and Sanitation

• Enforces proper sanitation standards in compliance with regulations. HACCP, State and Local regulations.
• Ensures employees are compliant with mandatory health and educational requirements

Planning

• High level participation in the planning of Dining Services facilities, programs, and services under the direction of the Dining Services director.
• Collaborate with the Dining Services Director in assuring a high-quality residential dining program.

Required Competencies

• Knowledge of culinary techniques, recipe and menu development, food ordering, budget management, commercial kitchen equipment, and supervision of kitchen personnel
• Knowledge of basic computer programs, excel, word, outlook, Food Pro, electronic time keeping, access control, point of sale, scheduling programs and waste management systems.
• Strong financial acumen, ability to monitor and maintain financial goals
• Ability to communicate both written and verbal form, excellent customer service skills. Demonstrated leadership, ability to build effective teams, coach and mentor others, ability to work with a diverse team
• Demonstrated ability to provide exceptional customer service
• Drive for excellence, Innovation, Business and Industry Knowledge, Planning, Leadership, Operational Management, Human Resource Management & Development, Work with Diverse Constituencies, Sustainability capable of working independently and completing assigned tasks with minimal supervision
• Proven skill in maintaining performance and focus amid frequent interruptions and distractions
• Skill in analyzing complex information, identifying key issues, and formulating logical, objective conclusions
• Understanding and leveraging financial acumen

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree