Associate Director of Residential Dining / Associate Director of Culinary Services

Working/Functional Title

Associate Director of Residential Dining

Position Summary

MSU’s Associate Director of Residential Dining (AD-Res) provides leadership for a diverse team of highly skilled culinarians, hospitality professionals, frontline associates, and student employees across MSU’s campus. Through strategic and innovative planning, thoughtful implementation, and human-focused management, the AD-Res ensures operational excellence in the environments where Spartans eat and connect, and teams grow and thrive. As a member of the Residential and Hospitality Services (RHS) leadership team, the AD-Res contributes to development and implementation of Culinary Services policies and strategic plans.

Culinary Services proudly embodies the Residential and Hospitality Services (RHS) mission and values:

We empower all Spartans to succeed by creating holistic and engaging residential, culinary, recreational, and hospitality experiences that shape life outside the classroom and beyond graduation.

Belonging | We support the well-being of the community, inclusively, with care and respect.  

Partnership | We embrace teamwork and collaboration, supporting each other and the community.

Stewardship | We take pride in doing what is best for current and future Spartans as stewards of the resources entrusted to us.

Learning and Development | We stay curious by exploring opportunities to learn and innovate.

Safety | We prioritize the safety of Spartans, striving to create environments that foster security and trust. 

Culinary Services website: https://eatatstate.msu.edu/

All positions in RHS are designated as critical status. In the event of a university closure, modification, or suspension of operations due to snow or other emergency condition, persons in this position are expected to make all reasonable attempts to report to work as scheduled for the duration of the closure/suspension.

Major Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Planning - 25%

• Manages the daily operations of 7 AYCE Residential Dining Halls and 4 Grab and Go/Grub Hub Mobile Ordering Retail Units across the MSU Campus.  Approximately 42,000 meals are served daily.
• Provides senior leadership in resolving complex problems and enhancing food service performance and guest service satisfaction.
• Assists in leading Culinary Services in strategic planning efforts, including the annual development of goals and objectives which maximize partnerships, resources, and synergistic relationships throughout the department.
• Partners with the Director of Culinary Services to lead a vision for a student/guest/community centered model of quality service for all departments.
• Oversees and/or participates on major projects, assists in long range planning, and provides other administrative support to the division as needed.
• Stays informed on emerging food and beverage trends to develop and implement innovative, relevant, and customer-focused offerings across campus.

 

Develop Winning Teams - 20%

• Assists in the planning to sustain a positive organizational climate and culture in Culinary Services by creating positive relationships, reviewing climate survey data and trends, and reviewing policies and practices that would inadvertently impact cross-cultural groups.
• Assists in visionary leadership and oversight for community belonging programs and initiatives offered to Culinary Services’ students, staff and guests regarding diversity, inclusion, restorative and social justice matters.
• Foster an environment focused on continuous learning, professional growth, and operational excellence to meet and exceed production and service expectations. Collaborates with team members to develop professional development plans.
• Coordinates and facilitates education, training, and outreach programs within Culinary Services for students and staff to promote interaction among cross-cultural groups and respond appropriately to diverse situations.
• Plans and develops training programs and criteria for Culinary Services food service staff.
• Assesses staffing needs regarding the day-to-day operation of the specific unit of responsibility.

 

Drive Operational Excellence and Outstanding Experiences - 25%

• Develops, recommends, interprets and implements food service policies, procedures, standards and methods and implements short and long-range unit objectives.
• Oversees the activities of the Culinary operations staff and Culinary Kitchen operations in order to evaluate food products, recipes and food service equipment.
• Manages respon