Career Center

Director of Dining Services

Amherst Campus
Full Time
JR4472

Amherst has taken a leadership role among highly selective liberal arts colleges and universities in successfully diversifying the racial, socio-economic, and geographic profile of its student body. The College is similarly committed to enriching its educational experience and its culture through the diversity of its faculty, administration and staff.

Job Description:

Amherst College invites applications for the Director of Dining Services position. The Director of Dining Services is a full-time, year-round position, and starting salary is commensurate with experience. Given Amherst's distinction as one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in the country, the successful candidate will demonstrate the ways in which they bring value to and will work towards supporting a broadly diverse community.

The Director of Dining Services provides leadership, general direction, and administration for Dining Services at Amherst College. The successful candidate will lead this operation to be a premier Dining Services provider in Higher Education. This role oversees a $7.6M budget which encompasses approximately 200 employees, five on-campus dining venues, catering operations, on-campus retail/merchandise operations, and our Book & Plow Farm. One meal at a time, this role contributes towards positive dining experiences for students, faculty, staff, and the community. The outputs of this position aid in facilitating academic excellence, student belonging, operational excellence, and civic responsibility. This position takes appropriate actions to support a diverse workforce and participates in the College's efforts to create a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment.

Summary of Responsibilities:

Leadership

• Provide strategic leadership and management for all food and retail service operations on campus. Develop and implement strategic plans, policies, procedures, and initiatives for these areas.
• Lead by example in treating others with respect, empowering employees, being proactive and innovative, using data analysis to support decision-making, and being a strong team player.
• Make recommendations regarding staff appointments, promotion, retention, salary action, and other personnel matters within the department. Conduct performance evaluations, provide constructive feedback, and oversee staff development/training programs.
• Champion Diversity and Inclusion efforts to enhance an inclusive environment for employees from diverse backgrounds. Collaborate with HR and the office of D&I to implement inclusive policies and practices.

Dining Services Operations

• Supervise all aspects of dining services operations, including managing inventory levels, ordering, storage of food, food preparation, serving, cleanliness, and maintenance.
• Implement an optimum organizational structure and efficient workflow processes to ensure smooth and timely meal service. Make recommendations to improve existing processes. Monitor service deliverables/metrics, report results, and drive improvements. Benchmark departments' performance against peers and best practices to ensure Dining Services performs at the highest level.
• Uphold excellent customer service standards to enhance the overall dining experience for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Address customer concerns and complaints promptly and professionally, seeking resolutions to maintain satisfaction. Survey the customer base to measure satisfaction levels.
• Implement improvement actions to drive higher levels of Employee Satisfaction based upon Modern Think survey results.
• Collaborate with chefs and nutritionists to plan diverse, nutritious, and appealing menus that cater to various dietary preferences and restrictions. Monitor food quality and presentation to ensure adherence to established standards.
• Deliver timely, informative, and critical internal communications to a diverse group of faculty, staff, and other stakeholders regarding Dining Services operations.
• Ensure compliance with health, safety, and food service regulations, following local, state and federal guidelines. Maintain accurate records and documentation related to food safety, inspections, and staff training.
• Maintain and implement sustainability initiatives including waste reduction, recycling programs and energy-saving measures.
• Foster effective communication and collaboration with other departments, vendors, and stakeholders regarding Dining Services' operations on-campus.
• Provide leadership and support to the campus operations team to plan, organize and respond to campus emergencies, including but not limited to weather and other significant events, to maintain business continuity.
• Oversee ID card production for faculty, staff, and students.

Fiscal Management

• Oversee the development of the departments' operating budget, and ensure compliance with that budget.
• Negotiate contracts and monitor expenditures to ensure funds are effectively and appropriately used.
• Recommend actions and strategies to optimize resources to achieve financial goals while delivering quality service.

Civic Relationship Management

• Help to build and maintain the College's relationship with local, state, and national governmental entities as well as the community.

Misc.

• Support college-wide management activities and contribute to their success.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Required

• A Bachelor's degree in Food Service Management, Hospitality Management, or a relevant field from an accredited institution.
• 10+ years of relevant experience, preferably in a college or university setting.
• Strong leadership, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Knowledge of food safety regulations and standards.
• Demonstrated commitment to building a diverse workforce and proven ability to recruit and retain highly qualified staff members.
• Demonstrated ability to provide guidance and support to individuals resulting in high-performing teams.
• Demonstrated creative problem-solving and strategic-thinking skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work cooperatively and collaboratively with a diverse set of college faculty, staff, administrators, and governing boards.
• Ability to effectively communicate ideas and information in a written and oral format to administrative staff, professional colleagues, governing boards, and the general public in large or small group settings.
• Ability to take initiative, work independently and collaboratively, and handle multiple priorities while remaining attentive to detail.
• Interpersonal, time management, organizational, and customer service skills.
• Experience with Workday or another similar ERP.
• Proficient in database and accounting computer application systems. Proficient in Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook and ability to learn new software.
• Successful completion of a pre-employment physical and lift test.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage stressful situations effectively.

Amherst College offers many opportunities for professional growth and development, continued learning, and career advancement.

Amherst College is pleased to provide a comprehensive, highly competitive benefits package that meets the needs of staff and faculty and their families. Benefits are an important part of our overall compensation, so it is critical that you review all of the options to ensure it meets your total compensation requirements. Click here for Benefits Information.

Interested candidates are asked to submit a resume and cover letter online at https://amherst.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/Amherst_Jobs. Please be sure to upload all requested documents prior to clicking Submit. Applications cannot be revised once submitted. (Current employees and students should apply by clicking on the Career icon from their Workday home screen) Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

To find information about job group and level (JGL) follow this link.


To apply, visit https://amherst.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Amherst_Jobs/job/Amherst-Campus/Director-of-Dining-Services_JR4472







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