Job Title:                      Director of Dining Services                                  

Department:              SUNY Cobleskill Auxiliary Services - CAS

Reports To:                 Executive Director/CEO

Location:                      State University New York at Cobleskill

Classification:            Exempt, Full-time, 52 weeks per year

Operational Oversight

Manage all dining facilities, retail locations, catering, and hospitality to provide a first-class dining experience for students, guests, staff, and faculty.

Summary              

Under the direct supervision of the Executive Director, this person is responsible for the overall success of and oversees the day-to-day operations of one Residential Dining hall, four Retail units, and Catering.  The Director of Dining provides leadership in developing and executing strategies to deliver high-quality dining experiences and excellent customer service to campus students, staff, faculty, guests and visitors, while achieving operational and financial goals and ensuring safety standards are maintained. 

The primary emphasis of this position focuses on business management practices (i.e., operational efficiency, culinary excellence, financial controls, human resource management in conjunction with Human Resources, interdepartmental relations, project management, menu/product change management, as well as monitoring vendor relationships.)  This position requires excellent interpersonal communications skills; the ability to make decisions and take action in a dynamic working environment to achieve organizational goals.  The Director of Dining Services must possess a strong ability to establish and maintain effective and collaborative working relationships with multiple constituents including campus offices, students, staff, faculty members and community groups.  The nature of the position requires a flexible, unrestricted schedule ensuring high visibility and availability.  This person will abide by all the policies and procedures set forth by CAS, SUNY Cobleskill, and all state and federal regulations for the operation.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Planning

• Assists the Executive Director in the planning and administration of a multi-faceted dining program with financial responsibility for an annual budget of $6.9 million, including shared responsibility for all aspects of customer service, quality control, food, labor, and operating costs.
• Develops a vision for the future of the department, pursues new avenues of growth, and prepares strategic plans accordingly.
• Works with the culinary staff to design and implement on trend, healthy and varying offerings including allergen concepts.
• Analyzes the state of the Dining operations internally to determine actions and policies that will enhance collaboration, improve employee morale, and add benefit to Dining’s customers.
• Participate in the administrative staff meetings, serve on committees as requested, conduct training and develop programs for assigned personnel.
• Cultivates and maintains a respectful, cooperative work environment for a diverse and unionized workforce.
• Provides direct reports with daily performance and behavior-related feedback, reinforcing positive behaviors/performance and discouraging/eliminating negative performance.
• Must be familiar with and ensure compliance with the CSEA Union Contract.
• Understands, is committed to, and supports affirmative action and non-discrimination goals and customer-focused quality services.
• Financial Oversight:  Manage multi-million-dollar budgets across dining operations.  Develop revenue generation as well as cost control measures and ensure financial responsibility in purchasing, labor, and waste reduction.
• Recruit, train, mentor, and retain a high-performing, diverse workforce.

Fiscal Management

• Develop and manage budgets and oversee food and labor cost analysis of financial performance.  Monitor expenses and implement strategies to improve profitability.  Ensure compliance with company purchasing and financial policies.  Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPI’s) for financial performance, customer satisfaction, food quality, and operational efficiency.  Conduct financial analysis to improve margins, control costs, and optimize revenue streams. 
• Identify cost-saving opportunities while maintaining high food quality and service standards.  Assist with the planning of dining service equipment maintenance, repairs, and purchasing of new equipment. 
• Oversee all inventory control records, ensuring proper maintenance and consistency.

Operations

• Regularly visit all Dining operation units to monitor customer service, food preparation methods, portion sizes and presentation of food to ensure that food is prepared and presented per CAS’s established food service standards.  Assure product quality, staffing levels, equipment maintenance and ware.  Consults with Unit Managers and Executive Director when changes are necessary.
• Maintains and enhances communications and working relationships with customers, student organizations, campus departments, vendors, and summer conference groups.  Resolves any and all problems and customer complaints in a professional and timely manner.
• Oversees logistics, coordination of large campus events.
• Maintains highest levels of safety and sanitation to comply with all campus, county, state, and federal standards and regulations.
• Manage all dining and hospitality on campus to provide a first class dining experience for students, guests, staff, and faculty.
• Coordinates the preparation and delivery of food services for all special functions, maintain an effective quality assurance program, establish and maintain food service standards.
• Promote program enhancements, sustainability efforts, team accomplishments, and CAS’s Dining vision alignment to students, staff, faculty, and customers.
• Assess Dining performance in relation to established goals; recommend new approaches, menus, policies, and procedures to affect continued improvement of efficiency and effectiveness.
• Oversee the maintenance and repair of buildings and equipment of Dining Services.  Assist the Executive Director to ensure that the facilities are properly maintained.
• Ensure that campus policies are adhered to in the delivery of food services, and set and approve uniform policies for Dining.  Maintain metrics, reports, process documentation, customer service logs, training, and safety records.
• Identify reporting and data processes that are inefficient and drive change that will lead to measurable gains in data quality and processing time.
• Other duties as assigned by the Executive Director.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree, preferred or equivalent work experience.
• Minimum of four years of progressive management experience in a large volume residential dining environment with multiple dining centers or relevant management in other large and multi-unit dynamic restaurant environments is required.
• Microsoft Office computer proficiency required.
• ServSafe Certification or obtainable with 60 days of hire.
• Ability to work nights, weekends, holidays, and special events, as needed.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions:

• Use of computer screens and keyboards
• Use of kitchen equipment
• Sitting or standing for long periods of time
• Bending
• Repetitive motion
• Lifting of up to 50 pounds
• Occasional and sometimes overnight travel.

Benefits:

Medical

Dental Vision

Discount Program

Parking available

EAP

403(b) Retirement with bi-weekly employer match upon eligibility

Annual Retirement Employer discretionary Contribution

Annual Increase – based upon evaluations

Holiday Pay (12 holidays)

Tuition Reimbursement

Sick Leave

Paid Time Off

PTO and Sick Leave Carryover

Annual Salary:   $76K - $110K (compensation based upon experience)

Hours of Operation:       Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm.  Hours will vary based upon operational needs and depending on special events.

This job description is not all inclusive.  Other duties and responsibilities may be required.  In support of the Americans with Disabilities Act, this job description lists only those responsibilities and qualifications deemed essential to the position.  CAS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.