Director of Dining Services
About Dining Services:
Over the past 18 years, the department has been a top-ranked program for "Best Food on Campus" by the Princeton Review--placing in the top 11 schools every year, the top 5 schools 13 times, and achieving the #1 spot three separate times.
Notable awards include the prestigious Ivy Award, numerous Horton Grand Prize and Gold Awards for special event programs from the National Association of College and University Food Services (NACUFS), and Food Management Magazine's College & University Innovators of the Year award (awarded twice).
Virginia Tech has been named to the Princeton Review's "Green Rating Honor Roll" of Colleges and Universities (receiving the top possible score of 99).
About Compensation and Benefits:
For this regular appointment, calendar-year position, Virginia Tech offers a generous compensation package (salary ranging from $150,000 - $170,000) along with a comprehensive benefits package that includes health insurance, paid leave, retirement, tuition assistance, VT discounts, and so much more!
About the Position's Duties:
Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Dining, Housing, Facilities & Operations, and Student Engagement & Campus Life, the Director of Dining Services advances a progressive, innovative, large, and complex dining services operation. The Director provides vision, strategic direction for operations, budget development, and personnel functions for 10 dining venues (self-op board operations, retail operations, and national brands contracts), and a processing/distribution center, with over 7.1 million dining experiences provided yearly. This is projected to rise to 7.7 million after additional facilities are completed.
The position oversees 410+ salaried staff, 1600+student staff, and 250+ hourly employees and operates as an auxiliary-funded function with revenues in excess of $80M+, projected to rise to $86.2M after additional facilities are completed. In addition to the administration of daily operations, the Director is responsible for executing the strategic plan, fiscal management, oversight of food preparation and services, compliance with safety and sanitation regulations, staff supervision and training, facilities management including maintenance and capital projects, and an aggressive sustainability and local foods program. The Director develops collaborative relationships with stakeholders within and external to the Virginia Tech community for the purposes of advancing the university's mission through programming, sustainability initiatives, and university events. The Director participates in Student Affairs' 26-person leadership group and works to sustain and promote the mission and goals of Student Affairs. Additional details about VT's Dining Services program, can be found at https://dining.vt.edu/.
About Required Qualifications:
Successful candidates will ideally meet the following criteria:
* A bachelor's degree is required, ideally in hospitality management, food management, culinary arts, business management, or a related field.
* A master's degree in a related field is preferred, as is familiarity with food information systems (such as FoodPro®), experience in construction of new facilities, and prior experience working with sustainability programs.
* Extensive leadership experience is required which demonstrates progressively increasing responsibilities and management of food services within a large and complex dining environment, preferably in higher education.
* Extensive experience with budget development and management of a multi-million dollar operation-including national brand(s), venue development, and facility design, renovation, and maintenance.
* Extensive experience leading AND managing a large and diverse staff, including recruitment, training, ongoing supervision, staff development, retention, and establishing staffing patterns in dining venues.
* Considerable experience in the administration of HACCP and health department policies and procedures to ensure food safety and sanitation.
* Demonstrable ability to assess operations and make data-informed decisions with a goal of continuous improvement.
* Demonstrable ability to work collaboratively to accomplish goals, and to successfully work within the policies and procedures of a large, complex organization.
About Additional Qualifications:
Additionally, we are also seeking individuals with the following characteristics:
Candidates who can showcase a positive and energetic spirit along with unwavering pursuit and passion for excellence in service, food quality, and engagement, do so by:
* Demonstrating the ability to drive administrative excellence by optimizing administrative efficiencies, leveraging technology, and constantly seeking out opportunities to improve effectiveness.
* Demonstrating exceptional fiscal and human resource management skills.
* Committing to sustainability efforts (such as Campus Climate Action Commitment and departmental initiatives).
* Effectively developing and executing strategic plans to include university, Student Affairs, and Dining Services strategic plans.
Candidates who can showcase that they are a champion for students do so by:
* Being a good steward of student monies.
* Employing a management style that involves students in direction and decision making in advancing the program (e.g., position oversees Dining Services Student Advisory Committee).
* Focusing on student success and well-being.
* Being sensitive and solution-oriented to student food insecurities.
* Advancing student learning.
* Creating shared experiences and fostering community building.
* Fostering spaces and services that provide a sense of inclusion and belonging.
Candidates who can showcase that they are a champion for team members do so by:
* Being the conduit and voice of the team in representing Dining Services.
* Being a developer of people and leaders both professional and personal.
* Fostering robust collaborations with internal and external entities that support and advance the university and departmental initiatives.
* Being a facilitator of dialogue and possibilities--bringing current and new campus partners together in pursuit of student success/well-being.
* Demonstrating that sanitation and safety are paramount in how the department operates.
Appointment Type:
Regular
Review Date:
September 29, 2023
About Virginia Tech:
Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.
Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.
If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Carolyn Hanneman at carolynh18@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.
