Director of Operations - Dining Services

Department

Job Family

Vassar College is deeply committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees by promoting an environment of transparency and respect for differences. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds who meet the qualifications of a posting. If you need to request an accommodation to fully participate in the search process, please contact careers@vassar.edu.

Job Description

Schedule: Monday - Friday, 8:30am-5pm (37.5 hours per week)

Position Summary

Reporting to the Head of Dining Services, the Director of Operations provides day-to-day operational leadership for Vassar College Dining Services. The Director is responsible for ensuring that dining facilities and services are appropriately staffed, effectively managed, and operating safely and efficiently while delivering a positive experience for students and the campus community.

The Director provides direct supervision and leadership to the Dining Staffing Manager, Assistant Director of Dining – Retreat Operations, and Dining Services Supervisors. The position maintains a strong and visible presence throughout Dining Services operations and is responsible for providing direction, coaching, accountability, and support to the operational management team. The Director works closely with the Head of Dining, Executive Chef, and Bon Appétit leadership to coordinate operational priorities, staffing, service execution, catering, and the student dining experience.

Responsibilities:

• Provide daily operational leadership and maintain a visible presence throughout Dining Services facilities to ensure that service, staffing, food presentation, sanitation, safety, and customer service meet established expectations.

• Supervise and provide direction to the Dining Staffing Manager, Assistant Director of Dining – Retreat Operations, and Dining Services Supervisors.

• Oversee staffing, scheduling, and daily employee deployments to ensure appropriate coverage across Dining Services operations.

• Responsible for the recruiting and hiring process for dining employees including a successful orientation and onboarding process.

• Manages employee relations in partnership with Human Resources and the union CBA, attend labor relations meetings, and implement relevant action plans.

• Provide clear direction to supervisors and employees, address operational concerns promptly, and hold employees accountable for established performance and service expectations.

• Coach, mentor, and develop direct reports and Dining Supervisors.

• Oversee the day-to-day operation of Gordon Commons, The Retreat, The Express, Street Eats, Catering, and other dining services.

• Serve as the primary contact for catering needs and provide operational leadership for Dining Services catering, including staffing, scheduling, logistics, and coordination with campus departments and the culinary team.

• Monitor operational practices and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, staffing, service, and the student dining experience.

• Ensure compliance with applicable health, safety, sanitation, food allergy, and Dining Services policies and procedures.

• Coordinate with Facilities and other campus partners to address equipment, facility, maintenance, and operational needs affecting Dining Services.

• Collaborate with the Executive Chef to coordinate service execution, ensuring effective communication between culinary and front-of-house operations while maintaining clear areas of responsibility.

• Respond to student and customer concerns and work with Dining Services leadership to address issues and implement improvements.

• Monitor labor utilization and operational expenses and identify opportunities for efficient use of resources.

• Participate in Dining Services planning, leadership meetings, campus committees, and other meetings as needed.

• Support the development and implementation of Dining Services training, operational procedures, and service standards.

Required knowledge, skills and abilities

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and work experience.

• Five years of progressively responsible experience in food service, hospitality, or a high-volume operational environment.

• Demonstrated supervisory and management experience, including the ability to coach, mentor, develop, and hold employees accountable.

• Experience with staffing, scheduling, and operational deployment.

• Strong organizational, problem-solving, and communication skills.

• Ability to work effectively with employees, students, campus partners, and external partners.

• Ability to work collaboratively in an environment with Vassar College and Bon Appétit employees.

• Comfort using technology to support scheduling, operational, and administrative functions.

• Availability and flexibility to work evening and weekend hours year-round to support campus dining.

Preferred knowledge, skills and abilities

• A degree in hospitality, restaurant management, business administration, or culinary arts.

• Experience working in higher education.

• Experience working in a unionized environment.

• Experience managing high-volume dining operations and/or catering.

• ServSafe Certification.

Compensation

The compensation for this position is $70,300 - $91,500 per year.

When extending an offer, Vassar College considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, budget, and other market and organizational considerations. The starting salary range represents the College’s good faith and reasonable estimate at the time of posting.