Washington and Lee University Hiring for Assistant Director of Dining Services, Marketplace Operations at Lexington, VA Full Time

Job Description Summary:

Reporting to the Associate Director of Dining Services, the Assistant Director provides direct strategic, operational and administrative leadership for The Marketplace, Washington and Lee’s all-you-care-to-eat dining hall. The Marketplace serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week and hosts a variety of culinary platforms featuring classic American cuisine, fresh-made pasta, daily grill specials, and the Global Kitchen with its rotating offering of authentic international menus. The Assistant Director assists the Dining Services executive leadership team with providing leadership and vision for venue programming, with a particular emphasis on growth, customer service, and daily operations.

Washington and Lee University actively promotes a dynamic and inclusive environment that allows students and employees of multiple backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives to learn, work, and thrive together. Successful candidates will contribute to that environment and exhibit potential for excellence in their areas of expertise.

Essential Functions:

• Provides strategic conceptualization, planning, and supervision for the Marketplace dining hall. Consistently seeks opportunities for growth and improvement in service and advances programmatic initiatives to improve the dining experience. Stays informed of foodservice industry trends and incorporates new and innovative ideas for Marketplace service and products.

• Provides clear leadership, training and management to The Marketplace front-of-house staff. Ensures that all Marketplace staff are educated about the structure and functionality of all meal plans.

• Leads The Marketplace supervisors in oversight and assignment of work schedules for all utility and general service staff and supporting front-of-the-house personnel. Creates schedules in coordination with Marketplace Executive Chef to ensure Marketplace staffing needs are met.

• Monitors employee relations within the department to ensure that all personnel are performing to their potential. Conducts routine staff meetings to ensure all personnel are informed and understand department standards, policies, and directives.

• Provides hands-on coaching, role modeling, coordinated trainings, and mentoring to foster team engagement in The Marketplace. Provides consistent feedback and completes team member reviews thoroughly and in a timely manner.

• Strategizes and implements menu formats, operating programs, and service concepts under collaborative direction of the Marketplace Executive Chef and Associate Director of Dining Services. Assists with operational aspects of developing new service areas, menus, and concepts.

• Monitors the overall daily upkeep, cleaning, and maintenance of The Marketplace facilities.

• Provides regular guidance to supervisors and other team members to ensure that Marketplace staff are on the leading edge of the college/university market; all food service staff should have the technical skill levels and resources necessary to operate a contemporary dining service program. Empowers and assists supervisors in implementing and enforcing departmental policies and standards of operation.

• Oversees the hiring process for vacant FOH positions in The Marketplace according to university and dining recruitment protocol. Reviews applications, conducts interviews, and works with the dining team to recruit and select candidates.

• Partners with Events and Conferences Coordinator to provide outstanding dining experience for summer groups and pre-season athletes returning before school starts. Coordinates hosting for special groups and visitors throughout each year.

• Plans the special events calendar for each year and executes a vision for each of many themed events, collaborating with the Executive Chef and sponsoring campus departments. Oversees a décor budget and purchases and maintains décor for both recurring and one-off events.

• Champions and spearheads sustainability initiatives, including compost and waste collection, waste reduction, and energy reduction. Trains staff on proper related procedures.

• Uses approved procedures to monitor operational expenditures at The Marketplace. Reviews all financial reports with Associate Director of Dining on a regular basis.

• Suggests, presents, and eventually implements Marketplace capital improvement projects with Associate Director of Dining.

• Participates in Dining Executive Leadership meetings, contributing to overall vision and progress of Washington and Lee Dining Services. Approaches issues in the Marketplace within the context of W&L’s overall dining landscape. Assists dining leadership in implementing and maintaining broadly applicable Dining programs.

• Works with Associate Director of Dining to establish standards for quality and service and develop short- and long-term training programs.

• Gathers regular feedback from The Marketplace Chefs, students, faculty, staff, and public customers to assess the quality of food and service.

• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Associates degree required, Bachelor’s degree and/or culinary training preferred.

• Five or more years of experience in food service, including supervisory responsibilities, or an equivalent combination of training and experience.

• Proven supervisory experience required. Ability to supervise a large staff off full time, part time, and student employees.

• Culinary or operations management experience in a college or university setting preferred.

• ServSafe Certification required. Instructor/Proctor status preferred.

• Previous Workday and Blackboard Transact experience preferred.

Work Schedule: This position is on a rotating schedule that includes daytime, evening, night, weekend shifts, and extended hours required as needed. Must be flexible and cooperative in fulfilling responsibilities and in meeting the needs of Washington and Lee University Dining Services.

Application Instructions: Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Resume and cover letter are required. Upload both required documents to the Resume/CV upload section of the application. You will be asked to provide names and contact information for three professional references.

External Applicants: Application instructions for external applicants are located on the jobs.wlu.edu or here.

Current W&L Employees: Apply from your existing Workday account. Instructions are located at jobs.wlu.edu or here.

Physical Requirements

• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with whole hand or arm as in handling.

• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.

• Repetitive motions: Making substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.

• Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires full use of the lower extremities and back muscles.

• Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.

• Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.

• Standing: Remaining upright on the feet, particularly for sustained periods of time.

• Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.

• Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.

• Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, drag, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.

• Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position to-position. This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires the substantial use of the upper extremities and back muscles.

Working Conditions:

• The worker is subject to both environmental conditions: Activities occur inside and outside.

• The worker is subject to hazards: Includes a variety of physical conditions, such as proximity to moving mechanical parts, moving vehicles, electrical current, working on scaffolding and high places, exposure to high heat or exposure to chemicals.

• The worker is subject to oils: There is air and/or skin exposure to oils and other cutting fluids.

Type of Work: Medium work: Exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.

Position Type: Exempt, Full Time, Benefit EligibleMinimum Pay:$69,339.00 – Pay Commensurate with Experience