Director Dining Finance and Procurement

Tufts University•Somerville, MA

14d

About The Position

Tufts Dining is a self-operated, mission-driven organization serving the Medford/Somerville and SMFA/Fenway campuses. It provides dining and hospitality services to more than 10,000 students, faculty, staff, and guests through two residential dining centers, seven retail venues, a central production kitchen, and a catering program. Its work emphasizes culinary excellence, cultural diversity, sustainability, and fiscal responsibility. The Director Dining Finance and Procurement provides strategic, financial, technological, and supply-chain leadership for Tufts Dining. The role oversees location budgeting, forecasting, accounting, procurement, inventory systems, meal plan and debit plan administration, and dining technology platforms across residential, retail, catering, and central kitchen operations. The director ensures fiscal responsibility, operational accuracy, sustainable purchasing, and compliance with university policies while aligning Dining's operational needs with the institution's financial frameworks. The director leads financial planning and analysis, accounting and reporting, meal plan and cash systems, procurement strategy, and supply-chain management. The role also supervises finance, procurement, and administrative staff; collaborates with university budget and operational partners; and leads sustainability, compliance, and food-safety efforts.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business, finance, supply chain management, hospitality, or a related field.
7–10 years of progressively responsible experience in financial management, procurement, supply chain, or foodservice operations.
Leadership experience supervising professional staff.
Expertise in budgeting, forecasting, and financial modeling for multi-unit operations.
Strong procurement and contract negotiation skills.
Experience with foodservice inventory and procurement systems, such as FoodPro or CBORD.
Proficiency with enterprise financial systems, POS integrations, and advanced Excel.
Knowledge of internal controls, audit requirements, and university financial policies.
Understanding of food safety, traceability, and regulatory compliance.
Ability to communicate financial insights clearly to non-financial stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in business, finance, supply chain, or a related field.
Professional certifications such as CPA, CMA, CSCP, SPSM, or CPPB.
Experience in higher education or large self-operated dining programs.
Familiarity with menu engineering and recipe costing.
Experience integrating POS, inventory, and financial systems.
Experience with RFP development, sustainability-focused procurement, and long-range financial planning.
Knowledge of commodity markets and supply-chain risk management.
Strong project management skills and experience with change management in complex or unionized environments.

Responsibilities

Provide operationally grounded financial strategy for a complex, multi-unit dining enterprise.
Partner with the University Budget Center to align Dining’s financial plans with institutional frameworks while accounting for dining-specific cost structures, production cycles, and revenue dynamics.
Collaborate with operations, culinary, sustainability, campus IT, and other stakeholders to integrate financial, procurement, and technology strategies.
Supervise, coach, and manage the performance of the Accounting Coordinator, Business Dining Administrator, and other finance, procurement, and administrative staff.
Foster accountability, professional development, and continuous improvement across reporting units.
Direct the development of operational budgets using foodservice data such as recipe costing, production volumes, inventory cycles, labor models, and revenue forecasts.
Integrate Dining budgets and forecasts into the university’s central budgeting process and align assumptions, methodologies, and reporting timelines.
Conduct forecasting, variance analysis, menu-driven cost modeling, and long-term financial planning.
Provide financial insights to central finance partners, contextualizing variances related to menu mix, commodity markets, student demand, and operational realities.
Oversee accounting operations, including revenue tracking, expense management, month-end close, and reconciliations.
Manage meal plan and debit plan financial operations, including revenue recognition, plan utilization, and reconciliation with campus card systems.
Ensure accuracy and compliance in cash handling, POS reporting, and financial integrations with university systems.
Maintain internal controls for cash, inventory, and financial transactions in accordance with university accounting standards and audit requirements.
Develop and execute procurement strategies that support quality, cost control, sustainability, and operational efficiency.
Lead sourcing, competitive bidding, RFPs, contract negotiations, and vendor relationship management for food, supplies, equipment, and services.
Oversee the production management system, par levels, and ordering processes to reduce waste and prevent stockouts.
Ensure procurement data accuracy, invoice reconciliation, and integration with financial systems.
Manage commodity risk, product quality, and technology tools supporting procurement and inventory workflows.
Ensure compliance with university policies, local ordinances, and federal regulations.
Lead sustainability initiatives, including local sourcing, environmentally preferred purchasing, and waste-reduction strategies.
Maintain documentation for food safety, allergen management, and traceability requirements.