Director of Dining Services
About The Position
Meriwether Godsey is seeking a Director of Dining Services to lead all aspects of the dining program at a prestigious boarding school in Massachusetts. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of managing a high-performing, diverse team, executing restaurant-quality menus, driving culinary innovation, and consistently exceeding the expectations of students, faculty, and staff. Qualified candidates must possess five key competencies required for this role: Leadership & People Development, Client Partnership, Financial Acumen & Accountability, Innovation & Continuous Improvement, and Operational Excellence & Food Safety.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree or ten years of related experience.
- Five years of experience in contract food service operations.
- High-end and volume catering management experience required.
- Participative management style and excellent leadership skills.
- Strong communication and presentation skills.
- Account and project management skills.
- Knowledge of food safety (HACCP), sanitation, and overall workplace safety standards.
- Ability to work in a collaborative team environment while fostering strong client and customer relationships.
- Application and promotion of current food trends.
- Proficiency and growing knowledge of sustainable practices.
Nice To Haves
- ServSafe® Food Protection Manager Certification preferred.
Responsibilities
- Lead by example: Build a strong team culture, recruit and retain talent, coach and develop managers, set clear expectations, hold people accountable, and develop future leaders.
- Build trusted client relationships: Understand the client's goals and community, communicate proactively, respond to concerns, deliver on commitments, and create a high-touch hospitality experience and "WOW" moments.
- Support personnel-related functions, including recruitment, interviewing, hiring, growth and development of team members, and performance monitoring.
- Execute dining operations with excellence in food quality and service. Prepare meals while embracing fresh, local, and scratch-made food; support and/or manage menu development, purchasing, and production, incorporating the latest trends and practices.
- Operate a disciplined, organized operation: Maintain food quality and presentation; ensure food safety, sanitation, allergen, and compliance standards; follow SOPs; manage service execution; and identify and resolve operational gaps.
- Deliver high-end catering, including booking, planning, execution, and communication.
- Understand the P&L and budget: Manage labor and food costs, control expenses, understand purchasing and inventory, use financial information to make decisions, identify margin opportunities, and take ownership of account performance.
- Take ownership and follow through: Solve problems at the root, prioritize effectively, embrace change, and look for ways to improve the operation, menu, service, catering, and customer experience to turn ideas into measurable results.
- Put the guest first.
- Foster an inclusive environment for all staff and guests.
- Maintain effective, client- and customer-centric relationships.
- Maintain HACCP standards and a healthy environment for clients, customers, and employees.
- Uphold MG core values and brand standards.
Benefits
- Competitive pay
- complimentary meals
- leadership support and development
- paid time off (PTO)
- medical
- vision
- dental
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
