Director of Dining

Pomona College

11d•$150,000 - $180,000•Onsite

About The Position

Pomona College seeks a people-centered hospitality leader to direct Dining Services and shape the College’s residential dining program. Pomona operates two primary dining halls and two cafés, along with catering and related hospitality services. The Director will develop these venues as a cohesive program with distinct identities and roles in campus life, creating an experience valued by students and a workplace where employees feel respected, supported, and connected to the College’s mission. Reporting directly to the Assistant Vice President, Facilities & Campus Services, the Director works independently and collaboratively to lead a large workforce in a collective bargaining environment; oversee dining, retail, café, catering, and event operations; and steward budgets, purchasing, inventory, safety, and compliance. The role also develops strategy, advances responsible purchasing and sustainability, collaborates with campus and external partners, and assesses program performance through operational, financial, workforce, safety, and customer-experience measures. This is a regular, full-time, exempt, benefits-eligible position. The regular schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with flexibility required for evenings, weekends, and holidays as operational needs arise. The Director may need to provide oversight and respond to time-sensitive matters outside regular business hours. Occasional travel may be required. Pomona College requires employees to be California residents. The annual salary range is $150,000 to $180,000, with a competitive benefits package.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in hospitality or restaurant management, business, or a related field.
California ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification, or ability to obtain it within 30 days of hire and maintain recertification as required.
Valid driver’s license and ability to meet College vehicle-insurance requirements.
At least 5 to 7 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in food-service production or another large, complex, multi-unit dining or restaurant environment.
Demonstrated success leading and developing substantial frontline workforces and management teams.
Experience managing budgets, food and labor costs, procurement, inventory, operational reporting, and financial performance.
Strong working knowledge of high-volume food production, quality control, food safety, sanitation, and service delivery.
Ability to work a flexible schedule that may include evenings, weekends, holidays, and occasional travel, based on program and College needs.
Ability to work regularly in active dining and production environments and perform essential functions, with or without reasonable accommodation.
People-first leadership grounded in visibility, listening, fairness, accountability, and follow-through.
Ability to lead effectively in a unionized environment and build constructive relationships across roles and perspectives.
Strong judgment and problem-solving skills, including the ability to turn ideas into practical action plans and measurable results.
Demonstrated success introducing culinary, service, technology, or customer-experience concepts in a disciplined way.
Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, facilitation, presentation, and customer-service skills.
Ability to communicate effectively with individuals and groups from a wide range of backgrounds and to consider differing viewpoints respectfully.
Strong organization and project-management skills, including prioritization, meeting deadlines, and attention to detail.
Integrity, discretion, ethics, professionalism, and care in handling confidential or sensitive matters.
Knowledge of current culinary trends, menu development, marketing, merchandising, and research and implementation of new food products.
Experience with food allergies, dietary restrictions, special-diet preparation, nutrition, and inclusive menu planning.
Proficiency with culinary, menu-management, ordering, scheduling, inventory, financial, and related operating systems.
Experience developing and facilitating training for employees with different roles and levels of experience.

Nice To Haves

Experience in higher education is valuable but not essential.
Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide direction and leadership to a large, diverse workforce in a collective bargaining environment.
Recruit, select, onboard, coach, evaluate, and develop leaders and staff across culinary, service, catering, administrative, and support functions.
Build employee relationships, set and uphold performance and service standards, recognize excellent work, and address concerns fairly and promptly.
Build a collaborative leadership team, strengthen succession planning, and create internal growth opportunities.
Coordinate staffing plans and schedules to support service needs, employee well-being, contractual obligations, and responsible labor management.
Plan and lead a comprehensive meal program across board-plan dining, retail operations, cafés, catering, and special events.
Maintain high standards for food quality, variety, presentation, service, cleanliness, sanitation, merchandising, and the condition of facilities and equipment.
Maintain a visible presence in operations and engage with managers, employees, and students to identify opportunities and resolve operational issues.
Oversee menu development and program design with culinary leaders, addressing diverse tastes, allergies, special diets, nutrition, wellness, and inclusive dining needs.
Resolve customer concerns professionally and establish consistent hospitality standards.
Develop and manage operating budgets based on service, staffing, revenue, and cost assumptions.
Monitor revenue, food and labor costs, purchasing, payroll, invoices, inventory, and other financial and operational reports.
Maintain accurate financial reporting and internal controls, and respond to performance variances.
Identify cost-management and revenue opportunities without compromising food quality, service, safety, employee well-being, or the student experience.
Oversee inventory controls and procurement of food, supplies, and equipment within established standards and budgets.
Ensure compliance with food safety, sanitation, occupational safety, health, accessibility, and regulatory requirements.
Maintain training, inspection, documentation, and corrective-action practices across venues.
Ensure equipment and facilities are properly cleaned, maintained, and used, and partner with campus colleagues on risks and capital needs.
Foster a culture where employees raise concerns early and leaders respond with urgency, care, and accountability.
Translate the College’s aspirations into a practical, measurable Dining Services strategy.
Develop and thoughtfully test ideas for menus, service models, hours, programming, technology, sustainability, and use of physical spaces; measure results.
Use technology and data to strengthen menu planning, ordering, scheduling, inventory, customer communication, and operating performance.
Advance local and responsible purchasing, sustainability, nutrition, and food-waste reduction within responsible financial parameters.
Collaborate with students, faculty, staff, College offices, vendors, and external partners on programs and cross-campus initiatives.
Represent Dining Services on selected committees and contribute to College planning, events, and community life.
Establish service, financial, workforce, safety, and customer-experience measures, including approaches for understanding student satisfaction.
Maintain records, prepare reports, analyze trends, and communicate results to College leadership and campus partners.
Pilot concepts, evaluate outcomes, and adjust or expand programs based on evidence and community feedback.
Anticipate culinary, consumer, workforce, technology, and sustainability trends and translate them into practical improvements.