Director of Operations | Full-Time | Marcus Performing Arts Center

Oak View Group•Milwaukee, WI

26d•$68,000 - $75,000

About The Position

The Director of Operations reports directly to the General Manager and is responsible for the efficient, professional, and profitable management of all food and beverage operations within the venue. Overseeing multimillion-dollar revenue streams, this role provides leadership across culinary, concessions, bar, and catering services, ensuring consistency in quality, compliance, and guest experience. The Director manages a team of more than 100 employees, including managers and supervisors, and is accountable for recruiting, training, coaching, evaluating, and developing staff while maintaining a positive and collaborative workplace culture. This position plays a critical role in strategic planning and execution, including budgeting, forecasting, labor management, and vendor negotiations, with a proven ability to reduce costs and increase profitability. The Director of Operations also leads large-scale event execution, coordinating food and beverage services for conventions, galas, and performances with guest counts ranging from hundreds to tens of thousands. By combining operational excellence with a focus on team development and guest satisfaction, the Director ensures both exceptional service delivery and strong financial results. This role pays an annual salary of $68,000-$75,000 and is bonus eligible

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Culinary Arts, Business Administration, or related field
Food Safety/Sanitation certifications (e.g., ServSafe, HACCP)
Alcohol service certification (e.g., TIPS or equivalent)
5-7 years of progressive leadership experience in Food & Beverage operations, with at least 3–5 years in a senior management role
Prior experience managing F&B in large-scale venues such as performing arts centers, convention centers, stadiums, or hotels
Demonstrated success overseeing multi-outlet operations including catering, concessions, and bar service
Proven track record in vendor negotiations, contract management, and third-party partnerships
Strong ability to lead, mentor, and develop large cross-functional teams
Experience managing union and non-union workforces
Expertise in labor forecasting, scheduling, and cost control
Ability to foster a service-driven culture focused on guest experience
P&L management experience for multi-million-dollar F&B operations
Budget development, forecasting, and financial analysis skills
Proficiency in POS systems (Micros, Simphony, Toast, etc.) and inventory management tools
Ability to design and implement cost control measures to reduce waste and increase profitability

Responsibilities

Assists in the overall effective management of the catering and concessions operations.
Ideal candidate will have a strong restaurant, concessions and catering background.
Ensures total compliance with all alcohol service policies.
Monitors alcohol service throughout event to assure 100% compliance with Alcohol Service policies.
Reports any alcohol service or compliance issues to OVG management immediately.
Assist in the management of catered and concession events from set-up to tear down, including handling all communication with hourly staff, culinary staff & guests.
Ensure legal, efficient, professional and profitable operation of the venue.
Ability to review and analyze financial reports, including budgets, projections, forecasting, revenue analysis, disbursements, capital investments, labor and product costs, wage and salary control, P&L financial statements.
Conflict resolution; last-resort mediation; arbitration and labor negotiations, when applicable.
Author, review and amend policies & procedures, as requested by the General Manager.
Author and amend contracts; authorize terms as directed by the General Manager.
Oversee scheduling and labor allocation.
Work in tandem with the General Manager to analyze ticket sales in relation to anticipating staffing needs, target market demographics; determine and project point-of sale to guest ratio.
Evaluate recent historical sales and purchasing data for the purpose of identifying purchasing patterns and accurate cost of goods.
Program and maintain the point-of-sale system to ensure accurate financial reporting, tracking of accountability, and commodity levels by location.
Directs and assists managers in preparing and attaining future goals.
Provides each manager with the proper direction and follows up on all assignments.
Inspects the operation on a regular basis to ensure that the established quality standards are maintained.
Prepares required reports accurately and submits them on time.
Train and develop an effective team.
Reviews and assists in the development of menus and marketing plans with the appropriate department heads.
Establishes and maintains professional relationships with show managers, suppliers, vendors and the public that projects the venue in a positive light.
All other duties assigned by General Manager.