Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Dining Services Director

🎯 Role Definition

The Dining Services Director is a senior leader responsible for planning, directing, and optimizing all foodservice operations across one or multiple sites (campus dining, corporate dining, hospitality, healthcare, or senior living). This role combines strategic leadership, financial management, culinary program oversight, regulatory compliance, vendor and contract management, and team development to deliver high-quality, safe, cost-effective dining experiences that align with organizational goals. Key objectives include driving revenue growth, controlling food and labor costs, improving customer satisfaction scores, ensuring food safety and regulatory compliance, and leading continuous improvement and sustainability initiatives.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Assistant Dining Services Director / Associate Director of Dining Services
Food Service Manager / Catering Manager / Unit Manager
Executive Chef or Senior Culinary Supervisor

Advancement To:

Regional Director of Dining Services / Multi-Unit Director
Vice President of Auxiliary Services or Hospitality
Director of Campus Operations or Senior Director of Food & Beverage

Lateral Moves:

Director of Nutrition & Wellness
Facilities or Operations Director (healthcare/senior living)
Director of Catering and Events

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Lead and manage all daily dining operations, including retail venues, residential dining halls, catering, special events, and contracted foodservice outlets, ensuring consistent quality, service, and financial performance across locations.
Develop and execute a multi-year strategic plan for dining services that aligns with institutional goals, increases revenue through new programs and promotions, and improves guest satisfaction metrics by establishing measurable KPIs.
Own the dining services P&L: develop annual budgets, forecast revenue, track performance against targets, analyze variances, and implement corrective actions to meet food cost, labor cost, and operating margin goals.
Design and implement cost-control strategies including standardized portioning, recipe costing, inventory cycle counts, waste reduction programs, and menu engineering to improve gross margin and reduce food and labor variances.
Oversee menu development and culinary programming—coordinate with culinary leads to create seasonally appropriate, cost-optimized menus that reflect nutritional guidelines, cultural diversity, sustainability goals, and campus/customer preferences.
Ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal regulations related to food safety, sanitation, health inspections, licensing, and hazard analysis programs (HACCP); maintain up-to-date ServSafe/food protection certifications for managers and staff.
Direct vendor selection, procurement, and contract negotiations for food, beverage, equipment, and services; manage vendor relationships to secure competitive pricing, reliable service levels, and favorable contract terms.
Lead recruitment, training, scheduling, performance management, and career development for a large and diverse team of culinary, service, and support staff; set clear performance expectations and deliver ongoing coaching to develop bench strength.
Implement and maintain robust inventory management systems and controls—supervise ordering cadence, par levels, receiving procedures, invoice reconciliation, and loss prevention processes to protect assets and minimize shrink.
Create and monitor effective staffing models and labor scheduling practices using forecasting tools and historical data to balance service levels with labor productivity and overtime containment.
Manage catering and event operations end-to-end: consult with clients, design menus, price and bid events, coordinate logistics with facilities, and deliver high-quality experiences that drive repeat business and positive referrals.
Partner with campus/hospitality leadership, nutrition services, marketing, and student/customer engagement teams to develop targeted promotions, meal plans, loyalty programs, and communication strategies that increase participation and revenue.
Lead capital planning and project management for dining renovations, equipment upgrades, and new venue launches—develop project budgets, timelines, RFPs, and vendor oversight to ensure projects meet scope, budget, and quality standards.
Drive food safety culture and continuous improvement by conducting routine audits, inspections, safety training, incident investigations, and corrective action plans to reduce risk and uphold industry best practices.
Oversee technology and point-of-sale systems, meal plan platforms, and back-of-house systems to optimize guest experience, streamline operations, capture transaction data, and support financial reconciliation.
Champion sustainability initiatives and local sourcing strategies such as reducing single-use plastics, increasing organic and locally sourced menu items, composting programs, and supplier sustainability evaluations.
Develop and present monthly and quarterly reports for senior leadership detailing financial results, operational KPIs (food cost, labor cost, customer satisfaction, participation rates), and action plans to address gaps.
Collaborate with health services and dietitians to manage special dietary needs, allergy protocols, religious accommodations, and therapeutic diets ensuring safe, compliant meal solutions for guests with medical restrictions.
Manage relationships with unions or collective bargaining groups where applicable—participate in labor negotiations, enforce agreements, modify staffing plans with agreement compliance, and mitigate labor disputes.
Ensure consistent guest service standards through training, mystery shopping, feedback loops, and real-time service recovery processes to improve Net Promoter Score (NPS) and occupancy/participation rates.
Control capital and operating expenditures by reviewing vendor invoices, approving reconciliations, implementing supplier performance scorecards, and identifying sourcing efficiencies through competitive bidding.
Serve as an ambassador for the dining program—represent the department at community events, student/employee forums, industry conferences, and sustainability or wellness initiatives to build brand and stakeholder trust.
Lead emergency response planning and continuity of operations for foodservice (e.g., power outages, supply chain disruptions, food recalls) including cross-functional coordination and communication protocols.
Develop and maintain a comprehensive training curriculum for culinary and front-of-house staff including food safety, portion control, guest service, POS operation, and diversity/equity training to ensure consistent execution at all venues.
Evaluate and implement best-in-class operational tools, recipe/standardization software, forecasting models, and labor management systems to increase efficiency and decision-making capabilities.

Secondary Functions

Support continuous improvement programs such as Lean, Six Sigma, or Kaizen events to streamline kitchen workflows and reduce waste.
Collaborate with marketing and communications to create engaging seasonal campaigns, digital menus, signage, and social media content to increase awareness and sales.
Participate in campus or hospital leadership meetings to align dining strategies with broader institutional initiatives and student/customer experience priorities.
Provide ad-hoc financial analysis and business cases for new dining concepts, third-party partnerships, vendor changes, or technology investments.
Mentor and coach emerging leaders within the department and create succession plans for critical roles to ensure long-term operational stability and leadership continuity.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Strategic Financial Management: P&L ownership, budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, and margin improvement strategies.
Food Safety & Compliance: ServSafe Manager certification, HACCP knowledge, regulatory compliance, sanitation audits, and health inspection remediation.
Menu Engineering & Culinary Knowledge: recipe costing, portion control, nutrition labeling, and menu development for diverse populations and dietary needs.
Procurement & Contract Negotiation: RFP management, vendor evaluation, cost analysis, and contract administration.
Labor & Workforce Management: advanced scheduling, labor forecasting, payroll controls, union contract familiarity where applicable, and overtime management.
Inventory & Supply Chain Management: cycle counts, par levels, ERP/foodservice ordering systems, and inventory valuation/reconciliation.
Catering & Event Operations: sales forecasting for events, event pricing, banquet operations, and cross-functional coordination.
Technology & POS Systems: experience with meal plan platforms, point-of-sale systems, back-of-house management software, and basic ERP integration.
Data Analysis & Reporting: KPI development, Excel modeling (pivot tables, VLOOKUP, macros), and dashboarding to drive data-informed decisions.
Sustainability & Sourcing: implementation of local sourcing, sustainable purchasing policies, waste diversion, and eco-certifications.
Project Management: capital planning, vendor oversight, RFP issuance, and phased implementation of facility upgrades.
Nutrition & Special Diets: familiarity with therapeutic diets, allergen protocols, and collaboration with clinical nutrition teams.

Soft Skills

Strategic leadership with the ability to align operational execution to mission and business goals.
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills—able to present to senior leadership, boards, and cross-functional teams.
Strong coaching and talent development skills to build high-performing multi-site teams.
Problem-solving and decision-making under pressure with an outcomes-oriented mindset.
Customer service orientation with empathy and a demonstrated ability to improve guest satisfaction.
Change management and influence—capability to lead cultural and process change across diverse teams.
Negotiation and conflict resolution skills, especially in labor or vendor disputes.
Attention to detail and commitment to consistency and quality control.
Time management and prioritization across competing operational demands.
Innovative thinker with a focus on continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Food Service Management, Business Administration, Nutrition, or related field; or equivalent professional experience.

Preferred Education:

Bachelor’s in Hospitality/Food Service Management or Business; Master’s or MBA preferred for larger multi-site or institutional roles.
Certifications such as ServSafe Manage, Certified Dietary Manager (CDM), or hospitality management credentials are strongly preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Hospitality Management
Culinary Arts / Food Service Management
Business Administration / Finance
Nutrition / Dietetics
Public Health / Food Safety

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5–10+ years progressive foodservice management experience, including multi-unit oversight, P&L responsibility, and large team leadership.

Preferred:

7+ years managing complex dining operations in campus dining, healthcare, senior living, or large hospitality settings.
Proven experience with budgeting to multi-million-dollar operating budgets, capital project management, and contract/vendor negotiations.
Demonstrated track record improving food cost, labor efficiency, and guest satisfaction metrics.