Associate Director Retail Operations

Leads all campus retail dining operations, ensuring high-quality customer service, financial performance, and compliance with University policies and payment procedures. Provides leadership for management, staff, and student employees, overseeing staffing, training, scheduling, operational controls, reporting, and regulatory compliance while maintaining established operational and service standards across retail dining locations.

• Ensures campus retail dining locations provide a welcoming, customer-focused experience while meeting service, quality, and financial goals. Oversees food quality, merchandising, and day-to-day operational standards to maximize customer satisfaction, support sales growth, and promote an efficient, high-quality dining environment.
• Oversees cash, credit card, and other payment processing activities across multiple retail operations, ensuring compliance with University policies and safeguarding funds, inventory, and assets. Monitors financial performance through operational and budget reporting, analyzes sales and expense trends, and implements or recommends corrective actions.
• Leads the hiring, training, scheduling, performance management, and employee relations functions for managers, supervisors, staff, and student employees across retail operations. Ensures compliance with labor agreements, employment policies, and record-retention requirements, while directing and supporting subordinate leaders in the effective administration of personnel programs and operational procedures.
• Oversees budgets for multiple retail dining locations, ensuring effective management of labor, food, equipment, and operating expenses to meet financial goals. Monitors financial performance, approves expenditures, ensures payroll accuracy, supports annual budget planning, and adjusts spending in response to revenue trends while maintaining accurate financial reporting and cost controls.
• Oversees the maintenance, safety, and operational readiness of retail dining facilities and equipment, coordinating repairs and improvements as needed. Collaborates with building administrators and campus stakeholders to address facility-specific maintenance, security, and operational requirements.
• Ensures compliance with federal, state, local, and University regulations related to food safety, sanitation, environmental health, and workplace safety. Leads operational planning and service delivery during emergencies and special events, serving as an essential employee to support continuity of operations and University needs.
• Trains supervisory staff on point of sales and menu management systems, and sales data analysis. Oversees product forecasting, ordering, receiving, inventory control, and production scheduling. Ensure daily compliance with brand standards and operational procedures across retail restaurant operations.
• Partners with stakeholders and departments that support retail and café operations. Participates in dining services planning committees and contributes to the development and improvement of facilities, programs, and services.
• Collaborates with Student Center Dining to manage cold food production and bakery operations for retail locations. Oversees ordering of baked goods and prepared cold food items, coordinate production and delivery schedules, and manage the allocation of related expenses.
• Continuously upgrades methods and professional skills through participation in professional development and continuing education. Mentors dining managers and assistant dining managers in professional development; advise leadership of staff developmental needs in retail operations.

Minimum qualifications based upon job documentation and industry best practices. Any current employees not meeting these qualifications will be grandfathered until they move to a different job.

• Bachelor's degree in related field from an accredited institution.

• Five years' relevant experience.
• Experience working in food management in a multi-unit college or university environment.
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with a diverse team.

• ServSafe certified or equivalent or able to obtain within one year of hire.
• Ability to work irregular shifts and extended hours, including weekends and holidays.

Moderate work occasionally working in difficult position or with physical demands such as continuously lifting or moving materials from 25 to 50 pounds and occasionally lifting or moving materials greater than 50 pounds.

Work is performed with exposure to any number of elements which may occasionally require some precautions such as safety glasses, protective clothing, ear protection, etc. Required to perform clean-up of potentially hazardous bodily fluids on food contact surfaces.

Revised: 2026-08-10