General Manager For Residential Dining

GENERAL MANAGER / EXECUTIVE CHEF – RESIDENTIAL DINING
(payroll title: Manager Of Program Operations)

Thank you for considering Housing & Food Services at the University of Washington, Seattle.

At the University of Washington, diversity is integral to excellence. We value and honor diverse experiences and perspectives, strive to create welcoming and respectful learning environments, and promote access, opportunity and justice for all.

HFS provides on-campus housing to over 10,000 student residents and operates over 40 dining and café locations that serve the entire campus community. In order to successfully accomplish this, we employ over 1,200 students, classified and professional staff members who work throughout HFS, providing residential and dining services to the campus. As reflected in our mission statement—working together to enhance student life—teamwork and service to our students and customers are at the heart of our business.

To learn about our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion at UW Housing & Food Services, you are encouraged to review our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Statement Training.

View additional information about HFS and this position here.

PURPOSE
The General Manager/ Executive Chef for UW Dining provides management and culinary leadership for residential dining operations located on the University campus. This position employs a high degree of discretion in managing culinary operations through a lens of service and satisfaction to guests and staff.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership:

• Demonstrate effective verbal and written communication and collaboration with internal and external clients.
• Hold staff meetings as necessary to establish culinary and team goals of dining unit and UW Dining.
• Manage organizational changes from implementation to normalization.
• Monitor staff performance and implement appropriate action plans with deliverables where needed, assessing individual employee culinary skills, and coaching employees and managers to effect changes in behavior.
• Conduct presentations that demonstrate preparation, research and delivery that are scaled for small, large and diverse groups.
• Reinforce individual and team accountability for assigned tasks and established processes including CBORD/Food Service Suite (FSS).
• Ensure compliance with UW policies, procedures, collective bargaining unit agreements and employment programs.
• Promote the vision, values and priorities of UW Dining and the Department in the unit’s work.

Operations and Customer Service:

• Create, manage and adjust staffing schedules to meet daily production and service needs.
• Develop and maintain systems for continuous review of food and workplace safety.
• Model behavior that promotes a customer service-focused culture.
• Maintain visibility and accessibility with customers, building managers and staff members (during meal period 90% on floor, 10% in office).
• Maintain facilities, including front and back of the house areas in accordance with health and safety standards.
• Normalize the use of the Food Service System (FSS) by:
• Utilize multiple channels for soliciting customer feedback and responds to complaints, questions and special requests.
• Reinforce food safety practices and respond immediately to health inspection issues/reports.

- Continously reflecting the value of FSS processes and reporting.
- Adhering to recipes, specified products and vendors and par levels.
- Conducting inventory according to the prescribed schedule.
- Maintaining the prescribed stockroom set up.
- Minimize waste, including documentation of disposition using FSS

• Identify and recommend strategies for introducing, promoting and evaluating new product lines.
• Maintain scheduling flexibility to support business operations that vary and may occur outside normal weekday work hours.
• Engage and support students and student groups in planning special events.
• Purchase necessary food, equipment and products following established protocol and guidelines, seeking approval where necessary.
• Develop and maintain an ongoing cleaning schedule to ensure a consistent level of sanitation and cleanliness.
• Ensure proper use, maintenance, and repair of kitchen equipment, placing work orders as needed for facility repair and maintenance.
• Serve as the primary contact for vendors.

Fiscal Management:

• Report on probable causes for budget variances or discrepancies and make adjustments.
• Establish and maintains proper controls over point of sale transactions.
• Monitor performance of products, services and programs and work collaboratively with UW Dining Administration to address concerns.
• Monitor and review reports, including financial statements, production records, staffing schedules and inquiries from the HFS Financial team.
• Present scheduled reports to UW Dining Leadership on unit financial performance.
• Ensure that there are appropriate controls on resources, including separation of controls between purchasing, receiving and counting inventory.
• Develop business plans, processes, procedures and budgets in collaboration with Food Services leadership and HFS Budgeting & Finance staff.

Culinary Focus and Results:

• Collaborate with the Campus Executive Chef, onsite management team and Assistant Director in the implementation of menus and services.
• Maintain currency with dining trends and share new ideas with the leadership team.
• Regularly tastes food, ensuring taste and presentation meet expectations.
• Support culinary team in production when appropriate.
• Develop and implement new concepts and products that align with customer needs, the current business plan and budget in conjunction with the Campus Executive Chef and Assistant Director.

Supervision:

• Conduct in-service training as needed on unit safety, cash handling, food safety, food preparation and/or customer service.
• Engage in regular feedback with all staff, ensuring appropriate productivity and quality.
• Administer consistent skill-based training content for onboarding new staff and staff reassigned to different locations.
• Provide guidance to direct reports on requirements and/or opportunities for learning and professional development.
• Administer consistent training and content for staff on compliance, including food safety, FSS, PCI compliance and workplace safety providing periodic refreshers.
• Engage with supervisor and HFS Human Resources when a performance problem is not corrected through coaching and counseling. Consult appropriately with HFS Human Resources to ensure that UW, HFS and bargaining unit policies,
• Conduct annual performance evaluations.
• Evaluate probationary and trial service performance as scheduled and discuss performance issues with Assistant Director.
• Interview and select staff, and ensure staff are on-boarded to the work unit and attend required HFS and UW required training.

IMPACT TO THE UNIVERSITY
Units offer service and convenience to campus community for sit-down dining, quick refreshments and grab-and-go meals.

POSITION COMPLEXITIES
This position is a key partner with building staff, departments and/or student groups in providing programmatic support.

The diverse customer needs require a variety of cuisines and convenience foods, requiring that the incumbent have a broad understanding of many cuisines and types of operations.

WORKING CONDITIONS
While the position is not expected to work all hours of operation, scheduling is to occur in such a way that there is leadership available to staff and customers throughout the hours of operation. In addition, the position is required to be present and visible during special University or HFS events that may occur in the evening and/or weekend.

REPORTS TO
Assistant Director for Residential Dining

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, analytical, communication and problem-solving skills.
• Bachelor’s degree in hospitality, business administration or related field.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including, Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Project.
• Minimum of two years of supervision of staff and management in the food service industry.

Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in an area of college or university.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Possession of a Washington State Food Handler’s Card.
• A satisfactory outcome from the employment reference check processes and education verification.
• Possession of a Washington State Driver’s License. (The GM/Executive Chef must be able to visit dining establishments on the Seattle campus for a variety of reasons, like responding to urgent issues or attending frequent back-to-back meetings.)
• Maintain a regular, full-time onsite work presence
• ServSafe certification within three months of hire and maintenance of certification thereafter.
• Adapt to a variety of working conditions and venues:
• Travel to different sites on the Seattle Campus.

- Residential Dining, Retail Dining, Catering, a Production Kitchen, and the Administrative Offices.
- Use a variety of tools and work methods since menus, equipment and staffing differ depending on the location, including operating equipment and lifting of up to 25 pounds.
- Maintain a daily presence in the office to perform administrative work, meet with employees, and to address any operational issues that arise in the front or back of the house.
- Maintain a daily presence in the production and service areas to observe and interrupt unsafe food and occupational health practices.
- Daily use of a computer workstation or laptop to review/approve transactions, correspond via email, and participate in virtual meetings and training.

• Participate in special events that occur during events and weekends to support the Department and the University.
• Comply with essential staff designation that requires onsite presence during inclement weather and suspended operations to ensure consistent food service to our residents.

Application Process:
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment, you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $6,450.00 per month

Benefits:

• Vision insurance
• Dental insurance
• Paid time off
• Health insurance

Shift:

• Day shift

Weekly day range:

• Weekend availability
• Monday to Friday

Work Location: One location