Director, Culinary Operations

About Us

Are you ready to transform lives through academic excellence, innovative research, strong community partnerships and economic opportunity? Kennesaw State University is one of the 50 largest public institutions in the country. With growing enrollment and global reach, we continue to expand our institutional influence and prominence beyond the state of Georgia. We offer more than 190 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to empower over 50,000 students to become thought leaders, lifelong learners, and informed global citizens. Our entrepreneurial spirit, high-impact research, and Division I athletics draw students from throughout the region and from more than 100 countries across the globe. Our university's vibrant culture, career opportunities, rich benefits, and values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity, and accountability make us an employer of choice. We are part of the University System of Georgia. We are searching for talented people to join Kennesaw State University in our vision. Come Take Flight at KSU!

Location

Primary Location: 1000 Chastain Road NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144
Secondary Location: 1100 South Marietta Parkway, Marietta, GA 30060

Job Summary

Oversee all aspects of culinary operations for the assigned department, to include production, service, purchasing, and vendor management, menu development, presentation standards, sustainability, kitchen operations and equipment purchasing oversight, and training programs for residential dining (two dining halls), catering, non-franchised retail dining operations across KSU campuses and locations, and the Grab-and-Go program.

Responsibilities

• Manages kitchen personnel with responsibility for hiring, training, and performance management
• Ensures proper training of all culinary team members is in place for optimal production results
• Directs quality, consistency, and adherence to KSU standards; tastes food and adjust recipes as needed
• Covers coordination and oversight of all culinary related activities and/or programs
• Estimates food consumption and requisitions or purchases food, selects and develops recipes, standardizes production recipes to ensure consistent quality, establishes presentation technique and quality standards, plan, and price menus
• Responsible for component menu planning and recipe development, costing, and brand management
• Responsible for and manages multimillion dollar food and culinary operational expense budgets
• Ensures fiscal responsibility and efficiency of dining facilities through utilization of all food prep and cooking
• Oversees special catering events and may also offer culinary instruction and/or demonstrate culinary techniques
• Ensures labeling requirements are met and compliance with allergen containment procedures
• Researches innovative ideas and trends throughout college and university dining plans to develop recipes and menus for all food operations
• Develops and is accountable for a safety culture that creates a safe and sanitary work environment ensuring compliance with sanitation and safety requirements
• Covers coordination of activities with other internal departments and participation in management team meetings
• Mets with student groups and University partners as needed to promote relationship building and guest satisfaction

Required Qualifications

• Educational Requirements: Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education in related field or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience
• Other Required Qualifications: Current, valid, and unrestricted driver's license, ServSafe Manager Certified
• Required Experience: Seven (7) years of experience in senior culinary management of a college or university dining operation, large food service establishment and/or other relevant experience with oversight of multiple dining locations and/or programs

Preferred Qualifications

• Preferred Educational Qualifications: An advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education in a related field
• Preferred Experience: Experience in day-to-day high volume food service operations management, Experience in managing residential and commuter meal plan programs in a self-operated campus dining environment

Additional Information

This is a supervisory position.
This position has financial responsibilities.
This position will be required to drive.
This role is considered a position of trust.
This position does not require a purchasing card (P-Card).
This position may travel 1% - 24% of the time.

Background Check

- Credit Report
- Standard Enhanced + Education & DMV
- 9 Panel Lab Drug Test