Managing Director, Harvard University Dining Services

Harvard University seeks an accomplished professional to lead the strategic and tactical planning and execution of a self-sustaining campus hospitality/dining program responsible for fostering campus community and presenting the University as a welcoming and dynamic setting for cutting edge academic, research, and public service leadership.

Harvard University Dining Services ( HUDS ) is the oldest collegiate foodservice in America and is a self-sustaining department of Harvard University under the Vice President for Campus Services. One of the largest collegiate food service operators, HUDS serves an average of 22,000 meals a day during the academic year and 5 million meals annually. Their mission is to nourish and support the students, faculty, staff and guests of Harvard by creating experiences that foster friendship, encourage learning, and cultivate community.

The Managing Director will have executive leadership and day-to-day management of HUDS’ strategic planning and budget administration, setting operational policy, resource management, quality, customer service, and facilities supervision over a broad and diverse set of initiatives related to the delivery of dining services on campus. With innovative and outstanding service as a core building block, a diverse array of programs is available to students, staff, administrators, faculty, and campus guests, creating a campus environment that presents and promotes excellence at every level.

Candidates will have a bachelor’s degree or equivalent, with 10-15 years’ experience managing a major collegiate food service or corporate environment, including responsibility for a board program, retail, catering, and broad administrative systems and processes; demonstrated financial acumen, proven ability to develop and manage to key performance indicators; ability to hold managers accountable for financial performance of operating budgets and technological savviness and the ability to leverage platforms to modernize and gain efficiencies across the business lines; strong personnel management experience, including a history of success with diversity, equity, and inclusion, with coaching and mentoring, team building, leading conflict resolution, and initiating and monitoring corrective action and demonstrated experience managing in a complex labor environment, must have experience formulating sound labor/management strategy to advance the goals of the department and the University; strong contract negotiation skills are essential.

Harvard University has engaged Opus Partners to support the recruitment of this position. Katie Dean, Associate Partner, is leading the search. Confidential inquiries, applications, and nominations should be submitted by email to Katie at katie.dean@opuspartners.net

Harvard University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran or disabled status, or genetic information.