Higher Education General Manager

About This Role

Leading the overall performance and success of a higher education dining account is the core of this General Manager role. This position oversees daily dining, catering, and hospitality operations, ensuring high food quality, excellent customer service, strong financial results, and a positive team culture. The General Manager acts as the primary on-site leader, partnering with the client and building relationships with students, faculty, staff, and campus stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead all dining and hospitality operations for the assigned account, including daily meal service, retail operations, and catering events
• Serve as the primary on-site representative of American Dining Creations, maintaining a strong and professional relationship with clients, campus partners, guests, and vendors
• Partner with culinary leadership to ensure successful execution of menu offerings, food quality standards, presentation, customer requests, and overall dining experience
• Drive operational excellence by monitoring service standards, workflow, cleanliness, staffing, and guest satisfaction across all areas of the account
• Oversee financial performance of the account, including budgeting, labor management, food cost awareness, purchasing, inventory controls, and point-of-sale reporting
• Complete and manage daily, weekly, and monthly reports for district leadership, providing operational updates, financial insight, and recommendations for improvement
• Manage staffing plans and work schedules in alignment with labor needs, service demands, and business goals
• Recruit, train, coach, and develop team members to support engagement, retention, succession planning, and operational success
• Foster a culture of accountability, hospitality, teamwork, and continuous improvement
• Interact daily with clients, guests, students, faculty, and vendors to ensure a high level of responsiveness and service
• Respond promptly and professionally to feedback, resolving concerns and implementing improvements when needed
• Support special events, campus programs, openings, transitions, and other strategic initiatives as needed
• Ensure all food handling, preparation, temperature logs, sanitation practices, and production records are completed accurately and in compliance with company policies and local health regulations
• Maintain compliance with all local, state, and federal safety, sanitation, and workplace regulations
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality, Business, Restaurant Management, or related field preferred; Culinary degree from an accredited culinary association also considered
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive management experience in foodservice, hospitality, retail dining, hotel, business dining, or higher education dining environments