Unit Leader

Unit Leader

Posting #: 5620

Position Status: Full-time regular

Location: San Diego

Position Type: Staff, Dining Services

Position Title & Department:

Unit Leader; Pavilion Dining

Posting #
5620

Department Description:
Join the University of San Diego culinary team! Be an integral part of our award-winning, nationally recognized culinary program. We are proud to provide 2.5 million meals each year for our campus community of over 8,000 students, in addition to faculty, staff and visitors. Our diverse portfolio of dining locations and services includes; a full service restaurant and pub, retail outlets (four cafes and a coffeehouse), a market and deli, a food court featuring an array of global cuisine, outstanding catering services, athletic concessions at multiple locations, and food service for the child development center.

Pavilion Dining is home to an array of unique dining concepts that fuse distinct ingredients and flavors to create delicious menus in an inviting environment. Menus were developed in partnership with the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone. Recipient of a Silver Loyal E. Horton Award presented by NACUFS for excellence in dining.

University Description:
The University of San Diego, an engaged and contemporary Catholic institution, was founded by the Diocese of San Diego and the Society of the Sacred Heart in 1949. Governed by an independent board of trustees since 1972, USD remains committed to a liberal arts education grounded in the Catholic intellectual tradition and the pursuit of truth, goodness and beauty. Inspired by this centuries old tradition of Catholic higher education, the University welcomes people of all faith traditions and any, or no, religious background. The future success of USD relies on the contributions of those who seek to foster the development of engaged global citizens and an earnest confrontation of humanity's urgent challenges.

Detailed Description:
The Unit Leader assists in hiring, training, and supervising full- and part-time personnel. Depending on the dining services area to which assigned, this position may be responsible for the smooth running of the "front of the house" during events, including knowledge of setup and service, bar set up and service, supervision of wait staff, and custodial personnel, and proper breakdown procedures; or may oversee the daily operations of a retail unit. The Unit Leader will have complete responsibility for direct supervision of catered events as assigned. In the absence of the Director, assumes complete responsibility for Banquets and Catering event management. Will assist with Event master software. Other duties as assigned.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Personnel:

• Orients and trains part-time staff. Maintains ongoing training and development.
• Assists in the development of part-time job descriptions.
• Assists in the development of training materials, including written, visual, and video aids.
• Supervises the daily performance of supervised employees.
• Assists in the evaluation of employee performance.
• Enforces rules for employee conduct as established by management and reports infractions to management with a recommendation for appropriate action.
• Knows, follows, and enforces University and Dining Services policies and procedures.
• Monitors employee time and attendance compliance; ensures all staff use the timekeeping system correctly and addresses any misuse or compliance issues promptly.
• Takes remedial action as appropriate to deal with immediate personnel issues.
• Interprets management's directions to employees.
• Promotes an atmosphere of teamwork through training, feedback, and example.
• Provides regular feedback to employees regarding performance.
• Promotes a positive customer service attitude about USD Dining Services in communications and decisions.
• Serve as a professional role model for staff in appearance, demeanor, and attitude.

Operations:

• Reviews work schedules with management weekly or as determined appropriate.
• Collaborates regularly with the unit manager to review operational forecasts and plan upcoming production and menu requirements.
• Supervises daily operations as determined by management, including some preparation, setup, and cleanup.
• Utilizes the department's electronic menu management system and its order scheduler module to accurately place food and supply orders.
• Assigns and coordinates the daily workload of all FOH staff as needed.
• Prepares daily setup sheets, including setup instructions.
• Assists in marketing and merchandising of products and services.
• Maintains quality control.
• Responsible for ongoing public relations between the department and campus community; develops good communication lines with staff, management, and the University community.
• Gives input and/or is responsible for ordering food and supplies.
• Assigns employees to other tasks as necessary to complete the daily workload.
• Checks comment sheets and journals to ensure events occur as planned.
• Maintains ongoing communication with cooks and other full-time staff.
• Responsible for reporting daily with management about staff achievements and failures, event successes and problems, and the overall operational well-being.
• Attends all required meetings.
• Works professionally and efficiently with clients in developing, organizing, and assisting with event planning.
• Scrutinizes upcoming event schedules and menus for accuracy on a daily basis.
• Delivers food and preparation materials in carts or vans (depending on the size of the event) to various campus locations.

Controls:

• Manages and controls labor costs using the timekeeping system to build, monitor, and enforce established work schedules.
• Monitors daily staffing levels and scheduling to ensure alignment with operational budgets and to minimize unnecessary labor expenditures.
• Actively manages and mitigates unauthorized overtime (OT) and meal premium penalties through proactive shift monitoring.
• Controls the use of labor by enforcing established work schedules.
• Controls the use of food and supplies to reduce waste by instructing employees in proper techniques to control portions and operate in a cost-effective manner.
• Monitors menu management system data to ensure production numbers match forecasted needs, minimizing inventory waste.
• Ensures that each employee completes his/her duties within the time allotted.
• Responsible for the security of assigned work areas.
• Maintains daily financial records as developed by the Manager.
• Responsible for cash receipts as received throughout the day and securing them in a safe.
• Responsible for linen ordering and maintaining adequate par levels on napkins and tablecloths.
• Maintains ongoing inventories of all service ware items (china, glassware, etc.) and/or foodstuffs as appropriate.
• Analyzes emergency situations such as staff shortages and product and/or equipment failures and provides timely solutions to problems.
• Responsible for design layout, use, and storage of special event props, décor equipment, and non-food supplies for all events.
• Establishes systems and procedures to ensure organized completion of routine functions.
• Maintains the dish room area and trains staff in the use of the dish machine and the Biodigester.
• Monitors custodial staff and their duties; schedules clean-up tasks as needed for downtime.

Customer Satisfaction:

• Maintains good customer relations through attitude, appearance, and attention to detail in daily work.
• Maintains consistent, high-quality standards; quality tests every finished product for taste, texture, appearance, and temperature.
• Assures that all foods are attractively garnished and appropriately displayed.
• Ensures that products are not held longer than established holding times.
• Services customers'/guests' needs with the appropriate sense of business urgency to provide a quality service.
• Reports feedback from customers to supervisor.

Safety and Sanitation:

• Enforces and maintains safe working conditions.
• Monitors and enforces daily use of the hand hygiene system to ensure compliance with department sanitation standards.
• Ensures daily operational tasks are completed and documented, including logging daily unit temperatures and verification of dishwashing machine temperatures.
• Reports safety and sanitation hazards to management in a timely manner.
• Maintains the cleanliness of all areas utilized for events.
• Assists in the review of facilities and equipment to include routine maintenance and repair, replacement, and upgrading.
• Administers and coordinates required safety and sanitation tests. Updates employee files to comply with applicable laws and regulations.
• Knows and administers the Dining Services Illness and Injury Prevention Program.

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

• Must complete a 3-hour sanitation class as required by the San Diego Health Department.
• Must complete the University's Hazard Communication Program.

Tools and Equipment Used:

• Personal computer, software applications (word processing and spreadsheets, time-tracking systems, and menu management/order scheduler platforms).
• Hand sanitation system, digital temperature probes, service ware, dish machine, kitchen equipment, gas carts, and vans.

Special Conditions of Employment:

• Must be able to work a varied hourly work schedule, including evenings, weekends, and holidays. Some overtime may be required.

Background check: Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.

Degree Verification Requirement : Persons offered employment in this position will be required to provide official education transcripts for degree verification purposes.


Job Requirements:
Minimum Qualifications:

• High school diploma or GED required.
• At least 2 years of related experience in a hotel, restaurant, off-premise catering establishment, or retail food operation required.
• At least one year of supervisory experience required.

Performance Expectations - Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Experience in hiring, training, scheduling, and evaluating personnel, including proficiency in utilizing labor management platforms to optimize staffing against a budget and monitor timekeeping compliance.
• Skills in working as a team leader in coordinating the work of others to accomplish stated goals.
• Understanding of basic sanitation requirements related to food handling practices and personal hygiene, and the ability to utilize digital sanitation tracking systems to log daily food and dishwashing equipment temperatures.
• Skill in interacting and communicating with a broad variety of people in a helpful and concerned manner, including customers, full- and part-time staff, and management.
• Knowledge of quality food presentation and application of these principles.
• Ability to work with multiple interruptions and with constantly changing deadlines.
• Knowledge of food portioning, inventory control, and ordering procedures, including the ability to analyze forecasting data and navigate computerized menu management systems and ordering schedulers.
• Good organization and time management skills.
• Ability to report to work promptly and daily as scheduled.
• Demonstrated background in event operations, especially in high volume applications, including knowledge of setups and teardowns, linen, equipment, and service techniques, or background in managing small retail units.
• Thorough knowledge of the use of tools and equipment as listed below.

Posting Salary:
$21.82 - $28.90 per hour; Excellent Benefits

The University of San Diego offers a very competitive benefits package including; medical, dental, vision, a retirement contribution given to you by the University, and access to on-campus Fitness Centers. Please visit the benefits section of our website to view all of the perks and benefits that USD has to offer. USD: Human Resources: Benefits

The salary range provided in this posting reflects what we reasonably expect to pay for this position. Actual compensation offered or earned is dependent on experience, education and other factors including departmental budget.

Special Application Instructions:

Resume and Cover Letter Required

Click the 'Apply Now' button to complete our online application. In addition, please upload a cover letter and resume to your application profile for the hiring managers' review. If you have any questions or difficulties please contact the Employment Services Team at View email address on click.appcast.io.

Additional Details:
37.5 Hours per week

Closing date: Open until filled

Note : External job postings will be up for at least three days. After that time, applications will be reviewed by the hiring manager/committee throughout the posting period. A candidate may be selected at any time which could then close this posting on a date earlier than listed.

The University of San Diego is a smoking and tobacco-free campus. For more information, visit

Advertised: June 25, 2026 Pacific Daylight Time

Applications close:


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