General Manager - Food Service Operations (Campus Dining & Catering)

Overview

We are seeking an experienced General Manager to lead all food and beverage operations at the University of Tennessee at Martin. This senior on-site leadership role carries full operational, financial, and client accountability for a high-volume, multi-unit campus dining program including residential dining, retail food operations, and catering services .

You will serve as the primary client partner, ensuring operational excellence, financial performance, regulatory compliance, and strong team leadership in a fast-paced university environment.

Position Summary

The General Manager is the senior-most leader responsible for a single contract-managed university dining account. This role oversees all daily operations, financial performance, staffing, compliance, and client relations while leading through managers and ensuring long-term account success.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all campus dining operations across residential dining, retail, and catering services
• Serve as primary client contact and maintain strong stakeholder relationships
• Own full contract performance, operational execution, and financial results
• Manage budgets, forecasting, payroll, cash control, and full P&L responsibility
• Ensure compliance with food safety, sanitation, labor, and workplace safety standards
• Recruit, train, coach, and develop managers and frontline teams
• Oversee staffing, scheduling, and employee engagement initiatives
• Drive operational improvements, service quality, and revenue growth
• Analyze financial and operational data to improve efficiency and profitability
• Oversee catering programs and campus special events

What You Bring

• Strong background in food service management , ideally in campus or institutional environments
• Proven experience with full P&L ownership , budgeting, and financial leadership
• Experience leading multi-unit, high-volume operations
• Strong leadership skills managing managers and frontline teams
• Excellent communication and client relationship management abilities
• Strong knowledge of food safety, sanitation, and workplace compliance standards
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced service environment

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience
• 5+ years of food service management experience
• 5+ years of leadership experience with direct supervision of managers
• Current or previous General Manager or Operations Manager role as senior on-site leader
• Experience managing food service accounts with $3M+ annual revenue
• Experience leading multi-outlet operations (residential dining, retail, catering)
• Demonstrated experience in campus or university dining operations (required)
• Full responsibility for P&L management, budgeting, payroll, and cash control
• Strong understanding of food safety and regulatory compliance standards

Preferred Experience

• Higher education dining or large institutional food service environments
• Healthcare, military, corporate campus, corrections, or similar complex operations
• Contract-managed food service environments with full account accountability
• Demonstrated success improving financial and operational performance

Work Environment

• Full-time, onsite leadership role
• Based at the University of Tennessee at Martin (Martin, TN)
• Requires daily client interaction and hands-on operational oversight
• High-volume, fast-paced institutional dining environment

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