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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