Wisconsin Union Chief Operating Officer

Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Wisconsin Union

Reporting to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs/Wisconsin Union Executive Director, this position provides strategic leadership for the Wisconsin Union's dining and food services operations, facilities operations, event services and support operations, and the Wiscard office.

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) is part of the executive team for one of the nation's largest and most complex university union systems. This role provides strategic leadership for multi-facility operations, diverse self-operated business portfolios, large-scale capital planning, and a large multicultural workforce. The COO ensures all programs, services, and facilities are safe, clean, accessible, and financially sustainable for millions of annual visitors.

As a strategic leader in university auxiliary services, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) demonstrates keen entrepreneurial and business acumen, excellent financial management, and inspiring leadership in customer service and hospitality. Further, the COO is expected to comprehensively manage and lead the major revenue generating departments to help create the necessary resources to support the Wisconsin Union departments focused on student and community programming, its overall mission, and its administration.

The COO also provides strategic direction in the management of Wisconsin Union facilities to help ensure the Union meets its mission of fostering an environment where every individual can build meaningful connections, grow both personally and professionally, experience a deep sense of belonging, and help ensure the Union lives up to its vision of being the place on campus where lifetime memories are made.

Key

Job Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership
- Directly supervises the Director of Dining & Hospitality, Director of Facilities, and the Director of Wiscard Services. Provides broad strategic leadership, operational oversight, and overall financial management for these Wisconsin Union divisions: dining; facilities and events; the Wiscard office.

Strategic Management and Projects
- For these units of the Wisconsin Union, directs strategic planning initiatives and establish objectives to ensure appropriate use of financial, administrative and staffing resources, and alignment with the strategic plan.

External Communication
- Serves as the liaison to internal and external stakeholder groups providing organizational information pertaining to dining, facilities, Union event services, and the Wiscard office.

Business and Financial Management
- Provides strategic oversight of the budgeting, forecasting, benchmarking, cost benefit and breakeven analyses for dining, food services and catering operations, and the events services and production operations. Oversees an overall budget of approximately $38 million. Coordinates the presentation of these divisional budgets in the annual budgeting processes. Works with Wisconsin Union marketing department to obtain the support needed to meet the revenue goals related to the dining, events, corporate sponsor ships and Wiscard operations.

Monitor and analyze sales and financial data and continuously improve financial performance of the dining and events operations.

Security and Safety
- Ensures the appropriate operations, safety and security of Union facilities, event services, maintenance, and equipment. Ensures compliance with policy, law, and regulation pertaining to food and environmental health and safety.

Executive Leadership
- Serves on the Wisconsin Union Executive Team, Leadership Team, and Senior Management Team. Fosters a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students, faculty, staff, and guests of the Union. Serves on the Student Affairs Council, actively participating in the leadership and program initiatives of Student Affairs.

Sustainability
- Leads the Wisconsin Union's sustainability efforts and serves on the Sustainability Advisory Board. Coordinates the sustainability efforts throughout the Wisconsin Union.

High-Profile All Campus Programs – Provides leadership in large campus & community events like Badger Bash, Commencement, events with the potential…