Education Retail Dining Director

Position: Higher Education Retail Dining Director
Pay: $75000 - $90000

Location: Tyler , Texas

Summary: The Higher Education Retail Director is responsible for the strategic leadership, daily oversight, and financial performance of all retail dining operations within an assigned higher education account. This role oversees multiple retail concepts and service platforms, drives revenue growth, elevates the guest experience, and ensures operational excellence across campus retail locations.

Working closely with the General Manager, culinary leadership, and campus partners, the Retail Director leads all aspects of retail execution, including branded and proprietary concepts, merchandising, staffing, service standards, inventory controls, marketing support, and customer engagement. This position serves as the senior retail leader on site and plays a key role in shaping a dynamic, relevant, and high-performing campus dining program.

Responsibilities:

• Lead all retail dining operations for the assigned account, including cafés, coffee concepts, quick-service locations, markets, grab-and-go programs, late-night service, and other campus retail venues.
• Drive financial performance by managing retail revenue, labor, cost controls, inventory, waste reduction, and operating efficiencies across all locations.
• Partner with the General Manager to develop and execute retail strategies that support client goals, student engagement, and account growth.
• Oversee retail managers and supervisors to ensure strong execution, accountability, and consistency across all service points.
• Analyze sales, traffic, product mix, and operational trends to identify opportunities for growth, improved profitability, and enhanced guest satisfaction.
• Support the development and execution of retail promotions, seasonal programs, marketing activations, meal plan strategies, and limited-time offers that increase participation and retail capture.
• Ensure all retail locations maintain high standards for food quality, freshness, presentation, cleanliness, visual merchandising, and hospitality.
• Collaborate with culinary leadership to implement menus, retail product strategies, recipe consistency, and innovation aligned with campus preferences and current dining trends.
• Management of National and Internal brand concepts.
• Oversee ordering, receiving, inventory practices, product rotation, and retail merchandising standards to support quality and minimize loss.
• Monitor labor deployment, scheduling, and staffing models to align with business volume and service expectations.
• Recruit, train, coach, and develop retail leadership and frontline teams to build operational strength, engagement, and bench talent.
• Maintain strong client and campus relationships by responding to feedback, participating in meetings, and supporting initiatives that improve the student and guest experience.
• Ensure compliance with company standards and all applicable local, state, and federal regulations related to food safety, sanitation, workplace safety, and labor practices.
• Maintain accurate operational reporting related to sales, labor, inventory, service standards, and retail performance metrics.
• Support new retail openings, concept refreshes, campus events, rebranding efforts, and other strategic projects as assigned.
• Maintain a visible, hands-on presence in the operation and provide direct support during peak business periods and special events.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as needed.
• Directly supervise retail managers, supervisors, and other assigned team members across multiple campus retail locations.
• Establish performance expectations and provide coaching, recognition, corrective action, and development planning as needed.
• Foster a culture of accountability, hospitality, innovation, and operational excellence.
• Promote strong cross-functional communication between retail, culinary, catering, and overall account leadership.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Hospitality, Business, Food service Management, Retail Management, or related field preferred.
• Minimum of 5-7 years of progressive leadership experience in retail food service, hospitality, campus dining, quick-service operations, branded concepts, or multi-unit dining environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading multiple retail outlets with responsibility for financial performance, labor management, and customer satisfaction.
• Strong understanding of retail operations, merchandising, promotions, product mix, inventory controls, and point-of-sale systems.
• Proven ability to analyze business trends and translate data into actionable operational strategies.
• Strong leadership, communication, client relationship, and team development skills.
• Experience with high-volume service environments and fast-paced, multi-concept operations.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and food service or retail systems including POS, online ordering, inventory, and reporting platforms.
• Working knowledge of food safety, sanitation, and operational compliance requirements.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule based on business…