Assistant Manager - Student Union Dining Operations

Central Washington University is recruiting an Assistant Manager to join our Dining Services team in Ellensburg, Washington. This role is an important member of our team as they enhance the vision for the University. The role is a campus-based position, which means you get to see the lives you are impacting. We're offering a salary, depending on experience, from $45,303 - $54,363.50 annually plus the awesome CWU benefits.

Who we are:

We are a team of individuals committed to Changing Students' Lives. No matter what job, each of us plays a part in supporting and empowering our students to fulfill their dreams.

Working in higher education provides career growth and career choice. Think of a university campus like a mini city, operating across 380 acres. You'll find diverse academics, libraries, athletics and sporting events, full service and quick serve dining, conferences and events from small to large, recreation centers, housing, health services, police and public safety for the campus population of ~10,000 students.

Central Washington University has been named a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Top Producing Institution for the 2022-2023 academic year. In addition, for the seventh time in eight years, CWU is a recipient of the prestigious Higher Education Excellence in Diversity (HEED) Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine. Come join us on our journey to encourage, inspire, and create spaces where all identities thrive on campus.

Tour our campus in Ellensburg here. www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjdhOegDa9A

What we offer:

Our investment in you begins the day you join our team, a healthy and successful future for you is important to us. We offer medical, dental, life and disability insurance, retirement and optional savings plans, tuition assistance for you and your dependents, discounts across town, an employee assistance program for individualized counseling, and a wellness incentive program. Learn more: Benefits, Perks, and Leave.

The Role:

This position assists in providing leadership, direction, training, and customer service standards to all levels of staffing that support a Dining Operation. This position is a key partner with building staff and student groups in providing programmatic support. The diverse customer needs require a variety of cuisines and convenience foods, requiring that the incumbent have a broad understanding of many cuisines and types of operations. The Assistant Manager will be assigned to Student Union Operations. All employees are expected to support CWU's commitment to diversity and to bring and support inclusion into the university environment.

Leadership & Supervision:
- Collaborates with General Manager, Executive Chef, Sous Chef, and Campus Executive Chef, to ensure that goals and objectives are implemented.
- Maintains the vision, values and priorities of the department and work within the unit for alignment.
- Provides support to all Dining operations.
- Assists in directing staff on unit operation policies and procedures.
- Promotes professional development opportunities.
- Develops and fosters supportive working relationships, motivation, and engagement.
- Collaborates with students and student groups in planning special events in the unit kitchen space if approved.
- Communicates information to staff on an ongoing basis to influence staff engagement and to be a part of a larger community.
- Recognizes and rewards employees for good performance.
- Maintains visibility and accessibility with customers, building managers and staff members.
- Consults appropriately with Human Resources to ensure that CWU and bargaining unit policies, guidelines are followed in administering progressive, corrective action principles and union contracts are followed in addressing employee performance problems.
- Assists in instructing classified, hourly, and student staff on safe food handling.
- Schedules both civil service and student employee work hours/shifts; monitor hours worked; approve payable time and absence requests.
- Assists in the development of the Student Union Dining Operations (including Holmes and Central Market Place) business plan and budget in collaboration with Dining Services leadership.
- Maintain visibility and accessibility with customers, building managers and staff members.

Supervision:
- Directly supervise the work completed by the Food Service Supervisors, and assigned classified staff, ensuring appropriate productivity and quality.
- Provide indirect supervision/oversight of classified civil service staff and student staff.
- Provide clearly defined performance expectations, ensuring accountability and providing ongoing informal feedback, coaching and mentoring and conducts formal performance evaluations.
- Oversees and directs the work of staff. Serves as mentor, coach and leader and resolves complaints or issues.
- Monitors attendance and adjusts staffing to meet daily production needs.
- Assists and collaborates, as needed, in the direction of food production and work assignments for kitchen staff.
- Evaluate the work completed by direct reports and provide constructive feedback to support success.
- Provide guidance to direct reports on requirements and/or opportunities for learning and professional development.
- Engage in performance management of employees within the dining organization.
- Supervise the work completed by direct reports, ensuring appropriate productivity and quality.
- Leads recruitment efforts and hiring of new employees.

Operations & Customer Service:
- Embrace and manage technology to improve flow through in the operation.
- Assist in managing the inventory from ordering to utilization, including purchasing, receipt, storage, payment processing, distribution, production, display and sale.
- Collaborate with Auxiliary Enterprise's Marketing team to identify and utilize multiple venues for soliciting customer feedback and respond to complaints, questions and special requests.
- Assist in monitoring compliance with marketing standards and promotions and take corrective action.
- Continuously monitors the appearance and quality of all food and food display areas.
- Assists, as needed, with ordering, delivery, and preparation of food to meet planned menu and service needs.
- Follow proper reporting procedures for unit performance data to include cash sales, labor hours worked and inventory.
- Assists, as needed, in oversight and training in proper handling, preparation and storage of food products.
- Assists in establishment and maintenance of a quality control program for food and beverage preparation and service.
- Assists in actively controlling food waste and to proactively promote sustainability efforts and goals.
- Assists in ensuring cleanliness and sanitation of work areas at all campus dining locations.
- Assists in direction and participation in proper and safe use, cleaning, and maintenance of equipment. Assists in providing recommendations for equipment repair and/or replacement.
- Supervise the cleaning and sanitization of equipment after production is complete.
- Actively leads and/or participates in weekly unit service staff meetings.
- Works with management team in developing new and creative programs designed to meet the diverse culinary preferences of college students.
- Actively solicits patrons' suggestions and respond to complaints, questions, and special requests.

Fiscal Management:
- Monitor and review reports, including financial statements, production records, staffing schedules and inquiries from the Auxiliary Enterprise's Financial team.
- Assists in training and monitoring performance in unit safety, cash handling, customer service and food safety.
- Assists in establishing and maintaining proper controls over resources, including cash, inventory, and labor.
- Participates in monitoring and reviewing reports, including financial statements, production records, staffing schedules and inquiries from the Auxiliary Accounting/Financial team.
- Contributes to the monitoring performance of products, services, and programs and collaborates with vendors to make adjustments as necessary to meet established sales and service goals.
- In conjunction with the Student Union Dining General Manager and Campus Executive Chef, works to ensure that there are appropriate controls on resources, including separation of controls between purchasing, receiving and counting inventory.

Training:
Assists in training and evaluating staff performance, including civil service, students, and temporary employees.- Coaches, provides feedback, and mentors staff and peers to improve efficient performance.
- Assists in the development and maintenance of in-service orientation and training for new employees.
- Assists in development and implementation, and provides department-wide training on sanitation, safety, and other food safety procedures.
- Assists in interviewing and selecting staff members, and ensures staff are on-boarded properly.
- Provides guidance to direct reports on requirements and/or opportunities for learning and professional development.
- Identify and correct unsafe conditions, such as poor equipment or work habits that may lead to accidents or injury.

Menu Management System (Computrition):
- Assists in oversight of Computrition functions performed as part of normal business operations, including purchasing, inventory, transfers and service menus. This position may be required to perform some tasks directly while reviewing or approving work delegated to staff.
- Assists in ensuring unit staff are properly trained on using Computrition system by referring them to Dining Systems Analyst for training, as well as providing ongoing guidance and feedback.
- Use Computrition reporting functions to monitor unit performance by reviewing key metrics related to purchasing, inventory, menu mix and costing. Notify Dining Systems Analyst of suspected errors or issues.

-Participates as needed in campus special events
-Perform other duties as assigned

• Minimum of three years of management experience in the food service industry.
• Demonstrated ability and/or experience working with students and/or co-workers from a wide range of abilities, backgrounds and experiences.
• OR applicable combination of education and/or experience which demonstrates the ability to perform the essential functions of the position

Additional Conditions of Employment:

• Possession of a Washington State Food Handler's Card.
• ServSafe certification within six months of hire and maintenance of certification thereafter.
• Maintenance of a valid Washington State Driver's License.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in an area of college or university food service.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, analytical, communication and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including, Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Project.
• Experience in active leadership including front of house and back of house staff development and coaching.
• Demonstrated participation in programs designed to promote inclusion.
• A record of promoting inclusivity in the work environment.

Competencies

• Accountability/Dependability: Accepts responsibility for quality of own work; acknowledges and corrects mistakes. Shows up on time, meets standards, deadlines and work schedules.
• Judgement: Makes timely, informed decisions. Analyzes options and determines appropriate course of action.
• Teamwork: Promotes cooperation and mutual support to achieve goals. Encourages participation and mutual support.
• Adaptability/Flexibility: Responds positively to changing business needs and responsibilities. Adapts approach and methods to achieve results; recovers quickly from setbacks and finds alternatives.
• Commitment to Diversity: Recognizes the value of diversity and helps create environment that supports and embraces diversity.

Don't meet every single requirement? At CWU we're dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't align perfectly with every requirement, we encourage you to apply anyway. This may be the job for you!

Salary: This position has a minimum annual salary of $45,303.00 and maximum annual salary of $63,424.00. The Hiring Department's expected hiring range is $45,303 - $54,363.50. In accordance with RCW 49.58.110, the above salary reflects the full salary range for this position. Individual placement within the hiring range is based on the candidate's current experience, education, skills, and abilities related to the position.

Schedule/Appointment: Variable / 40+ hours per week

Working Conditions: Work is performed in an indoor office setting with frequent in-person interactions. It is essential to be able to remain at a desk/computer workstation for prolonged periods of time, perform extensive data entry and other computer-related tasks and create/maintain filing systems for departmental records. Some evening or weekend work and/or occasional travel may be required. Work is performed primarily indoors, at times in hot/cold/noisy/wet areas with some exposure to hazardous equipment and products. Working in temperatures from 0 degrees (freezer) to 350+ degrees (around cooking equipment) is common. Work requires walking and standing (often in a stationary position) for the majority of each shift. Bending/climbing/carrying/pulling/pushing/lifting associated with loading/unloading of supplies and preparation, plating and serving of food is required. This position requires working a schedule that varies based on business needs. This entails attending and participating in events that occur seven days a week and outside normal business hours.

Benefits: CWU offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical and dental insurance, retirement and optional savings plans, life and disability insurance, along with vacation and sick leave plans depending on employment classification. For additional information please visit Benefits, Perks, and Leave.

An employee of CWU may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program if the employee has student loans. To learn more, visit: https://ofm.wa.gov/state-human-resources/public-service-loan-forgiveness-program.