Managing Director, Campus Dining and Event Services

General Summary:

Under the direction of the Associate Vice Chancellor for Administration & Finance, in the Campus Services area of the Administration & Finance Division, the incumbent will serve to manage operations in the following units: Events, Dining, and Bookstore. Working directly and indirectly with the managers and staff of those areas, the incumbent will manage contracts, develop staff, and implement policies and procedures, to be used to manage the business of each area to goals established by the University and VCAF leadership.

Examples of Duties:

Manage vendor contract for residential and retail dining (currently management fee-based)

• Ensure vendor compliance with contracted terms and conditions
• In collaboration with vendor staff, maintain residential, retail, event and catering dining programs at high standards of quality, efficiency and affordability
• Review and approve data and reports with vendor that support management fee to paid
• Evaluate proposed vendor contract extension or lead a competitive bid process for 2027 contract end
• Oversee management of residential meal plan billing and vendor catering accounts receivable
• Plan and oversee any refresh to concepts and space of retail, residential, event and catered dining operations with the vendor and VCAF leadership
• Expand dining business for the campus and the vendor through additional offerings, venues, events, and partnerships with outside entities
• Collaborate and coordinate with vendor, residence hall third-party operator and internal departments on all related dining issues

Manage Event Services department

• Refocus the mission of the department toward activating the campus year-around with events that serve our community and those that will increase revenue to the campus
• Manage & build Event Services into a consolidated, concierge-type Events operation
  
  
  
  • Develop and implement workflow flow for Event Services to become the starting point for ALL campus events (except Commencement/Chancellor and Advancement events) and incorporate opportunities for other auxiliary services to be offered to clients in a seamless fashion
  • Consolidate as much campus space into scheduling software that can be rented when not in use by the university.
  • Coordinate logistics with Registrar, Athletics, COCM, and others on campus to utilize all available spaces and all available times.
  • Consolidated sales, scheduling, delivery of services and billing from all campus auxiliaries to clients into one bill.
  • Improve business processes with updated or new software systems, accounting (billing and chargeback) processes, marketing, reporting and information sharing
  
  
  
  
• Develop and implement an events marketing strategy
  
  
  
  • Web-based booking application to at least let potential clients see and evaluate options and pricing for food, lodging (Res Hall plus private), and other offerings (print, marine, parking) to begin planning and costing an event.
  
  
  
  

Coordinate with Facilities and Student Affairs to remove Manage vendor contract for bookstore

• Ensure vendor compliance with contracted terms and conditions
• Engage in a competitive bid process for 2027 contract end
• Return and maintain the operation to/at financial break-even or better annually
• Collaborative with UMB Marketing & Student Affairs on merchandising and student desires for the bookstore Expand availability and adoption of digital student classroom support materials with faculty
• Plan and oversee any refresh of the concept and space of the bookstore campus center operations from Events Services

Other duties

• Manage one financial operations staff person in addition to the Director of Event Services and overseeing contractual services
• All other duties as assigned by the Associate & Vice-Chancellors of Administration & Finance

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Business, Management, Economics, or a related field, required
• Minimum of seven (7) years of professional management experience in a large business environment, and business functions of an operational and fiscal nature
• Experience working and presenting to executive-level managers and staff.
• High level of proficiency in use of Microsoft Office products

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in higher education, government and/or other highly regulated/unionized business environment
• Master's degree in a related field with greater than 10 years of similar work experience
• Other Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
  
  
  
  • Ability to work successfully in a diverse environment and complex organizational structure
  • Ability to effectively manage multiple and complex projects while adhering to set deadlines Ability to maintain strict confidentiality around analysis and decision-making
  • Ability to gather and incorporate data and information from different sources into one analysis
  • Strong ability to develop regular and provide ad hoc report of business and financial information on actual activities, market trends and other business opportunities and risks
  • Mastery of charting, graphing and other visual methods to show the impact of analysis
  • Strong organizational and problem-solving skills Proficiency in use of various large administrative database software systems;
  • Strong statistical and analytical skills; Strong oral, written, and visual communication skills;
  
  
  
  

Application Instructions:

Please apply online with your resume, cover letter and list of three references.

This is a non-union exempt position.

UMass Boston is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, we will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact HR@umb.edu or 617-287-5150.