Dining Hall Manager

How to Apply

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

Job Summary

The University of Michigan Biological Station, an education and research campus in Pellston, Michigan, seeks to hire a Dining Hall Manager to manage all personnel and food service operations for its residential dining hall. During the summer months, students, faculty, researchers, and their families from around the country live at the Biological Station. The dining hall serves between 20 and 275 residents and offers high quality meals made on-site: 3 meals per day, seven days a week May through September.  This will be a permanent, 7-month, seasonal position running mid-March through mid- October annually. The ideal start date for this position is mid-March 2026.

Mission Statement

The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.

Responsibilities*

Human Resource & Financial Management (40%)

• Recruit, interview, hire and train approximately 12 - 20 temporary food service employees. Determine staff pay rates and work schedules and process payroll.
• Direct, train, and evaluate employees to ensure they all know their roles and expectations; hold self and team accountable for these expectations and standards.
• Represent UMBS dining service to students, faculty, staff, and guests in a positive and professional manner.
• Develop and maintain a sustainable budget for dining hall expenses.
• Work directly with Biological Station financial staff, UM Procurement, and vendors to ensure fair prices, excellent products, and on-time deliveries.   
• Consult with operational staff to determine number of residents eating meals and special dietary requirements of residents.

Operations (40%)

• Manage all aspects of menu planning, ordering, preparation, serving and clean-up for 3 meals a day, 7 days a week, for residents, visiting groups, and special events.  
• Ensure that food is prepared in the proper manner and that waste is eliminated.  
• Ensure consistency, quality and appealing presentation of food prepared in-house with local and sustainable ingredients as often as possible.  
• Oversee nutrition and allergy signage and consult with residents with special diets.
• Anticipate, address, and resolve customer service issues.
• Collect feedback from residents and consult residence and administrative staff.
• Facilitate training and meetings to build morale and emphasize teamwork.
• Evaluate and recommends capital improvements, maintenance projects and equipment purchases.

Sanitation & Safety (20%)

• Ensure that kitchen equipment and facilities are in working order in coordination with Station Facilities Manager.
• Recommend and implement new and/or revised policies, procedures, and standards.
• Ensure a safe work environment that includes education on proper safety and techniques, as well as provide supplies to ensure employee safety as required. 
• Ensure that all employees are compliant with mandatory health and educational requirements.
• Enforce proper sanitation standards in compliance with regulations, U-M EHS standards and local, state regulations. Arrange and participate in all inspections.

Required Qualifications*

An associate degree or equivalent training in food service management and at least 3 years of experience as a cook and manager of a high-volume dining facility.

Desired Qualifications*

Strong personnel management skills, budget management skills, and flexibility to accommodate requests and special dietary requirements.  Must obtain current ServeSafe certification.

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Additional Information

This position is based at the UM Biological Station campus located in Pellston, Michigan (approximately a four-hour drive north of Ann Arbor).  The Biological Station supports an enriched experience for a community of individuals and families from all backgrounds. The 20-acre campus is set along the shore of Douglas Lake surrounded by more than 10,000 acres of undeveloped forest.

Housing Benefits - Family housing will be provided (without fees) at the Pellston campus during this seasonal regular appointment for a Dining Hall Manager who does not permanently live in the Pellston area.  We encourage Dining Hall Mangers at academic institutions to apply for this regular, exempt seasonal position to round out an academic year appointment at their main campuses.

On top of housing, here are additional benefit offerings: https://hr.umich.edu/about-uhr/service-areas-offices/benefits-office

As one of the world's great liberal arts colleges, LSA pushes the boundaries of what is understood about the human experience and the natural world, and we foster the next generation of rigorous and empathetic thinkers, creators, and contributors to the state of Michigan, the nation, and the world.

To learn more about LSA's Mission, Vision and Values, please visit lsa.umich.edu/strategicvision.

Background Screening

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks.  Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.