Director of Dining Services

Position Title: Director of Dining Services

Location: Seattle, WA

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday

Salary: $95,000 - $110,000 / year

Bonus: Eligible

Become part of Restaurant Associates, the industry's leading provider of dining and event catering for some of the nation's most prestigious museums, performing arts centers and corporations! Voted Glassdoor's Employee Choice Awards - Best Places to Work, This is R/A!

Position Summary:

The Director of Dining Services is responsible for leading all aspects of dining operations within a corporate, contract services, or high-volume hospitality environment, ensuring exceptional service, food quality, and overall client satisfaction. This role oversees daily operations, financial performance, team leadership, and client relationships. The ideal candidate is a strategic, hands-on leader with a passion for food service excellence, team development, and creating an engaging and welcoming dining experience.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership and direction for all food service operations, including dining services, catering, and special events.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients and employees to ensure outstanding service and satisfaction.
• Partner with the Executive Chef and culinary team to develop and implement seasonal menus and innovative culinary programs.
• Manage all financial aspects of the operation, including budgeting, forecasting, invoice processing, daily sales reporting, catering invoicing, and period-end close.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, sanitation, and allergen standards while promoting a culture of safety.
• Conduct daily pre-service meetings to align the team on expectations, service standards, and key updates.
• Lead recruitment, onboarding, scheduling, training, and performance management of dining associates.
• Conduct mid-year and annual performance reviews, providing coaching, feedback, and development opportunities.
• Drive customer engagement through marketing initiatives, menu innovation, promotions, and catering events.
• Maintain high standards of service, cleanliness, and presentation across all dining areas.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in Hospitality, Culinary Arts, Business, or a related field preferred, or equivalent work experience.
• 3-5 years of food service management experience, ideally in corporate dining, contract services, or high-volume hospitality.
• Demonstrated experience managing budgets, financial reporting, and cost controls.
• Strong background in catering, special events, and high-volume food production.
• Proven ability to lead and develop teams, manage competing priorities, and execute key initiatives.
• Proficiency in using Google Suite products including Gmail, calendar, docs, and sheets.
• ServSafe certification preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, and communication skills.
• A passion for continuous improvement, innovation, and delivering an exceptional dining experience.