Associate Director of Operations - Vol Dining - UTK

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) is a prestigious public research university established in 1794, known for its dedication to leadership, service, and innovation. Serving over 38,000 students and employing around 10,000 people statewide, UTK acts as Tennessee's flagship land-grant university, offering more than 900 programs across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. The institution has earned the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and maintains strong partnerships with significant industry leaders, including Oak Ridge National Laboratory. UTK is renowned for fostering an inclusive, supportive environment for its employees with a strong focus on work-life balance, compensation, and professional development, offering extensive career advancement opportunities and training programs. The campus experience is enhanced by the Division of Campus Operations and Real Estate, where Vol Dining plays a key part. Vol Dining provides diverse, high-quality dining options to meet the needs of students, faculty, staff, and visitors, emphasizing operational excellence, sustainability, and customer satisfaction while collaborating closely with other campus units to ensure seamless service integration aligning with UTK's mission and values.

The Associate Director of Operations at UTK’s Vol Dining is a strategic and detail-oriented leadership role focused on overseeing the operational performance, functionality, and long-term planning of dining facilities across the university campus. This position reports directly to the Director of Dining Services and is responsible for managing the back-of-house (BOH) kitchen equipment systems, coordinating capital planning and construction projects, and enhancing operational infrastructure to provide safe, efficient, and top-quality service environments. The role entails comprehensive leadership over dining facility operations, including facility improvements, equipment lifecycle management, budget oversight related to facilities and equipment systems, and close collaboration with campus partners, construction teams, and vendor contractors.

This role is pivotal in driving operational strategy and program development to ensure compliance with university policies and health and safety regulations, while also identifying innovative ways to improve efficiency across the dining portfolio. The Associate Director supervises a team of approximately ten facilities and maintenance staff, overseeing areas such as plumbing, HVAC/refrigeration, kitchen equipment repair, and building maintenance. They also work hand-in-hand with Facilities Services leadership to complete maintenance, repairs, and operational projects. The position requires strong experience in operations management, facilities operations, commercial kitchen system management, and construction coordination within complex operational environments. Candidates must demonstrate excellent organizational skills, project management abilities, and a proven track record in collaborating effectively with architects, engineers, contractors, and university stakeholders to support the university’s continued growth and modernization of dining services. This is an onsite role located in Knoxville, Tennessee, with a competitive salary range of $73,000 to $97,000, classified under UT’s market range MR12.

Joining the Vol Dining leadership at UTK offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a community-oriented dining operation that values innovation, sustainability, and excellence. The University of Tennessee places high importance on employee well-being and professional growth, fostering a culture of involvement, support, and leadership development. Applicants eager to be part of a dynamic team helping to shape the future of campus dining and facilities management in a premier educational institution are encouraged to apply today and become part of the Tennessee Volunteer community.