SR DIRECTOR DINING SERVICES - Lyon County School District, Fernley, NV

Short Description

Chartwells K12 | Compass Group USA
Senior Director of Dining Services (Sr DDS)
Lyon County School District – Fernley, NV

We are seeking a high‑performing Senior Director of Dining Services (Sr DDS) to lead a dynamic K‑12 dining program supporting Lyon County School District in Fernley, Nevada, overseeing approximately 18 schools within a $5M+ operation. In this role, you’ll serve as the key partner to district leadership, building strong client relationships while driving operational consistency and delivering high‑quality dining experiences that support our mission to nourish students.

Reporting to the Area Director, this is a hands‑on, visible leadership role where you’ll provide day‑to‑day oversight across the district, working closely with your salaried team and frontline staff. You’ll spend time in schools coaching leaders, strengthening teams, and ensuring excellence in financial performance, compliance, and program execution. This role is ideal for a relationship‑focused leader who thrives in a multi‑unit environment and is passionate about making a meaningful impact in K‑12 food service.

Job Summary

Key Responsibilities: 

• Leads, manages, and inspires a diverse team(s) at a large account or multiple accounts, with the goal of providing top-notch service to the client, students, and community
• Drives and develops self and team at the account(s) towards building strong relationships with client(s) and achievement of key performance indicators (profitability, safety, engagement, etc.) 
• May serve on district leadership team, and participates in ongoing conversations with peers to share best practices, mitigate risks, champion diversity, and build community
• Ensures decisions are weighed for risk/reward and short/long term implications, while gathering input from the team and partners 
• Fosters a culture of transparency, understanding, education, safety, and accountability 
• Serves as the representative/brand ambassador of the Chartwells team within the district(s) and the community; attends key client and community events
• Ensures client(s) needs are met or exceeded, we retain the account(s), find cross-sell opportunities, and assist in rebid process as directed
• Supports functional areas including but not limited to safety, marketing, nutrition and culinary
• Ensures adherence to local, state, federal and company policies, and conducts unit audits to ensure conformance for key areas (e.g. food storage, sanitation) 
• Maintains compliance with USDA regulations and guidance for all applicable meal and retail programs, along with completing all required reporting on time
• Champions development within the account(s) and has a full understanding of all roles within the operation; conducts performance evaluations, along with succession planning for the account(s)
• Owns the financial results for the account(s), and works to ensure accuracy for reporting, forecasting, and budgeting processes 
• Ensures consistent and fair administration of all policies and procedures

Required Qualifications:

• Educational minimum and work experience per USDA Professional Standards for the account(s)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree and minimum of five (5) years of management experience, preferably in foodservice, hospitality management, dietetics, culinary or related fields.
• Is well-versed in foodservice management with proven track record of success, ideally in K12 foodservice 
• Has proven track record of leading a business and a team, strong customer service, and good business and financial acumen
• Demonstrates strong initiative, critical thinking, ownership, communications (listening, written, and verbal), multi-tasking, prioritization, and organization skills
• Champions the inclusion mindset, and is proactive, positive, professional, and resilient  
• Excellent computer skills and proficiency with Microsoft Office suite and POS software