SR DIRECTOR, DINING SERVICES - Lawton Public Schools, OK

Short Description

Step into something extraordinary—a brand-new Chartwells food service partnership with Lawton Public Schools, serving 14,000 students across 27 schools—where you’ll lead the vision, strategy, and execution of a districtwide dining program from the ground up. As the Senior Director of Dining Services, you’ll set the direction for a high-impact, multi-site operation, driving innovation, operational excellence, and an exceptional dining experience that resonates with students, staff, and the community.

In this highly visible leadership role, you’ll oversee a dynamic team of leaders, including a Resident District Manager, Executive Chef, and a frontline workforce of up to 110 associates. You’ll be responsible for building and developing a strong leadership pipeline, fostering a culture of collaboration and accountability, and ensuring best-in-class execution across every school site. From strategic planning and financial performance to client relationships and program innovation, you’ll own the full scope of the operation.

This is a rare opportunity to shape a program at its inception—establishing standards, driving engagement, and elevating the overall dining experience. If you’re a visionary leader who thrives in fast-paced environments, excels at building high-performing teams, and is passionate about creating meaningful impact at scale, this is your moment to lead, innovate, and leave a lasting mark on a district ready for something exceptional.

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

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree and minimum of three (3) years of management experience, preferably in foodservice, hospitality management, CULINARY OR NUTRITION
• 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