District Manager

The ideal candidate will live in Chicagoland or Indianapolis.

District Manager Parkhurst Dining

Reports to : Vice President, Higher Education

The district manager directs, manages, and leads all Operations managers for the contract dining business in the assigned district with an anticipated managed volume exceeding 30 million.

Accountable for financial performance, client engagement, guest experience as well as team member development, labor relations, recruitment, and retention.

Functions as a strategic member of the Parkhurst Leadership Team and participates in the formation of long-term planning and priorities for the Parkhurst Higher Education Division.

Financial Performance Management

• Oversees the P&L and fee management contract performance for assigned District, achieving all budget targets for plan year in concert with the Site Leadership as a bottom-up budget creation.
• Plans, directs, and measures the financial performance targets and outcomes for the assigned District. Achieves targets through effective management of results : Supporting site leadership, monitoring trends, forming action plans, measuring, and analyzing results, and initiating corrective actions with underperforming units.
• Builds the roll up of the District annual budget and corresponding month or quarterly reforecasting to ensure an accurate financial picture throughout the financial year.

Monitors reforecasting accuracy and plans corrective actions based on reforecast to achieve the Plan year.

• Leads the team to utilize the financial planning tools and monitoring dashboards and trains new leaders and supporting team members on the use of tools for a consistent and accurate financial analysis process.
• Identifies and oversees the implementation of top line sales growth (both organic and auxiliary) opportunities for the assigned District to deliver against targeted volume growth year over year.
• Collaborates with the sales retention and finance teams on sales pro forma and proposal development. Participates in full sales and retention process.

Client Management

Ensures the Client Relationship Gold Standards are adhered to across the District and teaches new leaders the Standards and monitors adherence.

Escalates issues with Clients to PD Leadership in a timely manner for action plan support and mitigation.

Manages relationships and engages with the Client on the design and execution of growth initiatives in conjunction with the site leader.

Identifies client needs and opportunities to develop detailed action plans to improve client relationships, with special attention to at- risk issues.

• Utilizes CRM and Blue Sheets to maintain critical client data to enable client touchpoints from all Parkhurst representatives deliver a consistent and aligned client management voice.
• Monitors critical contractual obligations to ensure all commitments are fulfilled by the correct parties on time and accurately.

Partner with colleagues across the enterprise as well as the Client to resolve action plans for any items out of compliance.

Identifies opportunities within the Client partnership to strengthen profitability and client retention through contract amendments.

Team Management

Leads the District to establish direction, clarifies the big picture, and sets strategies. Communicates goals, gains commitment, builds teams, partnerships, and stakeholder supports.

Motivates and inspires the team towards strategic goal achievement.

• Participates in the annual strategic planning process to identify performance opportunities, link opportunities to goals, outline SMART goals and cascade the goals to the appropriate level within their organization.
• Monitors engagement action plans that produce high engagement and a strong fit to our culture rooted in creating smiles and care.
• Allocates resources, oversees organizational design and staffing, and takes corrective action to resolve people issues.

Escalates people issues in an appropriate time frame when resolutions are not effective.

• Interviews, hires, trains, appraises, counsels, and supervises managerial level staff; handles disciplinary actions. Reviews and approves expense reports and holds direct reports accountable to Parkhurst policies and procedures.
• Oversees all hourly recruiting for the District ensuring all site management are completing the necessary tasks to recruit, retain and source new hourly team members.

Monitors talentReef for site leadership compliance to the process and coaches and trains underperforming management on hourly recruiting tasks.

Escalates hourly recruiting issues for support in a timely manner.

• Ensures timely completion of annual performance appraisals and holds performance discussions at least quarterly; addresses team members problems and issues related to their work or environment.
• Fosters the development of diverse teams at all levels as appropriate and outlines annual skills development, career growth opportunities, and improvement objectives with direct reports.

Leads the talent review input and calibration for their District ensuring a fair and accurate talent pipeline is developed and actioned.

Operational Leadership

• Supports senior leadership in setting the cultural tone across the District and actively coaches or educates when behaviors are not in line with cultural standards.
• Reviews operational performance dashboard tools to ensure operational insights and action planning on areas such as safety, food cost management, client / guest satisfaction, team member retention, etc.

Forms correction actions across the District where needed in partnership with senior leadership - including identifying trends that may benefit from proactive re-training, policy update or other actions to get ahead of a possible issue.

• Partners with Corporate Marketing to roll out key brand initiatives and provide inputs to future direction of brand development.
• Serves as Crisis team lead for the Account on issues related to foodborne illness, product recalls, and guests and team member safety.
• Proactively monitors for labor activity and escalates for support if risk exposure elevates.
• Provides inputs on opportunities for improved guest experience across technology, culinary, food trends, experiences, etc.

to colleagues in the corporate support center.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business, HRIM, Culinary Sciences, or related field required.
• Minimum of 3 years multi-unit management experience within hospitality or 5+ years as a top unit leader of a complex organization of at least $7 million in managed volume.
• Ability to lead in a white space and ideate on new solutions and innovations that can delight the Client and differentiate Parkhurst Dining from the competitors.
• Proven track record of strong client management and retention and ability to influence and support the client.
• Proven experience managing a complex financial portfolio, including unit accountability for a full P&L and ability to perform and react to financial analysis.
• Must have experience recruiting, developing and retaining both salaried and hourly team members.
• Outstanding verbal, written, multi-tasking and presentation skills are required.
• Proven ability to interact and communicate effectively with both internal and external stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Proficiency with technology including Microsoft Office, CRM tools and data analysis
• Strong demonstrated ability to solve complex and ambiguous business problems
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic environment where there can be degrees of ambiguity
• Ability to identify and succinctly summarize roadblocks and constraints, propose potential solutions, and drive towards resolution.
• Ability to always handle and protect confidential information
• Must be able to travel within the assigned District and maintain a highly visible presence at all Accounts on a regular basis as well as travel for sales opportunities when needed.

Eat’n Park Hospitality Group provides equal employment opportunities to all team members and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.