Hendrix College is seeking a full-time, 12-month Executive Director of Retail Management and Campus Hospitality. Reporting to the Vice President for Finance and Operations/Chief Financial Officer, the Executive Director functions as the College's chief hospitality and retail executive, leading multiple business units through strategic planning, financial stewardship,
operational excellence, customer service innovation, and staff development.
The Executive Director of Retail Management and Campus Hospitality provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the College's auxiliary retail enterprises, including Dining Services, The Burrow, the Campus Market (Spirit Store and Convenience Store), Vending Services, Concessions, Conferences and Events, Catering, and Post Office. This position is
responsible for developing a cohesive campus hospitality strategy that enhances the student experience, supports enrollment and retention initiatives, strengthens institutional branding, and generates sustainable auxiliary revenues.
Financial Management
Direct responsibility for the financial performance of all retail enterprises.
Responsibilities include:
- Develop annual operating and capital budgets.
- Monitor monthly financial performance.
- Analyze profit and loss statements.
- Develop revenue forecasts.
- Establish pricing strategies to yield a net profit for revenue producing areas.
- Monitor labor costs.
- Manage food costs without sacrificing quality.
- Manage inventory investment.
- Improve operating margins.
- Recommend capital investments.
Responsible for annual revenues and expenses associated with:
- Residential Dining
- The Burrow
- Campus Market
- Spirit Store
- Convenience Store
- Vending
- Concessions
- Conferences
- Catering
- Post Office
Dining Services Leadership
Provide executive oversight for all campus dining operations based on being “destination” locations.
Responsibilities include:
- Residential dining
- Meal plans
- Menu strategy
- Food quality
- Nutrition initiatives
- Student satisfaction
- Dining hours
- Sustainability initiatives
- Vendor management
- Food safety compliance
Lead the transformation of The Burrow into the College's premier campus gathering place.
Responsibilities include:
- Brand development
- Menu strategy
- Programming with Student Affairs
- Evening activities
- Specialty beverages
- Retail food offerings
- Student engagement
- Technology integration
- Customer experience
- Financial performance
Provide executive leadership for the integrated Campus Market consisting of the Spirit Store and Convenience Store.
Responsibilities include:
Retail Merchandise
- Campus apparel
- Gifts
- Alumni merchandise
- Graduation merchandise
- Athletic merchandise
- Online store
Convenience Store
- Fresh grab-and-go meals
- Grocery items
- Snacks
- Beverages
- School supplies
- Personal care products
- Residence hall essentials
- Technology accessories
Develop strategies to maximize customer traffic through extended operating hours, seasonal promotions, and integrated merchandising.
Conferences and Events
Provide strategic oversight for all conference and event operations.
Responsibilities include:
- Campus calendar (internal/external)
- Summer conferences
- Corporate events
- Weddings
- Camps
- Community rentals
- Internal events
- Space scheduling
- Event contracts
- Revenue development
- Customer service standards
Develop and execute strategies to maximize year-round utilization of campus facilities.
Catering
Provide executive leadership for the College's catering enterprise.
Responsibilities include:
- Internal catering
- External catering
- Catering sales
- Menu development
- Event coordination
- Food production
- Quality assurance
- Revenue growth
- Customer satisfaction
Concessions
Lead all concession operations supporting:
- Athletics
- Performing arts
- Campus events
- Community events
- Special programs
Develop premium concession offerings that enhance customer experience while maximizing profitability.
Vending Services
Oversee campus vending operations.
Responsibilities include:
- Product selection
- Healthy options
- Fresh food vending
- Technology upgrades
- Vendor contracts
- Inventory management
- Revenue optimization
- Equipment replacement planning
Ensure vending serves as the College's after-hours food and beverage solution while complementing dining operations.
Marketing and Brand Development
Develop a unified brand strategy for all retail operations.
Responsibilities include:
- Marketing plans
- Promotions
- Loyalty programs
- Social media
- Student engagement
- Alumni promotions
- Community outreach
- Digital communications
- Retail merchandising
- Seasonal campaigns
Collaborate closely with the Office of Communications to maintain institutional brand consistency.
Customer Experience
Establish a campus-wide hospitality culture.
Develop measurable service standards for:
- Dining
- Retail
- Conferences
- Catering
- Campus visitors
- Alumni
- Parents
- Guests
Measure customer satisfaction through surveys, mystery shopper programs, and operational metrics.
Personnel Leadership
Provide leadership for all professional, full-time, part-time, and student employees within the division.
Responsibilities include:
- Hiring
- Performance management
- Staff development
- Succession planning
- Student employment
- Leadership development
- Training
- Employee engagement
- Safety
- Scheduling
Develop a student leadership program offering progressive roles such as Shift Lead, Supervisor, and Manager, creating meaningful experiential learning opportunities.
Technology and Innovation
Lead technology initiatives including:
- Point-of-sale systems
- Mobile ordering
- Self-service kiosks
- Digital menu boards
- Inventory management
- Online retail
- Business intelligence dashboards
- Event management software
- Customer analytics
- Mobile payment solutions
Leverage data analytics to improve operational performance and decision-making.
Compliance and Risk Management
Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, including:
- Health and food safety requirements
- Alcohol service regulations
- ADA accessibility
- Employment laws
- Cash handling standards
- Emergency preparedness
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Hospitality Management, Retail Management, Food Service Management, Finance, Higher Education Administration, or a related field or any combination of education and experience that would provide the executive knowledge required at this level.
- Seven to ten years of progressively responsible leadership experience in hospitality, auxiliary services, retail management, dining services, conference services, or a comparable multi-unit operation.
- Demonstrated experience managing complex budgets and financial operations.
- Experience supervising multiple departments and professional staff.
- Proven record of revenue growth, operational improvement, and customer service excellence.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA), Hospitality Management, Higher Education Administration, or a related discipline.
- Experience in higher education auxiliary services.
- Experience managing self-operated dining and retail enterprises.
- Knowledge of conference and event management, including catering.
- Experience with POS, inventory, and retail management systems.
- Experience leading organizational change and business transformation.
Core Competencies
- Strategic Planning
- Financial and Business Acumen
- Communication and Relationship Building
- Hospitality Leadership
- Retail Operations
- Revenue Generation
- Customer Experience Management
- Organizational Leadership
- Data Analytics and KPI Management
- Marketing and Merchandising
- Team Development
- Project Management
- Operational Excellence
- Change Management
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
The Executive Director will be evaluated annually on:
Financial
- Net operating margin by business unit
- Revenue growth
- Budget performance
- Food cost percentage
- Labor cost percentage
- Inventory turnover
- Gross margin return on investment (GMROI)
Student Experience
- Student dining satisfaction
- Meal plan participation
- Burrow utilization
- Campus Market transaction growth
- Net Promoter Score (NPS)
- Service response times
Operational Excellence
- Conference occupancy and utilization
- Catering revenue growth
- Spirit merchandise sales growth
- Convenience store sales per labor hour
- Concession profitability
- Vending up time and sales performance
Strategic Outcomes
- Growth in external conference revenue
- Increase in auxiliary net contribution to the College
- Student employee retention and leadership development
- Cross-unit collaboration and innovation
- Successful implementation of strategic initiatives
This position is intentionally designed as a business executive role, not a traditional food service director. The Executive Director is accountable for a diversified portfolio of auxiliary enterprises, operating with the expectation that each unit contributes to the College's financial sustainability while enhancing recruitment, retention, campus life, and institutional reputation. This strategic orientation aligns the position with senior leadership responsibilities appropriate for reporting directly to the Vice President for Finance and Operations/CFO.
