Director Food Service Operations (Finance)

Are you a strategic leader with a passion for operational excellence and community impact? Join Goodwill as the Director of Food Service Operations at Naval Station Great Lakes, where you'll drive long-term business strategies, oversee a $56 million budget, and lead a dynamic team committed to service and inclusion. This high-impact role blends leadership, innovation, and purpose—managing federal contracts, enhancing food service operations, and fostering strong relationships with the U.S. Navy and community partners. If you're ready to shape the future of food service while making a difference, we want to hear from you.

The Director Food Service Operations is responsible for developing long- and short-term business strategies, and oversees implementation for Goodwill's Food Service contracted operations, including the employment and training of assigned staff serving within the contract.

RESPONSIBILITY LEVEL:

Develops long- and short-term business strategies (3-5 years), and oversees implementation for Goodwill's Food Service contracted operations at Naval Station Great Lakes including the employment and training of assigned staff serving within the contract. Is heavily involved in developing department standard operating procedures. Forecasts and plans annual operating and capital budget, implements cost-savings measures. Maintains and adjusts operating budget, manages expenses based on changes in internal or external factors, and communicates budgetary performance. Typically works on projects and initiatives that span 2-5 years. Responsible for integration of systems, systems metrics and analysis.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES:

1. Leading and Developing Talent: Manages organizational design for area of responsibility and directs Talent planning, hiring, development and training of staff. Networks and sources for positions throughout the organization.

2. Project and Change Management: Serves as project owner for high complexity department, cross-functional or multi-location projects and improvement initiatives. Set project direction including project scope, timeline and resources. Accountable for making decisions and project success. Manages change through effective planning, communication and coaching. Builds and participates in leadership coalition supporting and implementing organizational change.

3. Community Engagement: Actively engages with community partners and links activities to business performance.

4. Oversee $56 million budget.

5. Utilizing government funds, oversees the procurement and distribution of food purchases required within the operations.

6. Work proactively to anticipate issues and continuously improve Great Lakes Food Service operations in conjunction with overall organization efforts; assess and continuously improve division's effectiveness to ensure business units' needs are being meet.

7. Assure that assigned operational areas are operated in accordance with Federal Contracting Laws and AbilityOne program requirements.

8. Assures strong working relationship with the US Navy customer, AbilityOne/NISH representatives, State and Local Government representatives, subcontractors and vendors to Goodwill, and community organizations that Goodwill interacts with in support of the Great Lakes operation and contract with the Navy.

9. Develop and maintain positive labor relations with direct labor. Ensure standards for treatment of employees and participants are followed including retention and required overall compliance ratios.

10. Responsible for completing other duties/responsibilities as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS:
1. Bachelor's Degree or experience equivalency, and a minimum of 8 years' experience.

2. A REAL ID-compliant driver's license is required for access to the naval base and for employment. Candidates must provide proof of this identification.

LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES:

1. Business Insight: Demonstrates thorough business/industry knowledge and can synthesize business information and respond to changing market dynamics effectively. Proactively monitors external factors and policies that may affect the organization. Uses knowledge to plan work and guide decision making.

2. Courage: Fosters a culture that supports people taking well-reasoned risks, regardless of outcome and appropriately advocates for decisions that are for the good of the organization. Confronts actions that are inconsistent with the Guiding Principles and demonstrates the ability to provide leadership through high-stakes situations, crises, or conditions of uncertainty.

CORE CULTURALCOMPETENCIES:

1. Customer Focus: Fosters a customer service-focused environment with a sense of urgency and importance of meeting the customer's needs. Establishes organizational partnerships with key customers and ensures resources and support are focused on meeting customer needs.

2. Values Differences: Cultivates an environment that makes all people feel valued and that encourages and supports diversity and inclusion. Sponsors and mentors people from a variety of backgrounds and perspectives. Applies understanding of cultural differences to create value and help meet business goals.

3. Communicates Effectively: Promotes a free flow of information throughout the organization and demonstrates candor and openness when discussing major organizational initiatives. Creates venues for constructive dialogue and ensures organizational information is cascaded to a wide variety of audiences at all levels.

4. Situational Adaptability: Demonstrates flexibility in a changing, competitive environment and initiates change in response to the cues in the external environment. Adapts leadership style in response to a broad range of situations and challenges that ingrains flexibility within the organizations structures, systems and culture.

5. Drives Results: Drives organization to achieve results that have a direct impact on business performance. Pushes the organization to move forward in difficult circumstances and eliminates obstacles that affect organizational performance.

6. Ensures Accountability: ensures the organization meets commitments and holds leaders accountable for team performance. Sets and monitors goals that align with organizational strategy creating an environment of accountability for meeting agreed upon expectations and performance expectations.

PHYSICAL/SENSORY DEMANDS:

Job requires the following: remain stationary for sustained periods of time; ability to move about to accomplish tasks; must be able to operate a computer or similar technology, which typically involves substantial motions of wrist, hands and/or fingers; visual acuity to perform activities such as preparing data, operating equipment or review thoroughness of work; ability to communicate with others and exchange information. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

(SEW)