Director, Penn Hospitality Services

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Director, Penn Hospitality Services

Job Profile Title

Director D, Business and Finance, Hospitality

Job Description Summary

The Director of Hospitality Services, reporting to the Assistant Vice President of Residential & Hospitality Services (RHS), is responsible for steering the strategic direction of dining, conference services, the University Club, and vending operations. The Director oversees a team of three direct reports and more than 145 regular full-time staff members (and an additional 120 seasonal student/temporary staff) and manages all facets of business planning, financial oversight, facility management, and daily operations. With an annual operating budget exceeding $35 million, the Director ensures the highest service and operational excellence standards to support the university community.

This role requires strong collaboration with various campus departments and external vendors to maintain exceptional food quality and service delivery. The Director will also work closely with RHS and the Division of Business Services (BSD) leadership to contribute to strategic decision-making and drive continuous improvement across the Hospitality team’s operations.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Operations:

• Lead the Hospitality Services (HS) team in advancing Penn’s strategic initiatives, ensuring operational efficiency, financial sustainability, and exemplary service standards.
• Build and nurture collaborative relationships with internal stakeholders—including senior leadership in BSD and student leaders—to foster a cohesive and high-performing work environment.
• Uphold a commitment to service excellence, maintaining the highest quality standards across all areas of hospitality services.

Penn Dining:

• Oversee the relationship and contract management for Bon Appetit Management Company.
• Provide leadership and oversight for dining operations across 15 locations (6 residential and 9 retail), serving approximately 9,000 meals daily.
• Manage all aspects of the Dining employee experience and performance (bargaining unit members with AFSCME Local 54), catering services, vending, and meal plan administration.
• Promote and support sustainability initiatives that align with the university’s goals.
• Oversee meal plan management, ensuring efficient system maintenance, sales operations, and customer service.
• Collaborate with key partners like Student Disability Services, the Chaplain’s Office, and CHAS to address student needs.
• Ensure the maintenance and development of Penn Dining’s facilities and equipment.
• Partner with the RHS contract manager to negotiate key contracts, including pouring rights and vending services.
• Develop and execute plans for dining facility improvements, including renovations and new initiatives to enhance the campus dining experience.
• Oversee the University Club at Penn, ensuring high-quality service and programming for members, including leadership of the Peer Mentor program to foster an inclusive and welcoming environment.

Conference Services:

• Provide year-round leadership for Conference Services, managing summer logistics for over 5,000 residential guests and 3,000 commuters. Scale student staffing (to over 120 students) to ensure optimal service delivery.
• Work closely with the RHS IT team to enhance systems integration for occupancy management.
• Oversee building operations during summer months in partnership with Building Administration, Facility & Real Estate Services (FRES), and College Houses & Academic Services (CHAS), ensuring security, facility maintenance, and on-call support.
• Manage relationships with more than 30 program directors for 74 summer programs, ensuring compliance with university data entry, access control, and meal plan management policies.
• Support large conference events during the academic year, managing registration systems and on-site logistics.
• Identify growth opportunities for Conference Services, driving new revenue streams and ensuring sustainable financial performance.

Qualifications

• A master’s degree or higher is required, along with over 10 years of experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Extensive experience in dining and hospitality management, with a demonstrated ability to oversee large-scale, complex operations.
• Strong expertise in financial management, including the oversight of significant operating budgets.
• Proven strategic planning, business and fiscal management, and operational leadership ability.
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, with a strong track record of building collaborative relationships with both internal teams and external partners.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making abilities, with a focus on strategic planning and achieving operational excellence.
• Demonstrated success in maintaining financial stability and effectively managing operational budgets.
• A strong commitment to advancing the university’s strategic vision and contributing to the broader Penn community.

About the Division of Business Services

The Business Service Division (BSD) supports the individual and collective needs of the Penn community by promoting a hospitable, customer-friendly campus environment and providing mission-critical services and essential operations. BSD’s mission is to provide high-quality service in a fiscally responsible manner. Currently, the Division is focused on three major initiatives:

• Revenue growth/retention through improved marketing efforts, extended services, and the development of new distribution channels.
• Driving productivity for the Division and its customers through the better use of technology.
• Enhancing service offerings through upgrades and expansions of facilities.

For more information on BSD, visit: https://www.business-services.upenn.edu/

About Residential & Hospitality Services

Residential and Hospitality Services (RHS) is one of 15+ departments and programming under the auspices of BSD. Consistent with the division’s mission, RHS’ underlying philosophy is to provide our clients with high-quality services in a fiscally responsible manner. RHS is a group of dedicated, innovative, and student-centered staff that oversee the on-campus living and dining and conferences, programs, and events hosted at Penn. The team works closely with other partners to provide students and guests with services that support living and learning at the University of Pennsylvania. Specific business units comprising RHS are:

• Penn Residential Services,
• Penn Dining
• Penn Conference Services
• Off-Campus Services
• University Club.

About Penn Dining Services

Penn Dining Services employs a total of 548 staff members, including 138 Penn employees, 70 Bon Appétit managers, 120 Bon Appétit staff, and 220 Bon Appétit part-time employees. This team includes AFSCME Local 54 (Penn) and Teamsters Local 929 (BAMCO) members. Spanning 15 locations across campus, comprising six residential and nine retail dining spots, they also manage full-service catering operations, over 200 vending machines, and seven micro-markets, along with meal plan management.

Bon Appétit is responsible for the operating profits and losses (P&L), covering staff, food purchases, routine facility and equipment maintenance, and other operating expenses. Penn funds contract oversight staff, major capital renovations, and allocated costs for Houston Market. Additional revenue streams include café services and vending.

Key services provided by Penn Dining include residential dining in close collaboration with Bon Appétit, retail dining, school-based cafés, vending, oversight of new facilities, and sustainability initiatives. Dining operations utilize TransActPOS for efficient management.

Learn more about Penn Dining Services here and Bon Appétit Management Co. here.

About Conference Services

The Conference Services team consists of 5 full-time staff members and 120 student staff. Each summer, they manage accommodations for over 5,000 conference guests and support events for an additional 2,000 guests at the Inn at Penn (a Hilton hotel) and the Sheraton Philadelphia University City Hotel. Key services provided include event management, summer operations, guest accommodations, and web registration.

Learn more about conference services here.

About University Club at Penn

The University Club at Penn is supported by an Engagement Coordinator from Hospitality Services, who oversees its programming and membership. The Inn at Penn (Hilton Hotel) manages the club’s operations. Revenue for the University Club is generated through membership sales and other hospitality-related services.

Key services include serving lunch from Monday to Thursday (closed during the summer), hosting a speaker series in collaboration with the Penn Association of Senior and Emeritus Faculty for lectures and panels, managing event reservations, and housing the Burrison Art Gallery.

Learn more about the University Club at Penn here.

Job Location – City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Residential and Hospitality Services

Pay Range

$90,860.00 – $195,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, as well as internal and market factors and grade profile.

Affirmative Action Statement 

Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.

Special Requirements 

Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn’s exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.
• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you’ll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay 

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