POSITION TITLE: Director, Business Operations

POSITION LEVEL: S4 Full-time continuing

LOCATION: Waterloo with some multi-campus travel

SALARY RANGE: Starting at $72,827.72 - $88,522.55

REPORTS TO: Directly – Executive Director & COO

Dotted Line – Director, Finance & Admin.

EDUCATION: Post-secondary degree/diploma or equivalent

Summary:

The Director is a senior leadership role responsible for overseeing and optimizing operational performance across the department’s units and their operations. This role drives operational excellence, financial sustainability, excellent customer experience through strategic leadership and cross-functional collaboration.

The ideal candidate brings deep operational expertise within food service, hospitality, restaurant environments and has a proven ability to streamline operations, elevate customer experience, and lead high-performing teams in fast-paced environments.

Job Specific Duties The specific functions of the Director, Business Operations encompass a wide variety of roles and responsibilities. It is important to note that not all functions and duties are contained within this definition, and the position itself will be ever changing and adaptive. Nevertheless, responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Compliance & Policies

- Operate in accordance with the Vision, Mission, and Guiding Principles, by-laws and policies of the Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union and ensure that all business operations functions are compliant with such.
- Follow, implement, evaluate and ensure compliance with all Health and Safety policies and procedures as outlined by the Students’ Union and the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) of Ontario and Workplace Hazardous Materials Information Systems (WHMIS).
- Remain knowledgeable in Alcohol and Gaming Commission policies and liquor license laws and regulations.
- Remain knowledgeable in Region of Waterloo Public Health & Brant County Health Unit regulations.
- Remain well versed in policies, procedures, risk management and legal requirements to ensure best practices, and aid in the development and implementation of such to ensure compliance with operating policies and procedures with respect to the Department.

Strategic Leadership & Department Oversight

- Partner with leadership team(s) to develop and execute operational strategies aligned with organizational goals.
- Translate strategic priorities into an operational direction with actionable plans and measurable outcomes for the department.
- Provide leadership support surrounding the goals and direction of the individual units within the department.




- Work with organizational and departmental leadership to establish and monitor performance benchmarks for the department and each unit therein.
- Support annual planning, budgeting, forecasting, and resource allocation processes.
- Remain up to date with industry trends, best practices, policies, and standards within hospitality services and similar environments to ensure best practices are upheld.

Financial Management & Budget Oversight

- Ensure departmental operations contribute positively to the strategic objectives of the Organization.
- Construct and maintain the annual operational and capital budgets for the department and its units.
- Develop and maintain monitoring systems for the cost of goods expenses within departmental units.
- Develop and maintain systems for cash handling, inventory management, financial controls, audits, and operational accountability.
- Develop and maintain standards and systems that are aligned with student and financial priorities of the organization.
- Work with the Finance Department to ensure preparation and review of period financial statements.

Operations Management

- Supervise the daily performance of department management and assist in operational tasks during busy periods and staff training as needed.
- Oversee the day-to-day and long-term operations of hospitality venues, catering services, retail food operations, licensed spaces.
- Establish and maintain professional standards for:
- Customer service,
- Food and service quality,
- Cleanliness of all areas,
- Staff and customer safety,
- Overall operational performance.
- Remain knowledgeable of the technical third-party systems employed by the units.
- Supervise departmental operations and provide operational support during peak periods, major events, staffing shortages, or training initiatives as required.
- Establish and optimize operational systems, workflows, policies, and procedures to support consistency and efficiency across all operational units.
- Remain knowledgeable in all operational systems including point-of-sale systems, inventory systems, draught services systems, scheduling systems, and other operational technologies.
- Identify opportunities to improve productivity, reduce operational costs, increase efficiency, and enhance service delivery.
- Drive continuous improvement initiatives utilizing data-informed operational analysis and performance evaluation methodologies.
- Remain knowledgeable of the technical third-party systems employed by the units.to





Team Leadership & Staff Development

- Lead, mentor, provide direction, and support to the Departmental Management Team while ensuring delegated responsibilities are completed.
- Lead, provide direction, and support to the Department in its entirety as it continually improves operations and departmental performance.
- Regularly facilitate meetings with the Management Team to maintain open communication.
- Build a culture centered on operational excellence through high standards in accountability, food quality, safety, and customer service.
- Partner with HR on recruiting, retention, engagement, and performance management strategies.

Student Experience, Partnerships & Communication

- Build and maintain relationships with internal and external partners to support student experience strategies and hospitality functions.
- Support the units in gathering student feedback through various methods to improve operations and collaborate with the Marketing & Policy Research departments on research and feedback initiatives.
- Monitor customer feedback and operational trends to identify service improvement opportunities.
- Provide regular communications to all levels of the organization regarding Departmental operations.
- Develop annual marketing plans to support Departmental operations.
- Pursue and develop new event and catering opportunities to support departmental growth and financial performance during the downtime of the department, typically May-August.

Working Conditions & Time Commitment

- Full-time, continuing position with the expectation to work 40 hours per week, with the understanding that hours do not always fall within the core hours of the Students’ Union.
- Work will mainly be completed standing and moving around the establishment. As well, the following physical activities are required as a job function within this position:
- Walking and standing as a major job function,
- Carry and transport objects of various sizes up to a maximum of 50 lbs,
- Pushing or pulling contents that weigh a maximum of 75 lbs,
- Stretching, reaching, bending, stooping, crouching and/or kneeling for short periods of time.
- This position is multi-campus, though based in Waterloo, there is an expectation of travel to our other office(s) to uphold an equitable department experience, as directed by the Executive Director & COO.
- Exposure to mental health crises and personal disclosures of violence/harassment a possibility.

Pay: $72,827.72-$88,522.55 per year

Benefits

- Casual dress
- Dental care
- Employee assistance program
- Extended health care
- Adaptable schedule
- On-site gym
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- RRSP match
- Tuition reimbursement

Work Location: In person

📌 Director, Business Operations (Waterloo)
🏢 Wilfrid Laurier University
📍 Waterloo