The Dining Services Shift Leader ensures a welcoming, efficient, and service-focused dining experience for students, faculty, staff, and guests. Overseeing front-of-house operations in a cafeteria-style setting, this position leads and supports a team of service staff to provide exceptional hospitality, uphold cleanliness and safety standards, and maintain smooth service flow during meals.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Manage daily front-of-house operations including staff schedules, meal period assignments, breaks, and shift changes.


• Support the hiring, onboarding, and training of Dining Services team members to ensure consistency, quality, and excellent service.


• Provide ongoing coaching, in-the-moment feedback, and input for performance reviews to support employee growth and accountability.


• Ensure all team members are positioned appropriately for meal service and understand their roles and expectations.


• Lead by example to maintain a welcoming, customer-focused environment that reflects Interlochen’s values of respect, care, and community.


• Monitor portion control, menu presentation, and guest flow to ensure smooth and efficient service throughout each meal period.


• Ensure full compliance with food safety and sanitation standards by upholding proper hygiene, grooming, uniform, and glove-use practices, and by monitoring adherence to all state and local health regulations for food handling, storage, and service.


• Maintain high standards of cleanliness, organization, and safety in all dining and serving areas.


• Foster a positive, cooperative, and inclusive work environment that promotes teamwork, morale, and professional growth.


• Adhere to Interlochen Center for the Arts (ICA) policies and demonstrate stewardship of ICA resources and finances.


• Perform additional duties as assigned to support the success of Dining Services and the campus community.

• High school diploma preferred; equivalent experience considered.


• Minimum of two years of supervisory or management experience in a food service environment.


• ServSafe certification required.


• Familiarity with Gmail, and digital communication tools for emails, newsletters, and ICA updates.


• Knowledge of food safety practices and state health regulations.


• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to lead and support a collaborative, team-based environment.


• Effective verbal and written communication skills.


• Ability to follow and execute detailed instructions with accuracy and consistency.


• Commitment to fostering positive, professional interactions with students, staff, and guests.


• Demonstrated respect for cultural, ethnic, spiritual, and linguistic diversity and for individual differences in goals, lifestyles, and family backgrounds.

• Health, dental, and vision insurance


• Vacation, Sick, Holiday and generous winter holiday time off


• Life insurance


• Voluntary life insurance


• Short and long-term disability


• Employee development & tuition reimbursement programs


• Defined contribution 403(b) plan, managed by TIAA


• Free or discounted employee tickets to Interlochen performances and events *some exceptions apply


• Early event ticket purchase before general public sales begin


• Free Stone Cafeteria meal on shift


• Dennison Recreation Center accessibility (includes spouses)


• Priority access to Interlochen employees at Pitter Patter Day Care Center (less than one mile from campus)


• Employee Referral Program (cash payments)


• Tuition discounts for employee’s children at Academy, Camp and Interlochen Online


• Parental leave (12 weeks paid for Pregnancy/Maternity/Childbirth leave, 6 weeks paid for Parental leave).

Interlochen is proud to provide priority placement at Pitter Patter Preschool & Childcare located in the Interlochen Community Center, near our campus, for employees' dependents. In addition, Interlochen employees may be eligible for the MI Tri-Share Program. This program shares the cost of childcare between the state of Michigan, Interlochen Center for the Arts, and the employee (The employee will only pay 1/3 of the total cost, if eligible). Income guidelines and more information about MI Tri-Share can be found at https://www.michigan.gov/mwc/initiatives/mi-tri-share-child-care.