Director of Hospitality Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Director of Hospitality roles sit squarely in the H-1B visa specialty occupation category, requiring a bachelor's degree in hospitality management, business, or a related field. Employers must file a Labor Condition Application and I-129 petition to sponsor you, with initial status granted for up to three years.
Find Director of Hospitality JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 18+ Director of Hospitality jobs
See all Director of Hospitality Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Director of Hospitality roles.
Get Access To All JobsExecutive Director of Retail Management and Campus Hospitality
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.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Develop and implement a comprehensive strategic plan for all retail and hospitality operations.
- Create a long-term vision that aligns auxiliary operations with the College's strategic plan.
- Identify and develop new revenue-generating opportunities.
- Benchmark operations against peer and aspirational institutions.
- Prepare annual and multi-year business plans for each operating unit.
- Lead capital improvement planning for retail and dining facilities.
- Foster a culture of innovation, hospitality, entrepreneurship, and continuous improvement.
- Establish a staffing model which shares employees across the operating units.
- Other duties as assigned.
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
The Burrow
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
Campus Market
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.
Consideration of applicants will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Applications should include a letter of application and a resume with contact information for three professional references. Salary is commensurate with education and experience. Applications can be submitted at www.hendrix.edu/jobs. Questions about this position can be submitted to hr@hendrix.edu.
Hendrix College strives to maintain an environment free from discrimination and harassment, where members of the Hendrix Community treat each other with respect, dignity and courtesy. The College adheres to the principle of equal educational and employment opportunity without regard to age, race, color, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or national origin.
Executive Director of Retail Management and Campus Hospitality
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.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Develop and implement a comprehensive strategic plan for all retail and hospitality operations.
- Create a long-term vision that aligns auxiliary operations with the College's strategic plan.
- Identify and develop new revenue-generating opportunities.
- Benchmark operations against peer and aspirational institutions.
- Prepare annual and multi-year business plans for each operating unit.
- Lead capital improvement planning for retail and dining facilities.
- Foster a culture of innovation, hospitality, entrepreneurship, and continuous improvement.
- Establish a staffing model which shares employees across the operating units.
- Other duties as assigned.
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
The Burrow
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
Campus Market
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.
Consideration of applicants will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled. Applications should include a letter of application and a resume with contact information for three professional references. Salary is commensurate with education and experience. Applications can be submitted at www.hendrix.edu/jobs. Questions about this position can be submitted to hr@hendrix.edu.
Hendrix College strives to maintain an environment free from discrimination and harassment, where members of the Hendrix Community treat each other with respect, dignity and courtesy. The College adheres to the principle of equal educational and employment opportunity without regard to age, race, color, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or national origin.
See all Director of Hospitality Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Director of Hospitality roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Director of Hospitality Jobs
Document your degree's direct relevance
Consular officers and USCIS scrutinize whether your degree field aligns with hospitality operations management. A hospitality, hotel administration, or business degree strengthens your case; a general arts degree may require a credential evaluation and supporting course transcripts.
Target hotel groups with LCA filing history
Large hotel management companies and casino resort operators file LCAs regularly for director-level roles. Use Migrate Mate to identify employers with verified H-1B sponsorship history in hospitality, so you're applying where the process is already established.
Verify your offered wage meets prevailing levels
Your employer's LCA must certify your salary meets or exceeds the DOL prevailing wage for your role and metro area. Run the OFLC Wage Search for your specific location before accepting an offer to confirm the number is realistic.
Align your O*NET profile with job posting language
USCIS uses the O*NET occupation profile to assess specialty occupation status for hospitality director roles. Make sure your resume, offer letter, and employer's LCA description reflect duties tied to a specific degree field, not broad general management.
Clarify the LCA scope before onboarding starts
If your director role spans multiple properties or regions, your employer must file separate LCAs for each worksite. Confirm the filing covers every location where you'll work before your I-94 admission period begins, or you risk a compliance gap.
Understand TN eligibility before accepting
If you're a Canadian or Mexican national, TN status doesn't cover general hospitality director roles since the USMCA profession list doesn't include this occupation. You'll need H-1B sponsorship, so confirm your employer is prepared to file before the offer is finalized.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Director of Hospitality role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Yes, if the position genuinely requires at least a bachelor's degree in a directly related field such as hospitality management, hotel administration, or business. USCIS looks at whether the degree requirement is standard across the industry for that role. Broad general management duties with no specific degree requirement can trigger a Request for Evidence, so the job description must tie duties to a defined academic discipline.
Which visa types are realistic for a Director of Hospitality seeking U.S. sponsorship?
H-1B is the primary path for most candidates, subject to the annual cap and lottery. If you're Australian, the E-3 visa offers the same specialty occupation framework without a lottery and with a 10,500 annual cap that has never been exhausted. TN visa status is not available for this role type since hospitality director is not on the USMCA profession list. A green card through EB-2 or EB-3 is possible after several years with a sponsoring employer.
How do I find hospitality employers who actively sponsor visas?
Migrate Mate lists employers with verified sponsorship history in hospitality and related industries, searchable by role and location. This saves you from applying to properties or hotel groups that have never filed for a foreign worker, which is a common and costly time sink for director-level candidates.
What happens to my H-1B status if the hotel group restructures or my property closes?
Your H-1B is tied to the sponsoring employer entity, not just the brand. If your property closes or is sold to a new operator, your status may lapse even if you stay in the same building under new management. The new employer must file a fresh H-1B petition before you begin work. During any transition period, work without a valid petition is a status violation, so confirm the new operator's filing timeline immediately.
Can a multi-site Director of Hospitality role create LCA compliance problems?
Yes. If your duties require regular presence at worksites not listed on your original LCA, your employer is out of compliance with DOL rules. For directors overseeing multiple properties, the employer must file LCAs covering each intended worksite before you work there. Short-term placements under ten consecutive days at a non-listed site have a narrow exemption, but recurring travel to the same unlisted location does not qualify.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Director of Hospitality jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.