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Food Service Assistant Manager

University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI · Full time

Posted Sep 25, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about your restaurant experience. What part of running a venue did you own, and what numbers were you held to?

What they are checking: Whether their past restaurant work involved real accountability for sales, labor and profit, not just shift work.

Much of your staff will be students and student supervisors. How do you lead a team where many people are working their first job?

What they are checking: Whether they can coach inexperienced workers with patience while still holding clear standards.

Tell me about a time you had to address a performance problem with a full-time staff member who had been there longer than you.

What they are checking: Whether they can supervise experienced career staff with respect and still hold them to expectations.

This role means days, nights and weekends, some of it outdoors in bad weather and on your feet. How have you handled that kind of schedule before?

What they are checking: Whether they understand the physical and scheduling demands and have sustained them in past jobs.

What would you do

You would oversee Lakefront Lounge, Daily Scoop, Strada and the summer Terrace BBQ stand. How would you split your attention across venues that are busy at different times?

What they are checking: Whether they can run several small venues at once and know where a manager is needed most at a given hour.

It is a sunny Saturday on the Terrace, two students called in, and the line at the Scoop is out the door. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they stay hands-on and calm during peak periods, which the posting says this role requires.

A customer is upset about a long wait and a melted cone, and is getting loud. How do you handle it?

What they are checking: Whether they can calm a guest and make it right quickly in a crowded public space.

About the work

How do you keep food safety strong when staff turn over every semester and are rushing during a rush?

What they are checking: Whether they build habits and checks that hold up even when the crew is new and the pace is fast.

Walk me through how you would look at a venue's numbers and decide whether it is profitable enough.

What they are checking: Whether they understand food cost, labor cost and waste well enough to manage a venue's profitability.

How do you build a schedule for a season where business depends on weather and the academic calendar?

What they are checking: Whether they can forecast demand and staff to it rather than overstaffing slow days or getting buried on busy ones.

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The full job description

As published by University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process. Job Category: Academic Staff Employment Type: Regular Job Profile: Food Service Assistant Manager Job Summary: This position is part of the team that oversees some of our most popular venues in the Memorial Union: Lakefront Lounge, Daily Scoop, Strada, and the summer terrace BBQ stand. The person in this position is responsible for the day-to-day management, sales, customer service, food safety, and profitability of these venues. This role will provide direct supervision to full-time staff, part-time staff, student staff and student supervisors. During peak business periods, this role is highly hands-on and actively supports daily operations. A successful candidate will have previous restaurant experience and demonstrate excellent communication, organizational, and team-building skills. Physical Demands: Ability to lift and carry 50 pounds occasionally needed; Ability to work outside in inclement weather; Ability to stand on feet for extended periods of time. Work Schedule and Location: This position is scheduled to work a combination of days, nights and weekends. Operational and work schedules will be closely aligned with the services and customer needs of our units. As a result, work schedules will be adjusted during specific times of the year to meet demand. Key Job Responsibilities: • Leads and provides exceptional customer service, answers questions, and provides information regarding food preparation, catering, and associated activities • Assists with unit budget monitoring, management of inventory levels, and staff training • Monitors adherence to federal, state, campus, and local food safety regulations, policies, and procedures, identifies needs and makes recommendations for improvement to leadership • Develops, implements and oversees workflow components, and assigns and coordinates the day-to-day activities of food service staff • Selects, develops, implements and schedules logistics and menus for daily and catering operations Department: Wisconsin Union, Dining & Hospitality, Memorial Union Compensation: The expected starting salary is $57,500 / Annually This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off, competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS)pension fund. For a summary of benefits, please see. http s://www.wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/benefits/download/fasl.pdf Required Qualifications: • 1.5 years of restaurant experience as a restaurant manager • 1 year working in an establishment that serves alcohol Preferred Qualifications: • Direct supervision of two or more supervisors or managers in a restaurant setting • Experience with leading teams of 20+ employees • Demonstrated communication, interpersonal, and conflict resolution skills Certifications: • ServeSafe Certification Required: Hold or able to obtain within 6 months of hire • Valid Bartender License Required: Hold or able to obtain within 6 months of hire How to Apply: This job will be posted through 10/11 at 11:59pm. Click the "Apply" button to start the application process. You will be prompted to upload the following documents: -Resume -Cover Letter Applicants should attach a cover letter and resume detailing their training and experience relating to the required and preferred qualifications referenced above. The application reviewers will be relying on written application materials to determine which qualified applicants will advance in the recruitment process. Contact Information: Jenny Lee, jenny.lee2@wisc.edu, 608-265-1157. Institutional Statement on Diversity: Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals. The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website . To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you. Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment. The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7). The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department .

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