New career opportunities with NC State Dining at University Towers

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NC State continues to welcome more new students year after year, and NC State Dining is expanding to meet the demand. “Dining is growing,” says Shawn Hoch, senior director of hospitality services. “We’ve seen a significant growth in meal plans for the past few years, and we expect to continue to see that with the future enrollment growth on campus.”

One of the most noteworthy new additions to NC State Dining is University Towers (UT). UT was previously a privately owned student housing complex. In the past year, NC State has acquired this facility to meet growing demand for on-campus housing and dining options.

Beginning in the 2024-2025 school year, the dining facility at UT will be fully managed and operated by NC State Dining. As a result, we are creating a number of new staff positions, including student, temporary, SHRA and EHRA roles. According to Keith Smith, director of residential dining, “This will be the second largest dining hall we have on campus, so it’s an exciting opportunity for growth and advancement.”

The full-time roles at UT will include everything from cooks and dishwashers to a unit chef and general manager. Salaries and benefits will be similar to other residential dining positions across campus. Staff will likely start in May for training and preparation, although UT will be closed for maintenance and repairs over the summer so staff may be assigned to support other areas of campus in the short term.

Current NC State Dining staff are encouraged to apply for opportunities at UT, or to invite friends or family to apply, too. “This is an opportunity for people to refresh their resume, ask questions, and be ready for opportunities,” says Shawn Hoch. All positions will be posted at jobs.ncsu.edu. Staff who would like assistance with writing a resume or preparing to interview are encouraged to attend one of our workshops or to request assistance from Annaka Sikkink, the Employee Development & Engagement Coordinator, by emailing ce-development@ncsu.edu.

As NC State Dining continues to evolve to meet the needs of a growing campus, there will be many changes in the years to come. This will likely include more new dining facilities and the renovation or relocation of others as we adjust to business needs. While we may not know exactly what the future will hold, we do know that growth will create opportunities for our staff to push their careers to new levels. Those who are prepared to be flexible and persistent will find opportunities ready for them.

Please reach out to Keith Smith at aksmith@ncsu.edu with additional questions about the UT rollout.