Senior Associate- Dining Advisory

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Remote Senior Associate Opening — Dining Advisory Practice Group

Brailsford & Dunlavey (B&D) is seeking a Senior Associate to join our Dining Advisory Practice Group—a role for professionals who thrive at the intersection of strategy, procurement, and client advisory work, and who are energized by shaping high-impact outcomes for colleges and universities nationwide.

The Opportunity

At B&D, we lead the planning, development, and management of the places that shape and strengthen communities. Our Dining Advisory Practice Group advises higher education clients across the country on the planning, procurement, and long-term success of campus dining services and food service operating partnerships.

This role is uniquely positioned within the firm and plays a critical role in advancing B&D’s management advisory work. Dining advisory assignments often integrate with broader firmwide planning efforts. In this role, the Senior Associate works closely with colleagues across B&D to develop coordinated strategies and comprehensive deliverables that align dining services with each institution’s long-term mission and vision.

Note:
Strongly client-facing and contract-heavy experience is valued.

• As a Senior Associate, you will lead and manage dining advisory engagements while serving as a trusted advisor to higher education clients. Typical responsibilities include:
• Lead and manage dining advisory projects, developing and overseeing key deliverables such as dining master plans, needs assessments, operational and service audits, contractor solicitation processes, financial reviews and modeling, business plans, and market analyses.
• Serve as the firm’s subject matter expert for dining procurement and solicitation efforts, managing the full lifecycle of contractor solicitation processes including schedule development, RFP drafting and evaluation, operating agreement and contract development, and client advising on business terms.
• Advise clients through planning, negotiation, and implementation of dining operating agreements, working closely with institutional leadership, legal counsel, and prospective service partners.
• Act as a primary client relationship manager on assigned engagements, ensuring clear communication, timely follow-through, and high-quality outcomes.
• Coordinate and integrate dining advisory work with broader B&D planning efforts across other practice areas to support comprehensive institutional strategies.
• Develop and deliver high-quality client presentations, reports, and project documentation that translate complex information into clear, actionable recommendations.
• Manage multiple concurrent projects, ensuring schedules, scopes, budgets, and quality expectations are met.
• Supervise and mentor analysts, associates, and consultants assigned to dining project teams, providing guidance, feedback, and coaching.
• Participate actively in B&D’s business development efforts, including proposal development, conference participation, article writing, and cultivation of new and existing client relationships.
• Contribute to the continued evolution of B&D’s dining advisory capabilities by improving tools, templates, methodologies, and best practices.
• Support firmwide research and development initiatives and participate in professional development and internal training opportunities.

• 7+ years of professional experience in dining services consulting, food service operations, management consulting, procurement, or contract administration, with at least 4 years of direct experience in dining solicitations, procurement, or contract management.
• Bachelor’s degree in hospitality management, business, or a related field required; legal education or training (J.D., MBA, paralegal, or similar) strongly preferred.
• Experience working with college or university dining operations is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex, contract-driven advisory engagements with confidence and sound…