Assistant Director- Hostels & F&B Operations

SRM University, AP · Amaravati, India

Role Overview:

The Assistant Director – Hostels & F&B Operations will be responsible for the overall administration, day-to-day operations, maintenance, and student discipline across all hostel facilities on campus. The role requires a full-time residential presence on campus and round-the-clock availability to ensure a safe, secure, disciplined, well-maintained, and student-friendly residential environment.

The incumbent will also provide strategic leadership and operational oversight of all mess and dining facilities serving students. The role will ensure that food services consistently meet the highest standards of quality, hygiene, nutrition, food safety, and cost efficiency, in compliance with institutional policies, FSSAI regulations, and applicable accreditation standards.

The Assistant Director will serve as the primary administrative authority for all hostel-related matters, working closely with the Director – Student Affairs, Director – Facility Management, Health Centre, Security, and other relevant departments to ensure seamless delivery of residential and dining services.

Roles & Responsibilities:

Hostel Administration & Room Management

• Oversee the overall administration of all student hostels — serve as the primary administrative authority for hostel operations.

• Manage room allotment for UG, PG, and Research students each semester; maintain accurate occupancy registers, allotment records, and room inventory.

• Frame, implement, and review hostel rules, regulations, and policies; ensure fair and transparent enforcement across all resident categories.

• Maintain master records of all residents including room numbers, local addresses, and emergency contacts.

• Manage room transfers, re-allotments, waitlists, and special accommodation requests.

• Issue No-Dues and clearance certificates to vacating students after recovery of dues and verification of room condition.

• Coordinate induction and orientation of newly admitted hostel residents into campus residential life and norms.

Student Discipline & Conduct Management

• Exercise disciplinary authority over hostel residents; impose fines and initiate proceedings against students who violate hostel rules, code of conduct, or University policy.

• Handle cases of misconduct, disputes, and violations with due process; escalate serious cases to the Proctorial Board, Anti-Ragging Committee, or Dean of Students as appropriate.

• Address student grievances, complaints, and welfare concerns promptly and empathetically; serve as the primary hostel-level resolution authority.

• Enforce curfew timings, visitor policies, and hostel code of conduct norms; coordinate with the Security team for enforcement.

• Maintain registers of disciplinary actions, fines, and warnings; ensure proper documentation for institutional records and audits.

• Act as a responsible in-loco-parentis authority; communicate with parents and guardians on conduct, welfare, and emergency matters.

• Promote a positive, inclusive, and respectful residential community culture.

Security & Safety Management

• Ensure 24×7 security across all hostel premises; coordinate with the University Security Officer for patrolling, CCTV monitoring, gate management, and access control.

• Enforce visitor management policies; ensure no unauthorised persons are permitted entry into hostel premises or student rooms.

• Develop and maintain emergency response protocols for hostels — fire emergencies, medical crises, natural disasters, and law-and-order situations; conduct regular fire drills and safety workshops.

• Coordinate with the University Health Centre for prompt medical assistance to resident students; ensure first-aid facilities are available in all hostel blocks.

• Conduct night rounds and surprise inspections to ensure safety, orderliness, and adherence to hostel norms.

• Manage double-locking of vacant rooms and authorise re-opening through established procedures.

Hostel Maintenance & Infrastructure

• Oversee the upkeep, cleanliness, and maintenance of all hostel buildings, rooms, corridors, bathrooms, common areas, recreational spaces, and surrounding premises.

• Conduct regular inspections; log maintenance deficiencies and ensure timely resolution in coordination with the Engineering & Maintenance department.

• Monitor civil, electrical, plumbing, carpentry, and sanitation maintenance across hostel blocks; track complaint status and ensure zero-pendency.

• Maintain hostel room inventory registers for furniture and fittings; recover costs for damages or missing items at the time of student vacation.

• Oversee housekeeping operations: cleanliness of rooms, corridors, toilets, and outdoor areas; supervise housekeeping and sanitary staff.

• Ensure proper waste management, pest control, and drainage maintenance across hostel premises.

Mess & Dining Operations

• Provide overall leadership and operational control of all mess and dining facilities serving students on campus.

• Plan, implement, and monitor mess operations to ensure quality, hygiene, nutrition standards, and cost efficiency.

• Oversee menu planning, meal schedules, portion control, and dietary standards in consultation with stakeholders.

• Establish and enforce Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for food preparation, storage, service, waste management, and cleanliness.

• Conduct regular inspections, audits, and quality checks of kitchens, dining areas, and storage facilities.

Vendor & Contractor Management

• Manage and monitor service providers, caterers, vendors, and contractual staff engaged in mess operations.

• Coordinate with Facility Management, Infrastructure & Maintenance, Health Centre, and Security for seamless mess operations.

Student Engagement & Grievance Redressal

• Address student feedback, complaints, and grievances related to food quality, service, and hygiene; implement corrective actions promptly.

• Support student orientation and awareness initiatives on mess rules, nutrition, and hygiene practices.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Any Post-Graduate degree (MA / MBA / MSW / M.Sc.) in Administration, Social Work, Education Management, or a related field.
• Minimum 18 years of experience with demonstrated experience managing residential facilities with 8000+ students across multiple hostel blocks.
• Track record of handling student disciplinary matters, anti-ragging compliance, and grievance redressal in a university setting.
• Prior experience as Warden, Hostel Superintendent, Deputy Chief Warden, or equivalent is strongly preferred.
• Experience at Tier-1 residential institutions (IITs, NITs, BITS, or reputed private deemed universities) will be given preference.

Required Skill Sets

• Strong administrative and leadership capability to manage large-scale residential operations and diverse hostel staff.
• Firm and fair disciplinary authority with sensitivity to student welfare; ability to handle misconduct, ragging, and grievance cases with due process.
• Knowledge of hostel maintenance, facilities management, housekeeping standards, and infrastructure upkeep.
• Crisis management and emergency response skills; ability to handle security, medical, and safety incidents calmly.
• Strong knowledge of institutional F&B / mess operations, kitchen management, and food service delivery at scale.
• Thorough understanding of FSSAI regulations, HACCP principles, food safety auditing, and hygiene standards.
• Proven ability to manage catering vendors, service level agreements, and third-party contractors.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills for engaging students, parents, staff, and institutional leadership.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint); familiarity with HRMS / hostel management software / ERP systems.
• Empathetic, student-centric approach with commitment to fostering inclusive and safe residential communities.