Senior Associate (Procurement & Contract Advisory)

The Opportunity

At Brailsford & Dunlavey (B&D), we lead the planning, development, and management of the places that shape and strengthen communities. Our Dining Advisory Practice Group partners with higher education institutions nationwide to advise on the planning, procurement, and long-term performance of campus dining programs and food service partnerships.

This role is uniquely positioned within the firm and plays a critical part in advancing B&D’s broader management advisory work. Dining engagements often integrate with larger institutional planning efforts—including student life, housing, athletics, and campus development—requiring close collaboration across the firm to deliver coordinated strategies that support each institution’s mission.

We are seeking a confident, highly client-facing professional who understands that successful dining partnerships are shaped by more than contract execution alone.

This position is not just focused on contract administration. It goes beyond merely processing agreements, monitoring compliance, and ensuring that contract terms are documented correctly. This role requires an individual who can help institutions develop stronger partnerships through thoughtful negotiation, strategic positioning, and sound advisory judgment.

This may be an ideal opportunity for someone from foodservice operations, hospitality, procurement, legal-adjacent work, or advisory environments who wants broader influence, more meaningful client engagement, and the opportunity to shape institutional strategy—not just support it.

This is a remote position within the continental United States, with the expectation that candidates live near a major airport due to regular business travel. Preference will be given to applicants located near one of B&D’s regional offices inWashington, DC; New York City; Atlanta; Chicago; Austin; Costa Mesa; or San Jose.

Responsibilities

As a Senior Associate, you will lead dining advisory engagements while serving as a trusted advisor to institutional clients. Responsibilities include:

• Lead and manage dining advisory projects from planning through implementation
• Develop and oversee deliverables, including:
  • Dining master plans
  • Needs assessments
  • Operational reviews
  • Service audits
  • Contractor solicitation processes
  • Financial reviews and modeling
  • Business plans
  • Market analyses
• Manage the full procurement lifecycle, including:
  • Schedule development
  • RFP drafting
  • Proposal evaluation
  • Contract review
  • Business term negotiation support
• Advise clients through contract negotiations and implementation of new operating agreements
• Serve as the primary client relationship manager on assigned engagements
• Translate procurement and contract complexity into clear strategic recommendations for clients
• Coordinate dining advisory work with broader firmwide planning efforts across multiple practice areas
• Develop high-quality presentations, reports, and project documentation
• Manage multiple concurrent engagements while maintaining quality, schedule, and budget expectations
• Supervise and mentor junior staff across project teams
• Contribute to business development through:
  • Proposal development
  • Conference participation
  • Thought leadership
  • Relationship cultivation
• Strengthen internal tools, methodologies, and advisory best practices

Ideal Candidate Profile

The strongest candidates will bring:

• Experience leading procurement or solicitation processes from strategy through implementation
• Confidence in managing direct contract negotiations
• Strong stakeholder and executive-level client communication
• The ability to translate technical procurement language into clear client recommendations
• Strategic thinking that extends beyond contract administration into long-term partnership planning
• Experience developing negotiation strategies, service models, performance metrics and implementation approaches

Requirements

• 7+ years of professional experience in:
  • Dining services
  • Foodservice operations
  • Procurement
  • Contract administration
  • Advisory or related fields
• At least 4 years of direct experience in:
  • Dining solicitations
  • Procurement processes
  • Contract negotiations
  • Agreement management
• Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Business, Higher Education Administration, or related field required.
• An advanced degree is strongly preferred, including an MBA, J.D., or paralegal or other professional legal training.
• Higher education dining experience strongly preferred
• Strong understanding of contract structures, business terms, operational performance metrics, and procurement strategy
• Excellent writing skills, verbal communication, facilitation skills, and presentation abilities
• Strong analytical and organizational capabilities
• Ability to work independently while leading multiple projects
• Willingness to travel two or more times per month
• Alignment with B&D’s mission, values, and collaborative culture

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Apply Today

Our application process includes a resume, a cover letter (optional, but highly encouraged), and a few important questions. We’re excited to learn more about you!

This role's target base annual salary range is currently $125,000-140,000. Pay scales are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual pay is determined through interviews and an assessment of several factors unique to each candidate, including but not limited to job-related skills, relevant education, experience, certifications, abilities of the candidate, and pay relative to other team members.

The company benefits listed above are a summary of the benefits. Specific details, availability, and eligibility requirements apply in accordance with company policies.

Brailsford & Dunlavey is committed to providing a diverse and inclusive work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.