Food Service General Manager - Lead with Purpose in School Nutrition!School Dining LeadershipAre you a food service leader who's passionate about people, operations, and purpose? Join our
school nutrition team as a
Food Service General Manager and take the lead in a mission-driven kitchen that fuels young minds and futures.
What You'll Do:- Inspire and lead the food service team to deliver nutritious, high-quality meals to students and staff
- Oversee all aspects of daily operations: scheduling, inventory, compliance, and food safety
- Partner with school staff to ensure meals support student health, learning, and well-being
- Ensure compliance with state and federal child nutrition program guidelines (NSLP, SBP, etc.)
- Manage budgets, staffing, vendor relationships, and performance goals
- Foster a positive, student-centered, and inclusive kitchen culture
We're Looking For:- 3-5 years of experience in food service management (K-12 or institutional preferred)
- Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills
- Knowledge of USDA school meal guidelines and food safety regulations
- A hands-on leader who builds strong teams and models accountability
- ServSafe certification (or ability to obtain)
Why Join Us?- Competitive salary + performance bonus opportunities
- Family-friendly schedule - no nights or weekends
- Health, dental, and vision benefits
- Paid holidays, time off, and retirement plans
- A chance to shape a food program that supports learning, growth, and equity
About Us:At Whitsons, we believe that every school meal is an opportunity to fuel success. As our General Manager, you'll lead a team dedicated to serving nutritious, student-approved meals with care, efficiency, and pride. Your leadership will help create a kitchen that's more than a workplace-it's a hub of health, learning, and community.
Apply now and bring your leadership to the lunch line-one student, one meal at a time! At Whitsons our mission is Enhancing Life One Meal at a Time™.The salary for this position is $90,000 per yearEducation:
• Bachelors degree or equivalent with concentration in food and nutrition, food service
management, dietetics, family and consumer sciences, nutrition education, culinary arts,
business or a related field. OR
• Bachelors degree or equivalent with any academic major AND a state recognized
certificate in food and nutrition, food service management, dietetics, family and
consumer sciences, nutrition education, culinary arts, or business. OR
• Associates degree or equivalent with concentration in food and nutrition, food service
management, dietetics, family and consumer sciences, nutrition education, culinary arts,
business or a related field AND at least one year of relevant school nutrition programs
experience. OR
• High School diploma or GED AND at least Five (5) years experience in school nutrition
programs.
Certifications:
• ServSafe Mandatory- Local food safety certification if required in jurisdiction of
employment. Must be knowledgeable of all local health and food safety ordinances.
Computer Skills:
• Proficiency in all Microsoft Office applications is required.
• Must be able to communicate electronically through use of email and other similar
computer platforms.
• Able to learn new programs easily and quickly.
Other Qualifications, Experience:
• 3 years' experience in Food Service Management as a Manager/Director required.
• Minimum 1 year experience in K-12 programs required. Strong interest in school
nutrition program development.
• Culinary background is required - Must have a passion and an interest in food
• Working knowledge of cooking procedures and recipe adherence and scaling.
• Must have demonstrated experience developing talent and managing multiple priorities
• Must be able to use "critical thinking" skills in order to resolve problems or would result
in improving program overall.
• Ability to effectively communicate verbally, electronically and written with clients,
parents, students and support staff.
• Must possess excellent time management and organizational skills
• Bilingual Spanish speaking is preferred.
Required Competencies:
• Communication
o Effectively write, present and transfer ideas and information for the advancement of
individual and company performance.
• Customer Focus
o Act in the best interest of the customer, both internal and external.
• Innovation
o Create new ideas, processes or products which when implemented lead to positive
effective change.
• Organization Leadership
o Apply strategic thinking, prioritization and decision-making to drive results.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Team Member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the team member is frequently required Sit,
walk, talk and hear
• Use hands and fingers to feel, handle, or operate objects, tools, or controls and reach
with hands and arms.
• Be standing on feet majority of the workday in addition to walking back and forth.
• Lift and/or move up to 40 pounds. Lifting while turning side to side is sometimes
necessary.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust
focus.