Nutrition Program Manager Jobs in Gurnee, IL (NOW HIRING)

TITLE School Nutrition Operations Coordinator

REPORTS TO Director of Food Services

HOURS Full Time (8 hours)  Starting rate: $22.00/hour

LOCATION River Trails Middle School (May occasionally be assigned to Elementary Schools for substitution coverage, training, or food delivery as necessary)

JOB GOAL To oversee the logistical, procurement, and safety standards of the district's centralized kitchen, ensuring that all school sites are fully stocked, compliant, and operating efficiently.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Must possess or obtain a valid Food Protection Managers Certificate within the first 6 months of employment.
• Advanced computer skills to master Point of Sale system, Student Information System, Ordering Software, Production Software, and Microsoft Office/Good Suite applications.
• Proven ability to manage inventory, forecast production needs, and coordinate multi-site deliveries.
• Ability to train new employees on district standards and standardized workflows across the team.
• Skilled in procurement, vendor relations, and maintaining a strict budget for food and dry goods.
• Previous experience working in a large-scale commercial or institutional setting required, strong preference for previous experience work in School Nutrition Department.
• Maintains high standards of personal grooming and food safety hygiene.
• Associates Degree or equivalent.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Standing, walking, bending, kneeling, and reaching for the duration of the shift.
• Ability to lift pans, food cases, filled milk crates, and transport equipment up to 45 lbs. on a regular basis.
• Ability to work in a high-activity commercial kitchen environment including exposure to heat from ovens and cold for walk-in freezers.
• Mastery of commercial kitchen equipment (ovens, steamers, kettles, tilt skillets, etc.)

PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES / ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Procurement and Inventory Management

1. Places all orders for food, milk, bread, and dry goods; Maintains relationships with vendors to ensure quality and timely delivery.
2. Conducts regular inventory counts and manages stock rotation (FIFO) to minimize waste and maximize the district budget.
3. Predicts production quantities based on historical data and student participation trends to guide Middle School Site Lead, Specialists, and Assistants.

Centralized Coordination

1. Opens the kitchen daily, ensuring all stations are ready for production and all overnight deliveries have been inspected for quality and food safety.
2. Collaborates daily with the Elementary Site Leads to ensure the correct quantities of food and supplies are prepared and sent to satellite locations.
3. Ensures that all transport vehicles are loaded accurately and depart the central kitchen on schedule; Collaborates with satellite transport driver to communicate moving of inventory among sites and offsite storage locations.
4. Collaborates with the Director of Food Services on menu planning and recipe standardization to ensure USDA compliance and student appeal.

Safety, Training, and Compliance

1. Monitors and enforces the food safety (HACCP) plan and Standard Operating Procedures within the central kitchen; Assigns, monitors, and documents corrective actions as appropriate.
2. Ensures that all temperature logs and production counts from all sites are accurately recorded and filed for state audits; Assigns, monitors, and documents corrective actions as appropriate.
3. Trains new staff members on kitchen equipment, POS operation, and district safety protocols.
4. Monitors kitchen equipment and manages the process for repair requests and replacements.
5. Implements the district's Health and Accident/Injury Procedures and Blood Borne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan. Supports and implements the district's Risk Management Policy to ensure that statutory and common law health and safety rights are extended to all visitors, employees, and students, to provide careful supervision and protection of all district real and personal property.

Operations, Meal Service, and Point of Sale

1. Supports daily operations by assisting with the following duties as needed: Operating Mealtime POS system, cooking, produce preparation, serving, loading transport vehicles, cleaning and sanitizing.
2. In collaboration with the Director of Food Services, leads preparation of special events such as catering requests, field trips, banquets, etc.

Customer Service and Community Relations

1. Treats every student with dignity, respect, and patience, recognizing that a positive cafeteria experience is essential to their readiness to learn.
2. Maintains a friendly, helpful, and approachable demeanor when interacting with students, staff, and visitors.
3. Addresses customer concerns or questions promptly and professionally, escalating complex issues to the Director of Food Services or Building Administrators when necessary.
4. Actively supports and inclusive environment by adhering to the USDA Nondiscrimination Statement, ensuring all program participants receive equal service regardless of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or prior civil rights activity.
5. Maintains a clean, organized, and inviting service area that reflects the high standards of the district's Food Service program.
6. Protects student privacy by maintaining strict confidentiality regarding eligibility status (Free, Reduced, or Paid) and any specific dietary or medical needs.

Professionalism and Training

1. Has consistent and reliable attendance; Reads and responds to communications in a timely manner.
2. While not a direct supervisor, provide workflow guidance and technical support to all team members to ensure department goals are met. Maintains good working relationships with team members, building administrators and staff, and students.
3. Participates in a minimum of 10 hours of required USDA in-service training annually. Training shall be completed and compensated in accordance with Article X of the Negotiated Agreement.
4. Performs additional job-related duties as assigned by the Director of Food Services.