Area Director - K-12 School Food Service

Lunchtime Solutions•North Platte, NE

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Is it time for a fresh career opportunity? If so, Lunchtime Solutions is seeking an Area Director to join our Operations leadership team! We are scaling up for continued growth with an Area Director opportunity located in the Central Nebraska area! Schedule: Monday through Friday, flexible work schedule, work from your home office when not traveling to your area’s assigned K-12 school districts. Benefits: Health, dental and vision insurance, 401(k) savings plan with company match, generous paid time off program, paid holidays, plus various perks! Area Director Job Summary: The Area Director provides strategic direction and leadership to a team of Food Service Directors (FSDs) within an assigned geographic area. The Area Director will be responsible for providing the vision necessary to create exceptional operations by hiring and developing great team members and ensuring systems and procedures are implemented properly and executed impeccably at the school district level. The position accomplishes this through an authentic, collaborative, and energetic style, guided by Lunchtime’s Mission and Values.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
For External hire, a minimum of 5-7 years of multi-site food service management.
Proven experience leading teams of professionals within a decentralized organization.
Extensive experience in the food service industry including a vast knowledge of establishing and maintaining customer relationships.
Exemplary leadership skills.
Strong communication and customer management skills.
Keen analytic, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
Possess excellent training and development skills.
Demonstrated aptitude for reading and analyzing P&L Statements, developing budgets, and reading trends in operational metrics.
Demonstrated skill in developing long-term strategic plans and leading/participating in short-term operational implementation (ability to be both strategic and tactical).
Demonstrated ability to understand and determine priorities, effectively manage time, and develop work plans in order to accomplish tasks and/or projects.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to write business correspondence and develop and present business presentations and trainings.
Proficient in Microsoft Office 365 Suite.

Responsibilities

Demonstrates commitment to Lunchtime’s mission, culture, and values through actions on a daily basis and ensures they are effectively communicated, understood and practiced by all team members in the assigned area.
Leads and manages a highly productive, motivated, and driven team through regular meetings, strong communication, empowerment, reward, and coaching techniques.
Ensures effective engagement with FSDs and consistent flow of information in both directions to reinforce and foster a culture of collaboration, trust, and open communication.
Manages customer relationships to maintain exceptional customer satisfaction and business retention.
Proactively communicates with customers through regular meetings and transparent, accountable relationship management efforts.
Develops short- and long-term operational goals and strategies in partnership with the assigned FSDs and monitors and ensures ongoing progress.
Develops operating budgets in partnership with the assigned FSDs and drives achievement of operating goals and profitability through P&L analysis and analysis of key performance metrics.
Conducts audits and ensures each school’s performance in the areas of compliance of operational policies and safety standards, regulatory compliance, menu planning, food production, ordering, recipe standards, service, point of sale, team member management and training, inventories, promotions, and evaluation of customer feedback.
Directly oversees and manages the start-up of new schools.
Prepares and presents business presentations and trainings as required.
Serves on company project teams and/or committees and contributes as a key leader in supporting the company’s overall growth and development.