Assistant General Manager - Easton School Nutrition

Whitsons Culinary Group•Easton, PA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant General Manager supports the General Manager with daily operations across multiple school kitchens and helps lead teams preparing and serving nutritious, high-quality meals to students. The role supports scheduling, inventory, food safety, regulatory compliance, budgeting, cost control, commodity use, audits, and inspections. It serves as a key contact for school staff and clients when the General Manager is absent and provides hands-on coaching and support to team members. The position is primarily on-site, with approximately 80% of the day spent supporting teams in schools, and requires daily presence at operational locations. Travel may be required for training, conferences, or coordination across locations. The role contributes to a school nutrition program aligned with USDA meal programs, including NSLP and SBP, HACCP standards, local health codes, and food safety requirements. It monitors food and labor costs and operating expenses, supports budget adherence, maintains audit readiness, and reinforces consistent operational standards and service quality. This is a full-time exempt position with availability required during operational hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays; extended hours may be necessary to meet operational goals. Work takes place in kitchen, restaurant, and/or office environments. Conditions may include moderate to loud noise, fast-paced activity, frequent interaction with customers, vendors, and staff, cleaning chemicals, kitchen equipment, and heat and cold. The role involves standing and walking for extended periods, frequent bending, reaching, and lifting, and handling equipment and operational systems.

Requirements

At least 3 years of food service management experience as a manager.
At least 1 year of experience in K–12 programs.
Education qualification through one of these pathways: a bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a related field; an associate degree or equivalent in a related field plus at least 1 year of relevant school nutrition programs experience; or a high school diploma plus at least 5 years of school nutrition program experience.
ServSafe certification; local food safety certification where required by the jurisdiction of employment.
Knowledge of local health and food safety ordinances.
Working knowledge of cooking procedures, recipe adherence, and recipe scaling.
Culinary background and a strong interest in food.
Knowledge of USDA meal programs, NSLP requirements, HACCP standards, and applicable health codes.
Strong communication, leadership, time-management, multitasking, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and Outlook, and email communication.
Knowledge of budgeting, financial reporting, cost analysis, food and labor costs, and profit margins.
Knowledge of restaurant operations, POS systems, and reservation management software such as OpenTable.
Understanding of labor laws, employment regulations, and workplace safety compliance requirements.
Ability to meet the physical demands of the role, including extended standing and walking, bending, reaching, and lifting or carrying up to 50 pounds occasionally and 25 pounds frequently.
Availability during operational hours, including nights, weekends, and holidays, and ability to work extended hours as needed.
Ability to work in varying temperatures and in kitchen environments that may include moderate to loud noise and exposure to cleaning chemicals and kitchen equipment.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual Spanish skills are highly desirable.
Experience in a K–12 or institutional food service setting.

Responsibilities

Support the General Manager in overseeing daily operations across multiple school kitchens.
Help lead teams preparing and serving nutritious, high-quality meals to students.
Assist with scheduling, inventory, food safety, and compliance with USDA nutrition programs, including NSLP and SBP.
Serve as a key point of contact for school staff and clients in the General Manager’s absence.
Train, mentor, and support team members and promote a positive, productive work environment.
Monitor budgetary goals, food and labor costs, operating expenses, and help manage costs and commodities.
Assist with audits and inspections and maintain kitchen readiness for review.
Support production, service delivery, food safety, and operational consistency across locations.
Apply working knowledge of HACCP standards, USDA regulations, NSLP requirements, and applicable health codes.
Represent the program professionally and maintain responsive communication and consistent service quality.
Identify operational gaps, reinforce training, and contribute to continuous improvement and program quality.
Travel as needed for training, conferences, or multi-location coordination.