Chef Manager - Orange School District

Whitsons Culinary Group•Bradford, VT

7d•$65,000 - $70,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Chef Manager leads a school nutrition kitchen serving students and staff. The role oversees daily food service operations, develops nutritious and student-friendly menus that comply with USDA school nutrition guidelines, and ensures meals meet standards for quality, presentation, portion accuracy, and timeliness. The Chef Manager supervises, trains, coaches, and develops kitchen team members while fostering a welcoming, inclusive, positive, and accountable work environment. The position is responsible for food safety and sanitation compliance, including HACCP and ServSafe standards, as well as inventory, production planning and schedules, vendor orders, production records, payroll, food and labor cost controls, budgets, and compliance documentation. It collaborates with school administrators and nutrition staff to support student well-being and keeps the General Manager informed about operational issues, staffing needs, and performance concerns. This is a full-time exempt position. Workdays and hours generally align with the school or account service schedule; extended hours may be required for special events, new account openings, or peak operational periods. The role is primarily site-based, with occasional travel to other Whitsons locations. The work takes place primarily in a kitchen and food-service production environment, including storerooms, ovens, and freezers, with exposure to moderate to loud noise and hot and cold temperatures. The role requires standing for most of the workday and the ability to lift or move up to 50 pounds. Compensation is $65,000–$70,000 for a 10-month calendar year.

Requirements

Minimum 3–5 years of high-volume food service management experience.
Demonstrated experience managing kitchen teams, controlling food and labor costs, executing production schedules, and maintaining food safety and sanitation compliance in a high-volume environment.
ServSafe certification; local food safety certification is required in the jurisdiction of employment.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and recipe procedures and cooking techniques; ability to learn new software programs.
Strong leadership, team development, communication, and coaching skills.
Ability to manage and coach kitchen staff in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
Self-motivated, organized, and calm under pressure, with a passion for food quality and culinary excellence.
Ability to drive to other work sites as needed.
Ability to stand for most of the workday; frequently walk, talk, hear, handle food, tools, and equipment, and reach with hands and arms; and lift or move up to 50 pounds, including while turning side to side.
Must complete all Company-sponsored training requirements.

Nice To Haves

School food service, K–12, institutional, or contract food service experience.
College or culinary degree from an accredited institution, or equivalent combination of culinary training and progressive kitchen management experience.
Food Management Professional (FMP) certification.
OSHA certification.
Valid driver’s license and access to a personal vehicle.

Responsibilities

Lead daily kitchen operations to provide healthy, high-quality meals to students and staff.
Supervise, hire, train, coach, and develop kitchen team members; promote teamwork, accountability, and equitable treatment.
Create and execute nutritious, student-friendly menus that comply with USDA school nutrition guidelines.
Ensure recipe adherence, portion accuracy, presentation standards, and timely service.
Maintain food safety, sanitation, HACCP, ServSafe, and other applicable compliance standards.
Manage production planning and schedules, inventory, vendor orders, production records, payroll, and compliance documentation.
Monitor food and labor costs, manage budgets, and identify opportunities to reduce waste while maintaining quality.
Collaborate with school administrators and nutrition staff to support student well-being.
Communicate kitchen priorities and operational matters, and keep the General Manager informed of issues, staffing needs, and performance concerns.
Travel occasionally to other Whitsons locations as needed.