District Chef

Southwest Foodservice Excellence•West Windsor Township, NJ

About The Position

The District Chef plans and executes school meal programs across multiple schools. The role creates balanced menus and recipes, ensures food safety standards, and trains kitchen teams. As a hands-on culinary leader, the District Chef maintains high culinary standards while supporting school food-service operations, mentoring staff, and helping deliver appealing, nutritious meals to students.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED required.
At least 3 years of experience in kitchen or back-of-house operations.
Knowledge of budgeting and food cost control.
Strong culinary skills and hands-on leadership experience.
Food safety certification, or a food handler’s card within 2 weeks of hire.
Must pass a background check, fingerprinting, and MVR audit.
Clear, professional communication skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and basic computer systems.
Respectful and inclusive approach, with the ability to work with diverse communities.
Basic cooking and cleaning abilities.
Able to stand for extended periods, up to 5 hours; regularly bend, lift up to 50 pounds, reach, and move; use hands; and hear and communicate clearly.

Nice To Haves

Associate degree in Culinary Arts or a related bachelor’s degree strongly preferred.
Prior school food-service experience strongly desired.

Responsibilities

Prepare and cook food according to standardized recipes and production records.
Create new recipes using commodity and purchased ingredients.
Conduct taste tests and chef demonstrations with students and staff.
Design cost-effective, appealing, and nutritionally balanced student menus.
Enter menus into the nutritional analysis program.
Place food and supply orders while monitoring cost control.
Train kitchen staff on food safety, HACCP, cooking techniques, and presentation.
Collaborate with Cafeteria Managers to ensure meal quality.
Follow local health department and company safety regulations.
Supervise and evaluate kitchen team members.
Submit assigned reports and ensure timely compliance.
Support other duties as assigned to improve culinary operations.