District Chef - Wallingford School District

The Nutrition Group•Nether Providence Township, PA

1d•$55,000 - $60,000

About The Position

The District Chef oversees and manages the daily operations of a local K–12 school district food service department, with a strong emphasis on culinary skills. The role covers food production and service and supports food service directors in achieving program success. The District Chef prepares food and trains staff to prepare it in accordance with USDA, Department of Education, school district, and The Nutrition Group policies and procedures, within the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs. The position works with each Director of Food & Nutrition to identify areas for focus and growth, including menus, quality control, compliance paperwork, staff training, and district catering. The role is accountable to the Regional Manager for effective operational performance, financial results, and quality control under the contractual agreement. The District Chef supports financial and food-cost accountability; employee training, development, and performance; menu and purchasing practices; nutrition and production records; meal service and sanitation standards; catering; and communication with staff, clients, and company leadership. The role includes visiting school sites to observe service, production, and employee activity, and maintaining an emphasis on food quality, safety, compliance, and customer satisfaction. The position is based in the Wallingford School District. The posting highlights a Monday-through-Friday schedule during daylight hours, with no nights, weekends, or holidays.

Requirements

Associate degree required; bachelor's degree preferred.
At least 1–2 years of experience in staff management.
Food service experience.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
Must obtain clearances and pass criminal background checks.
Must maintain necessary sanitation certification.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree.

Responsibilities

Oversee food production and service across the district and assist food service directors with program success.
Prepare food and train staff in accordance with USDA, Department of Education, school district, and company policies and procedures.
Work with Directors of Food & Nutrition to identify improvement needs involving menus, quality control, paperwork compliance, staff training, and catering.
Support budgeted participation and food-cost results; control food costs and train staff on waste management and production values.
Assist with accurate school inventories, maintain a separate government commodities inventory, and help explain budget variances through financial reports.
Develop food-centered special events intended to increase program participation.
Assist food service directors with employee training, development, motivation, evaluation, and termination in accordance with applicable policies.
Use job descriptions and performance standards to guide staff training, provide performance feedback, and develop training or responsibility-adjustment plans.
Conduct ongoing employee development and training; maintain regular personal contact with employees and address dissatisfaction with the food service director.
Assist with annual OSHA training and provide ongoing safety education.
Recommend unit work schedules and support effective job performance and employee morale.
Train staff in food quality, recipe compliance, HACCP protocol, personal neatness, and customer service, with particular attention to cooks and lead production staff.
Establish and coordinate preschool, in-service, on-the-job, manager, and employee training programs; encourage participation in team training days.
Visit buildings before, during, and at the end of the day to observe service, production, and employee activity.
Evaluate menus for student satisfaction and production practicality, and submit written feedback to supervision.
Work with staff to forecast attendance and connect predictions to purchasing and production to reduce waste.
Purchase food and supplies from approved vendors and authorized items; follow district, NSLP, and company purchasing procedures and standards.
Maintain current recipe files in each unit and ensure recipes are followed; use leftovers appropriately or store them for future use.
Meet reimbursable nutrition requirements and maintain accurate production records in accordance with USDA and Department of Education requirements; train staff to complete records correctly.
Maintain and improve food production practices and standards as technology develops.
Establish portion-control standards, ensure NSLP requirements are met for every meal, and maintain participation records.
Monitor food quality during service, correct problems promptly, and provide retraining as needed.
Ensure each school meets local or state sanitation inspection standards and complies with applicable regulations and company procedures.
Conduct periodic formal housekeeping inspections and maintain required sanitation certification.
Provide catering for clients, maintain a district catering booklet with approved menus and prices, and develop a party-booking procedure.
Work with clients to develop event menus, price catering appropriately, communicate costs, schedule staff, and account for wages.
Train staff during catering events; complete and send invoices and maintain accurate function ledgers and recaps.
Meet regularly with the Youth Advisory Council and respond promptly to customer complaints, suggestions, and requests.
Communicate with client contacts, suppliers, school district stakeholders, and relevant departments; build effective working relationships and hold periodic group meetings.
Submit weekly progress reports to Corporate and document district food service operations.
Contribute photographs and articles for Board Reports describing program progress.
Meet regularly with the food service director and Regional Manager to discuss operations and maintain two-way communication.
Conduct at least one major special promotion event each month in every school district.
Maintain ongoing channels for student feedback, such as suggestion boxes and surveys, and provide appropriate follow-up reports.
Maintain effective communication upward and downward and promote efficient, service-oriented management across cafeteria operations.