District Manager - New York Region

Whitsons Culinary Group•Town of Milton, NY

7d•$120,000

About The Position

District Manager – Lead with Purpose in School Nutrition Leadership + Strategy + Student Impact Do you have a passion for food, education, and team development? At Whitsons Culinary Group, we’re looking for a dedicated District Manager to oversee multiple school nutrition programs—delivering operational excellence, supporting our teams, and ensuring every student receives a high-quality dining experience. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment where leadership and service go hand-in-hand, we invite you to join us in enhancing life one meal at a time™. What You’ll Do: As a District Manager, you’ll be responsible for the overall success of school food service programs within your territory. You’ll lead and support General Managers, ensuring smooth operations, strong client relationships, and financial performance across all locations.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Food Service Management, Culinary Arts, Nutrition, Business, or a related field—or equivalent experience.
7–10 years of food service management experience, including 5+ years in K–12 school nutrition required.
Culinary knowledge and strong interest in menu development and student engagement.
Excellent communication, team-building, and leadership skills.
ServSafe Certification required; SNS certification preferred.
Strong understanding of USDA child nutrition program regulations and food safety protocols.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and ability to quickly adapt to new systems.
Must be willing to travel frequently within your assigned territory (90%+ travel).
10 years’ experience in Food Service Management required
Minimum 7 year experience in high volume urban K-12 programs required.
Working knowledge of cooking procedures and recipe adherence and scaling.
Must possess excellent time management and organizational skills
Effectively write, present and transfer ideas and information.
Act in the best interest of the customer, both internal and external
Create new ideas, processes or products which, when implemented, lead to positive, effective change.
Apply strategic thinking, prioritization and decision-making to drive results.
Effectively assess, select, develop and empower individuals and teams.
ServSafe Mandatory– Local food safety certification if required in jurisdiction of employment. Must be knowledgeable of all local ordinances.

Nice To Haves

SNS certification preferred.
Bilingual (Spanish/English) preferred.
Bilingual Spanish is highly desirable.
School Nutrition Specialist Certification preferred.
Master’s degree or willingness to work toward master’s degree preferred.
Strong interest in school nutrition program development.
Culinary background is required - Must have a passion and an interest in food

Responsibilities

Provide direct leadership and support to General Managers and on-site teams across multiple K–12 school districts.
Drive operational excellence by monitoring key performance indicators, evaluating program execution, and ensuring compliance with USDA, state, and local regulations.
Oversee budgets, forecasting, and financial performance—helping each district achieve targeted goals.
Ensure the implementation of engaging marketing programs and student-focused meal concepts.
Conduct frequent site visits (90% travel) to assess operations, support staff, and maintain high service and quality standards.
Lead district-wide meetings, coach managers, and facilitate professional development.
Act as a liaison between Whitsons and school district leadership—building strong partnerships through trust and transparency.
Support new account openings, transitions, and rollouts of new initiatives and tools.
Identify operational gaps and work with leadership to develop and execute improvement plans.
Champion safety, compliance, and food integrity across all locations.