District Manager - Chicago Public Schools

Aramark • Chicago, IL

2d

About The Position

Aramark Student Nutrition provides food and nutrition services to over 350 school districts in the U.S. It offers public and private education institutions a variety of dining options including breakfast and lunch programs, after-school snacks, catering, nutrition education and retail operations. We partner with schools to create culinary experiences that propel students to success. Our goal is to provide healthy, nutritional meals with a stellar dining experience for our communities. For more information on Aramark's Student Nutrition food service programs, please visit

Aramark Student Nutrition.

As a Site District Manager, you are accountable for end-to-end operations across the assigned portfolio of school sites, ensuring that food service operations meets contractual requirements, USDA/ISBE Program compliance and City of Chicago Public Health/sanitation standards. The Site District Manager will provide overall vision, planning, direction, and control to assigned units for a portion of Chicago Public Schools, splitting approximately $40M+ in revenue. This key leadership role is accountable for the execution of our General Management program, with a focus on growth, cost and productivity, leading people and delivering financial commitments. 

The key success measures of a Site District Manager include Field Support and Development, Revenue Growth, EBIT, Margin, Consumer Satisfaction, Client Loyalty and Employee Engagement. The District Manager leads onsite managers and supervisors, drives quality and participation, ensures required reviews/audits and documentation, manages corrective actions, and serves as a primary liaison to the district’s nutrition leadership team.

In addition to field responsibilities, this role is required to manage functional departments including but not limited to one or more of the following: Marketing, Procurement, Menu Development, IT or Quality and Standards. In this role, regular travel throughout the profit center is required.
 

Requirements

• Proven leadership experience, typically acquired over 5-10 years, including P&L responsibility within the hospitality, retail, facilities, direct store delivery or food and beverage industries.
• Ability to effectively lead and communicate through teams and various stakeholders.
• Strong experience leading and developing functional departments or multi-disciplinary teams.
• Comfortable with data analytics, dashboards & reporting tools, technology for compliance, POS and other large-scale tracking and development systems both for use in reporting and potential development as needed.
• Data-driven performance management and continuous improvement.
• Strong stakeholder communication and escalation management.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of USDA Child Nutrition Programs and compliance practices (meal pattern, food safety/sanitation, documentation).
• Demonstrated leadership and presentation skills with a broad knowledge of management practices, business judgement and client/consumer interaction.
• Confirmed ability to hire, assess, develop and grow hard-working talent.
• Comfortable reading, understanding, and implementing contractual requirements, including identifying opportunities within contract terms and conditions to address operational issues.
• Established communication and teamwork skills to work with all levels on the organization from the front-line associate through leadership.
• Proven success in a repeatable business model, including leading through change and turnaround initiatives.
• Ability to travel daily between multiple sites and work flexible hours as needed for service coverage.
• Bachelor’s degree is generally required to be successful

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree in business or related field is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Establish overall ownership and accountability of operational management and financial performance of multiple accounts and units.
• Model key leadership behaviors and ensure the highest levels of safety, quality and service excellence for employees, clients, and consumers.
• Coach & mentor employees by crafting a shared understanding about how and what needs to be achieved.
• Reward and recognize employees.
• Identify and engage top talent and develop team members to their fullest potential within the organization.
• Plan and lead team management meetings.
• Ensure safety and sanitation standards in all operations.
• Lead and develop field and functional support department to contract expectations.
• Establish and maintain effective client and customer rapport for a mutually beneficial business relationship.
• Identify client needs and communicate operational progress.
• Understand contractual obligations and leverage opportunities.
• Facilitate and support new business and retention activities.
• Ensure team completes customer satisfaction surveys in all locations.
• Build revenue and manage budget with sensitivity to costs and client needs.
• Ensure the completion and maintenance of P&L statements for the district.
• Provide oversight and take ownership to deliver client and company financial targets using Aramark systems.
• Understand performance metrics, data, order and inventory trends; educate teams on key levers to improve margins.
• Lead managers in implementing and maintaining corporate management agenda for labor and financial initiatives.
• Ensure value through efficient operations, appropriate cost controls, and profit management.
• Ensure consistent application of Aramark’s operating standards and processes (Operational Excellence) with particular focus on efficiency standards.
• Understand end-to-end supply chain and procurement process and systems; ensure only authorized suppliers are used.
• As needed; develops, activates and maintains performance improvement plans to optimize financial and operational productivity and ensures accountability to drive processes.
• Ensure unit managers maintain a safe and healthy environment for clients, customers and employees.
• Follow all applicable policies, rules and regulations, including but not limited to those relating to safety, health, Wage and Hour and specific contract expectations.

Benefits

• Aramark offers comprehensive benefit programs and services for eligible employees including medical, dental, vision, and work/life resources.
• Additional benefits may include retirement savings plans like 401(k) and paid days off such as parental leave and disability coverage.
• Benefits vary by location and are subject to any legal requirements or limitations, employee eligibility status, and where the employee lives and/or works.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager