General Manager - Philadelphia School Nutrition
About The Position
The General Manager leads a school nutrition food service operation, overseeing daily operations and a team responsible for providing nutritious, high-quality meals to students and staff. The role manages scheduling, inventory, procurement, food safety, regulatory compliance, budgets, staffing, vendor relationships, performance goals, and operational quality. The General Manager partners with school staff and builds a positive, student-centered, inclusive kitchen culture that supports student health, learning, and well-being. The position is responsible for location-level financial performance, including budgeting, forecasting, P&L management, and cost controls. It directs production and service, maintains compliance with HACCP standards, health codes, sanitation requirements, and applicable federal, state, and local regulations, and supports marketing, community engagement, client relationships, and continuous improvement. The role requires leadership in team recruitment, coaching, development, and retention. This is a full-time exempt position aligned with the assigned school district calendar. The General Manager must be available during operational hours and devote the time necessary to meet business needs, which may involve extended hours and flexible scheduling. Planned vacation and time off should be scheduled during school closures when possible. Work during summer months may be required where summer feeding programs or other summer operations are offered. The role requires daily onsite presence, with approximately 80% of the workday spent in schools observing and supporting the team. Travel throughout the school district is required, and some travel for corporate meetings, training, conferences, or multi-location support may be necessary; approved travel expenses are covered by the company. Work takes place in a restaurant or food service environment, in both office and operational areas. Conditions include varying noise levels, temperatures, and frequent interaction with staff, customers, and vendors. The work is primarily hands-on during mealtimes, with office work before and after meals.
Requirements
- Meet one of the following education pathways: a bachelor's degree in a related field; a bachelor's degree in any field plus a state-recognized school nutrition director certificate; a bachelor's degree in any field plus at least 2 years of relevant school nutrition program experience; or an associate's degree in a related field plus at least 2 years of relevant school nutrition program experience.
- Minimum 5–7 years of progressive experience in food service operations management.
- Minimum 3–5 years of general management experience with full P&L responsibility.
- At least 3 years of food service management experience as a manager or director.
- At least 1 year of experience in K–12 programs.
- ServSafe certification is mandatory; local food safety certification is required if applicable in the jurisdiction of employment. Must know local health and food safety ordinances.
- Complete yearly training required by USDA Professional Standards and Whitsons.
- Strong business acumen, including financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and P&L management.
- Proficiency with POS platforms, scheduling software, reporting tools, and Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Understanding of marketing strategies and customer relationship management as they relate to school nutrition dining.
- Demonstrated ability to drive sales growth, control costs, and achieve profitability targets.
- Proven ability to build and lead high-performing teams.
- Working knowledge of cooking procedures and recipe adherence and scaling.
- Ability to meet the physical requirements of the role, including frequent sitting, standing, walking, talking, and hearing; extended standing and walking; and occasional lifting or moving of up to 50 pounds.
Nice To Haves
- Additional management or hospitality certifications.
- Experience in multi-unit oversight or area management.
- Bilingual Spanish language skills.
Responsibilities
- Lead and inspire the food service team to deliver nutritious, high-quality meals to students and staff.
- Oversee daily operations, including scheduling, production, procurement, inventory, quality control, and food safety.
- Partner with school staff to ensure meals support student health, learning, and well-being.
- Ensure compliance with state and federal child nutrition program requirements, including NSLP and SBP, as well as HACCP standards, health codes, sanitation requirements, and applicable regulations.
- Manage location-level budgets, staffing, vendor relationships, performance goals, P&L, and cost controls.
- Recruit, coach, develop, and retain high-performing teams and foster a positive, student-centered, inclusive kitchen culture.
- Build strong client and guest relationships through service quality and proactive communication.
- Execute marketing initiatives and develop local partnerships and community relationships to grow participation and revenue.
- Maintain audit readiness, monitor quality metrics, and drive operational improvements.
- Be onsite daily to manage operations and staff, spending approximately 80% of the workday in schools observing and supporting the team.
- Travel throughout the school district and, as needed, attend corporate meetings, training, conferences, or support multiple locations.
Benefits
- Competitive salary.
- Performance bonus opportunities.
- Health benefits.
- Dental benefits.
- Vision benefits.
- Paid holidays.
- Paid time off.
- Retirement plans.
- Approved travel and related expenses covered by the company.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
