General Manager - Lebanon School Nutrition

Whitsons Culinary Group•West Lebanon, NH

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The General Manager leads a school nutrition food service operation, overseeing its daily operations and team while delivering nutritious, high-quality meals to students and staff. The role is responsible for scheduling, inventory, compliance, food safety, budgets, staffing, vendor relationships, and performance goals. The General Manager partners with school staff to support student health, learning, and well-being and ensures compliance with child nutrition program requirements, including NSLP and SBP guidelines. The role manages location-level financial performance, including budgeting, forecasting, P&L, food and labor costs, and profitability. It directs production, procurement, inventory, and quality control; develops and retains the team; maintains food safety and regulatory compliance; and builds strong client, guest, and community relationships. The General Manager also executes marketing initiatives and drives continuous improvement in service, quality, and compliance. This is a full-time, exempt position aligned with the assigned school district calendar. It requires availability during operational hours as needed, which may involve extended hours and flexible scheduling. Vacation and planned time off should be scheduled during school closures when possible. The role may require summer work where summer feeding programs or other summer operations are offered. Daily onsite presence is required, with approximately 80% of the workday spent in schools supporting and observing the team. Some travel may be required for corporate meetings, training, conferences, or multi-location support; approved travel expenses are covered by the company. The work takes place in restaurant and food service environments, including offices and operational areas, with noise levels ranging from moderate to loud, varying temperatures, and frequent interaction with staff, customers, and vendors. Work is primarily hands-on during mealtimes, with office work before and after mealtimes. The position involves frequent sitting, standing, walking, talking, and hearing; extended standing and walking; and occasionally lifting or moving up to 50 pounds. Close and distance vision and the ability to adjust focus are required.

Requirements

At least 5–7 years of progressive experience in restaurant or food service operations.
At least 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.
Meet one of the stated education and experience pathways: a bachelor's degree in a related field; a bachelor's degree in any field plus a state-recognized school nutrition director certificate or at least 1 year of relevant food service experience; an associate degree in a related field plus at least 1 year of relevant food service experience; or a high school diploma/equivalency plus at least 3 years of relevant food service experience.
ServSafe certification is mandatory, along with local food safety certification where required by the jurisdiction of employment.
Knowledge of local health and food safety ordinances, USDA school meal guidelines, and food safety regulations.
Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and team-building skills.
Strong business and financial skills, 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.
Demonstrated success driving sales growth, controlling costs, and achieving profitability targets.
Working knowledge of cooking procedures, recipe adherence, and recipe scaling.
Ability to meet the position's physical demands, including extended standing and walking and occasional lifting or moving of up to 50 pounds.
Availability during operational hours as needed, including extended hours and flexible scheduling; daily onsite presence is required.

Nice To Haves

K–12 or institutional food service management experience.
Additional management or hospitality certifications.
Experience in multi-unit oversight or area management.
Fluency in Spanish.

Responsibilities

Lead and develop 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.
Manage location-level budgets, P&L, forecasting, food and labor costs, operating expenses, and profitability targets.
Manage staffing, vendor relationships, and operational performance goals.
Partner with school staff to ensure meals support student health, learning, and well-being.
Ensure compliance with USDA child nutrition program guidelines, HACCP standards, health codes, sanitation requirements, and applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
Recruit, coach, develop, and retain high-performing teams and foster a positive, student-centered, inclusive work culture.
Build strong relationships with clients, guests, school staff, vendors, and community partners through consistent service and proactive communication.
Execute company marketing initiatives and local partnerships to grow participation, revenue, and brand presence.
Maintain audit readiness, monitor quality metrics, and drive continuous operational improvement.
Support operations across the assigned school district and, as needed, summer feeding programs or other summer operations.
Attend corporate meetings, training, conferences, or provide multi-location support as required.