General Manager - Shelton School Nutrition
About The Position
The General Manager leads a school nutrition food-service operation, overseeing the team and daily operations to provide nutritious, high-quality meals to students and staff. The role manages scheduling, inventory, production, procurement, food safety, regulatory compliance, budgets, staffing, vendor relationships, performance goals, and client and guest experience. The General Manager partners with school staff to support student health, learning, and well-being, and fosters a positive, student-centered, inclusive kitchen culture. The position is responsible for location-level financial performance, including budgeting, forecasting, P&L management, cost control, sales growth, and profitability. It also leads team recruitment, development, and retention; executes marketing and community engagement initiatives; maintains audit readiness and quality standards; and drives continuous operational improvement. The role requires daily onsite presence, travel throughout the school district, and availability during operational hours. It is aligned with the school district calendar, with summer work required when summer feeding or other summer operations are offered.
Requirements
- A bachelor's degree in a related field; or a bachelor's degree in any field plus a state-recognized school nutrition director certificate; or 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.
- Mandatory ServSafe certification and local food-safety certification if required in the employment jurisdiction; knowledge of local health and food-safety ordinances.
- Strong business acumen in financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and P&L management.
- Proficiency with POS platforms, scheduling software, reporting tools, and Microsoft Office Suite.
- Understanding of marketing strategies and customer relationship management as they relate to school nutrition dining.
- Demonstrated success driving sales growth, controlling costs, and achieving profitability targets.
- Proven ability to build and lead high-performing teams.
- Working knowledge of cooking procedures and recipe adherence and scaling.
- Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
- Availability during operational hours as needed, including extended hours and flexible scheduling to meet business demands.
- Ability to meet the physical demands of the role, including extended standing and walking and occasional lifting or moving of up to 50 pounds.
Nice To Haves
- K–12 or institutional food-service management experience.
- Additional management or hospitality certifications.
- Experience in multi-unit oversight or area management.
- Bilingual Spanish skills.
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.
- Partner with school staff to ensure meals support student health, learning, and well-being.
- Ensure compliance with state and federal child nutrition program guidelines, including NSLP and SBP, as well as HACCP standards, health codes, sanitation requirements, and applicable regulations.
- Manage location-level budgets, P&L, financial analysis, forecasting, food and labor costs, operating expenses, and profitability targets.
- Manage staffing, vendor relationships, and performance goals.
- Recruit, coach, develop, and retain high-performing teams, providing clear direction and a supportive work environment.
- 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 internal audit readiness, monitor quality metrics, and drive continuous operational improvement.
- Provide onsite operational oversight and support across schools in the assigned district.
- Schedule planned vacation and time off during school closures whenever possible; support summer operations when required.
Benefits
- Competitive salary.
- Performance bonus opportunities.
- Health, dental, and vision benefits.
- Paid holidays and 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
