General Manager - Philadelphia School Nutrition

Whitsons Culinary Group•Philadelphia, PA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Whitsons is hiring a General Manager to lead food service operations in a school nutrition program in Philadelphia. The role oversees daily kitchen and account operations, including production, procurement, inventory, scheduling, staffing, budgets, vendor relationships, food safety, regulatory compliance, and performance goals. The General Manager leads and develops the team, works with school staff and clients, and supports nutritious, high-quality meals that promote student health, learning, and well-being. The position requires financial and operational management, including location-level P&L responsibility, budgeting, forecasting, cost control, sales growth, and profitability. The General Manager also implements marketing initiatives, builds community and client relationships, monitors quality, and drives continuous improvement. School nutrition requirements include compliance with USDA and child nutrition program rules, HACCP standards, health codes, sanitation requirements, and applicable laws. ServSafe certification is mandatory, along with required annual USDA Professional Standards and company training. This is a full-time, exempt position with daily onsite presence at the assigned location and an expectation that 80% of the workday is spent in schools observing and supporting the team. Work schedules depend on account operations, and the General Manager must be available during operational hours, with flexible scheduling and extended hours as needed. The role follows the school district calendar, but summer work may be required where summer feeding or other summer operations are offered. Some travel may be needed for corporate meetings, training, conferences, or multi-location support; approved travel expenses are covered by the company. The work takes place in a restaurant or food service environment, including office and operational areas. Duties are primarily hands-on during mealtimes, with office work before and after mealtimes. The environment includes varying noise levels and temperatures and frequent interaction with staff, customers, and vendors. The role involves extended periods of standing and walking, as well as sitting, talking, and hearing; occasional lifting or moving of up to 50 pounds is required.

Requirements

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 where required by the jurisdiction of employment.
Knowledge of local health and food safety ordinances and food safety regulations.
Strong financial and business 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.
Knowledge 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.
Ability to meet the role’s onsite, scheduling, travel, and physical demands, including occasional lifting or moving of up to 50 pounds.

Nice To Haves

Experience in multi-unit oversight or area management.
Additional management or hospitality certifications.
Bilingual Spanish skills.

Responsibilities

Lead and inspire the food service team to provide nutritious, high-quality meals to students and staff.
Oversee daily operations, including production, procurement, inventory, scheduling, quality control, and food safety.
Manage location-level budgets, P&L, financial analysis, forecasting, food and labor costs, operating expenses, and profitability targets.
Manage staffing, recruit and develop employees, retain high-performing teams, and provide direction and coaching.
Manage vendor relationships and operational performance goals.
Ensure compliance with USDA child nutrition program guidelines, HACCP standards, health codes, sanitation requirements, and applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
Partner with school staff and clients to support student health, learning, and well-being through the meal program.
Maintain client and guest relationships through consistent service quality and proactive communication.
Execute company marketing initiatives and develop local partnerships and community relationships to increase participation and revenue.
Monitor quality metrics, maintain audit readiness, and drive continuous operational improvement.
Work onsite at the location and throughout the school district, supporting operations and staff.
Complete required annual USDA Professional Standards training and mandatory Whitsons training.