General Manager - Kipp Philadelphia Elementary Academy

Whitsons Culinary Group•Philadelphia, PA

12d•Onsite

About The Position

The General Manager leads food service operations at a school location, overseeing the team and delivering nutritious, high-quality meals to students and staff. The role manages daily operations, including scheduling, inventory, food safety, compliance, budgeting, staffing, vendor relationships, and performance goals. 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 full-time and exempt, with availability during operational hours and whatever additional time is needed to meet account goals. Work schedules follow operational needs and the school district calendar; planned time off should be scheduled during school closures when possible. Summer work may be required where summer feeding or other summer operations are offered. Daily onsite presence is required, with approximately 80% of the workday spent in schools observing and supporting the team. Travel within the school district and occasional travel for corporate meetings, training, conferences, or multi-location support may be required; approved travel expenses are covered. 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 meals. The setting has varying noise levels, temperatures, and frequent interaction with staff, customers, and vendors. The role requires frequent sitting, standing, walking, talking, and hearing; extended periods of standing and walking; and occasional lifting or moving of up to 50 pounds. Close and distance vision and the ability to adjust focus are required. Reasonable accommodation may be made for individuals with disabilities.

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 food service operations management experience.
Minimum 3–5 years of general management experience with full P&L responsibility.
At least 3 years of experience in food service management 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 jurisdiction; knowledge of local health and food safety ordinances.
Strong business acumen, including financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and P&L management.
Proficiency with POS platforms, scheduling software, reporting tools, and Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).
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, recipe adherence, and recipe scaling.
Ability to work during operational hours as needed, including extended hours and flexible scheduling when business demands require.
Ability to meet the physical demands of the role, including extended periods of standing and walking and occasional lifting or moving of up to 50 pounds; reasonable accommodation may be made.
Ability to work in varying facility conditions and interact frequently with staff, customers, and vendors.
Daily onsite presence and travel throughout the school district are 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.
Bilingual Spanish skills.

Responsibilities

Lead the food service team in providing nutritious, high-quality meals to students and staff.
Oversee daily operations, including scheduling, inventory, food safety, production, procurement, and quality control.
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 applicable health, food safety, and sanitation requirements.
Manage location budgets, staffing, vendor relationships, performance goals, food costs, labor costs, and operating expenses.
Recruit, develop, coach, and retain a high-performing team and foster a supportive, student-centered, inclusive kitchen culture.
Build and maintain client and guest relationships through consistent service 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 continuous operational improvement.
Work onsite daily and travel throughout the school district as required.
Schedule planned vacation and other time off during school closures when possible, and support summer operations when offered.