General Manager - Elwood School Nutrition

Whitsons Culinary Group•Elwood, IL

1h•Onsite

About The Position

The General Manager leads a school nutrition food-service operation and its team, overseeing daily operations and delivering nutritious, high-quality meals to students and staff. The role partners with school staff to support student health, learning, and well-being, and ensures compliance with state and federal child nutrition program guidelines, including NSLP and SBP. The General Manager manages budgets, staffing, vendor relationships, performance goals, production, procurement, inventory, quality control, food safety, and customer and client relationships. The position also supports marketing initiatives and community partnerships, maintains audit readiness, and drives continuous operational improvement. This is a full-time, exempt role aligned with the assigned school district calendar. Availability is required during operational hours, and extended hours or flexible scheduling may be needed to meet business demands. Vacation and planned time off should generally be scheduled during school closures. The General Manager may work during summer months when summer feeding or other operations are offered. The role requires daily onsite presence, with approximately 80% of the workday spent in schools observing and supporting the team. Travel within the school district is required, and occasional travel may be needed for corporate meetings, training, conferences, or multi-location support; approved travel expenses are covered by the company. Work takes place in restaurant and food-service settings, including office and operational areas. The General Manager works hands-on during mealtimes, with office work generally before and after meals, and interacts frequently with staff, customers, and vendors. Conditions include moderate to loud noise and varying temperatures. The job 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

Minimum 5–7 years of progressive experience in restaurant or food-service operations.
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 also required where applicable.
Knowledge of local health and food-safety ordinances, USDA school meal guidelines, and food-safety regulations.
Strong business acumen in financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, P&L management, and cost control.
Proficiency in 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, recipe adherence, and recipe scaling.
Education requirement: 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 at least 1 year of relevant food-service experience; or 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.
Availability during operational hours, with flexible scheduling and extended hours as needed; willingness to work during summer operations when required.
Ability to meet the physical demands of the role, including extended periods of standing and walking and occasional lifting or moving 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 develop the food-service team to provide 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 support student health, learning, and well-being through school meals.
Ensure compliance with child nutrition program guidelines, HACCP standards, health codes, sanitation requirements, and applicable federal, state, and local regulations.
Manage location budgets, full 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 and foster a positive, student-centered, inclusive work culture.
Build and sustain client and guest relationships through consistent service quality and proactive communication.
Execute marketing initiatives and develop local partnerships and community relationships to increase participation and revenue.
Maintain audit readiness, monitor quality metrics, and drive continuous operational improvement.
Work onsite daily, observe and support school teams, and travel throughout the school district as required.
Complete annual USDA Professional Standards training and required Whitsons training.