Food Service General Manager – Lead with Purpose in Nutrition!
Corporate Dining Leadership
Are you a food service leader who's passionate about people, operations, and purpose? Join our nutrition team as a Food Service General Manager and take the lead in a mission-driven kitchen that fuels working minds and futures.
What You'll Do:
- Inspire and lead the food service team to deliver nutritious, high-quality meals to students and staff
- Oversee all aspects of daily operations: scheduling, inventory, compliance, and food safety
- Partner with school staff to ensure meals support student health, learning, and well-being
- Ensure compliance with state health guidelines
- Manage budgets, staffing, vendor relationships, and performance goals
- Foster a positive, client-centered, and inclusive kitchen culture
We're Looking For:
- 3–5 years of experience in food service management
- Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills
- Knowledge of food safety regulations
- A hands-on leader who builds strong teams and models accountability
- ServSafe certification (or ability to obtain)
Why Join Us?
- Competitive salary + performance bonus opportunities
- Family-friendly schedule – no nights or weekends
- Health, dental, and vision benefits
- Paid holidays, time off, and retirement plans
- A chance to shape a food program that supports learning, growth, and equity
About Us:
At Whitsons, we believe that every school meal is an opportunity to fuel success. As our General Manager, you'll lead a team dedicated to serving nutritious, student-approved meals with care, efficiency, and pride. Your leadership will help create a kitchen that's more than a workplace—it's a hub of health, learning, and community.
Apply now and bring your leadership to the lunch line—one student, one meal at a time! At Whitsons our mission is Enhancing Life One Meal at a Time™.
$61,500 annually
Requirements:
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES:
Education:
- Bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management, Food Service Management, Business Administration, Culinary Arts, Nutrition, or a related field preferred
- Associate's degree in a related field plus at least 2 years of relevant food service management experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience, will be considered
Experience
- Minimum 5–7 years of progressive experience in contract food service, restaurant, or institutional dining operations
- Minimum 3–5 years of general management experience with full P&L responsibility
- Experience managing food service operations in residential, corporate, healthcare, senior living, or similar contract dining environments preferred
- Demonstrated success managing diverse, hourly workforces across multiple service periods and departments
Certifications and Training:
- ServSafe Manager Certification required (or equivalent local food safety certification as required by jurisdiction)
- Must maintain current knowledge of all local health and food safety ordinances applicable to the accoun
- Completion of all mandatory Whitsons training requirements; additional management or hospitality certifications a plus
Technical Proficiency
- Strong business acumen including financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and P&L management
- Proficiency in POS platforms, scheduling software, and reporting tools
- Skilled in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) for business planning, analysis, and communication
- Understanding of marketing strategies, and customer relationship management as they relate to school nutrition dining
Other Qualifications
- Demonstrated success in driving sales growth, controlling costs, and achieving profitability targets in a contract food service environment
- Proven track record of building and leading high-performing, service-oriented teams
- Working knowledge of cooking procedures, recipe adherence, and recipe scaling
- Experience in multi-unit oversight or area management a plus; bi-lingual in Spanish highly desirable
Core Competencies
- Financial Acumen & Cost Management: Manages location-level budgets, P&L, and cost controls — including food cost, labor, and operating expenses — to consistently achieve financial targets and sustain profitability.
- Operational Leadership: Directs all daily operations including production, procurement, inventory, and quality control with a disciplined focus on efficiency, consistency, and brand standards.
- People Leadership & Team Development: Recruits, develops, and retains high-performing teams by providing clear direction, consistent coaching, and a supportive work environment aligned with company values.
- Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance: Ensures all location operations meet or exceed HACCP standards, health codes, sanitation requirements, and applicable federal, state, and local regulations at all times.
- Guest & Client Experience: Builds and sustains strong client and guest relationships through consistent service quality, proactive communication, and a commitment to exceeding expectations.
- Sales, Marketing & Community Engagement: Executes company marketing initiatives and develops local partnerships and community relationships to grow participation, increase revenue, and strengthen brand presence.
- Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement: Maintains rigorous internal audit readiness, monitors quality metrics, and drives year-over-year operational improvements across food production, service, and compliance standards.
WORK ENVIRONMENT AND OTHER DETAILS
Expected Hours of Work:
This is a full-time exempt position. The role requires availability during all operational hours as needed. As an exempt position, it is expected that the Team Member will devote whatever time is necessary to accomplish the goals and responsibilities of this role. This may require extended work hours and flexible scheduling, including early mornings, evenings, or weekends, to meet the business demands of the account.
Travel & Onsite Expectations:
This role requires consistent, daily onsite presence at the assigned location to manage operations and staff effectively. The majority of the workday is expected to be spent in operational areas observing, coaching, and supporting the team. Some travel may be required for corporate meetings, training, conferences, or multi-location support. All approved travel and related expenses will be covered by the Company. These expectations may evolve based on business needs.
Physical Demands of the Job:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the team member is frequently required to sit, stand, walk, talk, and hear throughout the facility. The role requires extended periods of standing and walking during operational oversight. The employee must occasionally be able to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. Work is primarily hands-on during service periods with office work occurring before and after service.
Work Environment:
The work is performed in a contract food service environment including both office and operational areas. The work environment includes varying noise levels from moderate in offices to loud during peak service periods, exposure to varying temperatures, and frequent interaction with staff, clients, guests, and vendors. The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work and duties that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duty does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, or a logical assignment to the position, and the Company reserves the right to add additional duties or modify existing duties.
The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the Company and employee and is subject to change by the Company as the needs of the Company and requirements of the job change.
