Build Something Meaningful. Leave the Late Nights Behind.
If you're passionate about preparing great food but looking for a role that offers predictable hours, meaningful work, and a healthier work-life balance, we'd love to meet you.
Quest Food Management Services is seeking a hands-on Food Service Manager to lead dining operations at a small private school in the Madison, WI area. This is an active leadership role where you'll have the opportunity to prepare fresh, scratch-made meals while creating a welcoming dining experience for students and staff.
Unlike many culinary positions, you'll enjoy a consistent weekday schedule, limited evenings and weekends, and extended time off during the summer—giving you more time to enjoy life outside the kitchen.
Why You'll Love This Opportunity
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Typical schedule: Monday-Friday, 6:00 AM - 2:00 PM
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Extended summer break following the school calendar (primarily June and July; unpaid)
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Limited evenings and weekends
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Small, supportive school community where you'll know your students and staff
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Prepare fresh, scratch-made meals every day
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Competitive pay, benefits, and opportunities for career growth with one of the nation's premier food service management companies
Please Note: This position typically follows a Monday-Friday daytime schedule. Occasional after-school catering, concessions, or special events may require evening or weekend availability. During your onboarding and training period, additional hours may occasionally be needed as you become familiar with Quest's systems and operations.
What You'll Do
As the Food Service Manager, you'll be a working leader who helps create an outstanding dining experience for students, faculty, and staff every day.
Your responsibilities will include:
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Preparing and serving fresh, scratch-made meals including breakfast, snacks, and lunch
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Leading the day-to-day operation of the kitchen and school dining program
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Maintaining high standards of food quality, presentation, sanitation, and safety
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Ordering food and supplies while managing inventory and controlling food costs
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Following Quest recipes and culinary standards to ensure consistency
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Building positive relationships with students, faculty, school leadership, and families
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Supporting occasional catering events and school functions
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Maintaining a clean, organized, and welcoming kitchen environment
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Coaching, developing, and supporting kitchen team members while fostering a positive, collaborative work environment
What You'll Bring
We're looking for someone who enjoys cooking, leading by example, and creating an exceptional dining experience.
Qualified candidates will have:
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Management experience in food service, culinary, restaurant, school, hospitality, healthcare, senior living, or corporate dining environments
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A passion for preparing high-quality, scratch-made food
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Strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills
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Knowledge of food safety and sanitation standards
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Experience with purchasing, inventory management, and food cost controls
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The ability to thrive in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment
Preferred Qualifications
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ServSafe Manager Certification (or willingness to obtain)
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Culinary leadership experience
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Hospitality Management or Culinary Arts education
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Experience working in a school or institutional food service environment
About Quest Food Management Services
For more than 40 years, Quest Food Management Services has been redefining food service through fresh, scratch-made meals, exceptional hospitality, and genuine relationships. We proudly serve K-12 schools, colleges and universities, corporate dining programs, and event venues throughout the Midwest.
At Quest, we're more than a food service company—we're a people-first organization. Our Quest Ready culture is built on integrity, responsiveness, accountability, respect, and excellence. We believe exceptional hospitality starts by taking care of our team members, creating an environment where people can grow professionally while making a meaningful impact in the communities they serve.
If you're looking for a culinary leadership opportunity where your work matters—and where your schedule allows you to enjoy life outside the kitchen—we'd love to hear from you.
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