Director of Food Services

Anaheim Union High School District

• $130K — $146K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in dietetics, food and nutrition, or related field.
  • Registered Dietitian (R.D.) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) preferred.
  • Five years of administrative management experience in large school food service operation serving at least 10,000 meals daily.
  • Five years of experience in operations serving at least 20,000 meals daily preferred.
  • Valid Food Safety Manager Certificate or equivalent required.

Responsibilities

  • Plan, organize, and direct District-wide Nutrition Services Program.
  • Ensure compliance with nutrition, sanitation, safety, and accounting standards at district and contract sites.
  • Supervise and evaluate the performance of Nutrition Services personnel.
  • Develop and implement wellness program initiatives in collaboration with various stakeholders.
  • Manage catering and summer food services while adhering to federal and state regulations.

Benefits

  • Health, dental, and vision insurance options available.
  • Retirement plan participation through CalSTRS or CalPERS.
  • Professional development and training opportunities provided.
  • Paid holidays and vacation days included.
  • Supportive work environment focused on employee well-being.
Full Job Description
Salary: $130,278.00 - $146,658.00 Annually
Location : 050 - District Office, 501 Crescent Way, Anaheim, CA
Job Type: Full Time - (12mo/yr - 40hr/wk)
Job Number: 2026-D06-DM
Department: Business
Division: Food Services
Opening Date: 09/04/2026
Closing Date: 9/20/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

BASIC FUNCTION
Under the direction of the Assistant Superintendent, Business Services, plans, organizes, coordinates and directs the District and contract sites Nutrition Services Program, assuring cost effectiveness and compliance with District, state and federal requirements regarding nutrition, sanitation, safety, and purchasing and accounting functions; coordinates, directs and maintains wellness programs; and supervises and evaluates the performance of assigned personnel.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
The Director of Food Services provides strategic leadership and assumes overall

administrative responsibility for the Food Services Department. This position serves as the School Food Authority (SFA)

director for two independent school districts
(Anaheim Union High School District and Anaheim Elementary School

District), overseeing a combined enrollment of 36,000+ students and 35,000+ daily meals. Unlike single-district

management roles, the incumbent must manage dual-district compliance, inter-agency operational logistics, joint board

reporting, and complex USDA/CDE regulatory oversight.*

*Pending PC Approval
Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Any combination of experience, education and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical combination would be the following:

EDUCATION:
Required: A Bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college with a major in dietetics, foods and nutrition, or closely related field.
Preferred: Registered Dietitian (R.D.) or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) status with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

EXPERIENCE*:
Required: Five years of administrative management experience in a large school food service operation, which serves at least 10,000 meals daily.
Preferred: Five years of administrative management experience in a large school food service operation, which serves at least 20,000 meals daily.

LICENSES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
Must have a valid, accredited, Food Safety Manager Certificate or equivalent (e.g. Serve Safe, etc.).
Access to reliable transportation for job-related travel.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
KNOWLEDGE OF:
Principles and practices relative to the management of a comprehensive food service program;
Nutrition, food values, food combinations, economical substitutions and menu planning;
Procedures, methods, techniques and equipment used in the preparation, cooking and serving of large quantities of food, including quality and portion control;
Banquet planning, preparation and service;
Principles and techniques of budget development and administration;
Principles of financial management, markets, food sources, merchandising principles;
Legal mandates and guidelines pertaining to a nutrition service program, including requirements of the National School Breakfast and Lunch Program;
Concept of collective bargaining and labor agreements;
Safe and sanitary working methods and HACCP procedures;
Oral and written communication skills;
Principles and practices of administration, supervision and training;
Concept of progressive discipline;
Interpersonal skills using tact, patience and courtesy;
Operation of a computer and assigned software;
Public speaking techniques.

ABILITY TO:
Plan, organize control, direct the operations and activities of District-wide nutrition service programs and school cafeterias;
Accept and carry out responsibility for direction, control and planning;
Analyze and develop efficient and effective nutrition service operational methods and procedures;
Demonstrate appropriate cooking, baking, serving and cleaning methods and techniques;
Prepare specifications and analyze bids for food, supply and equipment contracts;
Prepare budges and approve budget expenditures;
Evaluate food products, supplies and equipment;
Train and evaluate the performance of assigned staff;
Communicate effectively both orally and in writing;
Interpret, apply and explain rules, regulations, policies and procedures;
Establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with others;
Operate a computer and assigned office equipment;
Analyze situations accurately and adopt an effective course of action;
Meet schedules and time lines;
Work independently with little direction;
Plan and organize work;
Prepare comprehensive narrative and statistical reports;
Direct the maintenance of a variety of reports and files related to assigned activities;
Prepare and present oral presentations.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS
Employees in this classification stand, walk, sit, lift and carry up to 25 lbs., maintain balance, stoop, bend, use fingers repetitively, have rapid mental/muscular coordination, speak clearly, hear normal voice conversation, have depth perception, color vision, see small details, use a computer and a telephone.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
Employees in this classification work inside and outside with varying temperature changes, in confined spaces with poor ventilation, dry atmospheric conditions, dangerous machinery, inadequate lighting, loud noise, sharp objects, dust (moderate to high concentrations of silica or allergenic dust), cleaning chemicals, odors, toxic materials, machinery with moving parts, moving vehicles, hands in water, over 40 hours per week, exposure to minor and severe contagious illnesses, direct contact with public, students, and other assigned staff, without guidance from supervisor, occasionally negative interpersonal situations, high volume and tight deadlines with continuous interruptions, protective equipment used/required gloves.
Examples of Duties

Note: The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees in this classification, and are not to be interpreted as an exhaustive list of responsibilities and qualifications required of personnel so classified. Reasonable accommodations will be made so that qualified employees can perform the essential duties of the job.

GENERAL ESSENTIAL DUTIES
FOOD SERVICES PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION:
Plans, organizes, controls, directs and supervises District-wide Food Services Programs to provide school lunches and breakfasts and other special nutrition services for District and contract sites, the central kitchen, and special functions in compliance with federal and State regulations; directs and manages the District's catering program, and summer food service program; plans and directs nutrition service programs in compliance with accepted accounting principles and District policies; establishes standards and administers the nutrition service program in accordance with nutritional, health and fiscal requirements; provides nutrition service for special feeding programs approved by the District; develops and implements standards for the operation of an efficient, sanitary and high quality nutrition service program for Anaheim Union High School District and Anaheim City Elementary School District according to local and State health codes; directs preparation of menus to insure proper nutritional standards; directs the establishment of recipes, portions and prices; plans, develops and prepares the annual preliminary budget for the Food Services Department; analyzes and reviews budgetary and financial data; controls and authorizes expenditures in accordance with established limitations; analyzes trends in school meal sales and costs; develops specifications for purchase of equipment, supplies and food products; communicates with vendors; develop contracts with other agencies and outside businesses; review and approve requisitions for supplies and equipment; travels to various sites to conduct site observations; monitors operations and services; evaluates organization and sanitation of facility, compliance to State, federal and local regulations, and equipment and supply needs; makes recommendations regarding improvements in safety and productivity; maintains department records, accounts, inventories and files in compliance with federal, State and local policy; oversees record-keeping of stores, equipment maintenance costs and inventory control of food, supplies and equipment; establishes and maintains a proactive preventative maintenance program for food service equipment and vehicles; and participates in the planning and implementation of cafeteria and cafeteria kitchen design, renovation and construction.

NUTRITION EDUCATION & WELLNESS INITIATIVES:
Establishes, directs, and maintains District wellness council comprised of District and school site administrators, health services staff, faculty, parents, students, community service organizations, and other interested parties to study and address needs to maintain and improve wellness in the school community; coordinates with OCDE, CDE, National Institute of Health and local universities to research, develop, implement and facilitate interventions designed to reduce childhood obesity and related diseases; provides direction regarding nutrition education and wellness initiatives ;prepares materials and makes presentations in classrooms to support nutrition education as required; attends and conducts a variety of meetings as assigned; operates a computer and assigned software programs; operates various kitchen equipment and utensils; operates standard office equipment as assigned; travels to various sites to conduct work; and performs related duties as assigned.

PERSONNEL SUPERVISION & TRAINING:
Trains and evaluates the performance of assigned staff; interview and select employees and recommend transfers, reassignment, termination and disciplinary actions; supervises warehousing and distribution of food and non-food supplies; supervises accounting and reporting systems; responsible for the administration of the collective bargaining agreement relating to Classified Food Service personnel; conducts staff in-service and training sessions to demonstrate appropriate cooking, baking, serving and cleaning methods and techniques.

COMMUNICATION:
Communicates with other administrators, personnel and outside organizations to coordinate activities and programs, resolve issues and conflicts and exchange information; works with principals, students, district administrators and parents to establish and maintain customer friendly environment dedicated to providing food service program that meets the needs of the District's students; develops and implements marketing programs to meet customer needs and improve financial performance; assists in the development of short and long-range goals for the department including program operations and facilities; provides technical expertise, information and assistance to the Assistant Superintendent regarding assigned functions; assists in the formulation and development of policies, procedures and programs; advises the Assistant Superintendent of unusual trends or problems and recommends appropriate corrective action; directs the preparation and maintenance of a variety of narrative and statistical reports, records and files related to assigned activities and personnel; interprets nutrition service program to management, staff and the community.

The classification specification does not describe all duties performed by all incumbents within the class. This summary provides examples of typical tasks performed in this classification.
Recruitment Information

APPLICATION PROCESS
All applications must be submitted online. Applications and requests for testing will not be accepted after the recruitment closing date and time. Applicants may be rejected on the basis of an incomplete application or failure to meet minimum qualifications. The application is part of the selection process and is part of an overall assessment of acceptability for employment. All information provided is subject to independent verification of its accuracy. It is the responsibility of the applicant to provide correct contact information by which to be notified.
Note: You will eventually be disqualified in the recruitment process if you fail to disclose relevant information regarding your conviction history. It is the disclosure of the conviction that is most important in many cases.

SCREENING PROCESS
The screening process for this position, which may be subject to modification, will include some form of a(n): application screening, initial qualifications screening, documentation/certification screening, and supplemental application screening. The stated qualifications for the position represent only the minimum requirements and do not guarantee qualification for examination or placement on an eligibility list.

EXAMINATION PROCESS
The examination may consist of any combination of a(n): training and experience (T&E) evaluation, written knowledge test, hands on/performance test, structured panel interview, situational judgement interview, or other type of exam of fitness for duty. All parts of the examination process are job related. A passing score must be attained on each portion of the exam to advance to the next stage and ultimate placement on an eligibility list.

DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION
Requests for reasonable accommodations for the testing process must be made no less than two (2) days prior to the examination. Requests must be signed by your medical doctor, school psychologist, or learning consultant as appropriate and must be on provider letterhead and contain an actual signature.

EXAM PROTESTS
Protest of any part of the exam process must be in writing and submitted to the Personnel Director no later than five (5) working days from the date you participated in the exam. Any protest must include rationale to support the protest and shall include supporting documentation or references. Protests must be based on illegal discrimination, abuse of

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