SUMMARY: The General Manager is responsible for maintaining systems and procedures for all aspects of the Food Nutrition /Dining Program for which he/she oversees. The program services a student enrollment of 2500-9,999. The Manager will ensure that all guidelines, relating to the NSLP, are adhered to in all schools, consistently. Stay current with USDA regulations and ensure menus and processes are in compliance at all times. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS, RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES • Maintain systems and procedures for the ordering, receiving, storing, preparing and serving of food related products, as well as menu planning and development using Whitsons approved systems and policies • Manages program within all budgetary guidelines established by Whitsons. • Motivates, trains, and manages subordinate Team Members. • Provide the necessary tools for the team to perform at satisfactory level. • Maintain a harmonious working relationship with Team by demonstrating consistent and equitable treatment for all Team Members consistently in accordance with Company policies. • Ensures compliance with applicable health regulations and ordinances and that all schools are prepared for any state or local board of health inspection. • Develops budgets and operational financial forecasts and is able to explain variances. Responsible for accounting and documenting accurately all financial components. • Ensures that requirements for appropriate sanitation and safety levels in respective areas are met and staff adequately trained. • Coordinates and supervises all production, merchandising, quality and cost control, labor management and Team Member training. • Recruits, hires, develops and retains team using District required systems, procedures and policies. • Participates in all wellness and nutrition committees and meetings. • Must spend 80% of workday in the schools observing and supporting team. • Conducts recurring inventory; maintaining records to comply with Whitsons, government and accrediting agency standards. • Controls all expenses such as food cost, labor cost and operating expenses while providing exceptional customer service. • Manages all purchasing and utilization of government commodities including processed goods. • Executes all marketing promotions applicable to the district according to the marketing calendar. Ensures marketing, merchandising in place effectually and current at all times. • Maintains an 80% or above score on the Whitsons Internal Audit and shows increased improvement each year. • Adhere to all company and district policies and ensure that entire team understands and follows them. ADDITIONAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: • Coordinates activities with other internal departments, participates in management team meetings, interfaces with Vendors and key service users within client organization. • Ensures marketing, merchandising in place effectually and current at all times. • Looks for opportunities to implement new products and services which support sales growth and client retention • Monthly or bi-monthly communications to the client and DM, highlighting activity on a monthly basis including any financial information requested by client. • Manages collections from catering/events and client billings. This includes delivering the client invoices for monthly or weekly business billings within 4 hours of receiving and managing the process of collections with the support of AR and supervisors. Collects all event payments upon delivery with no credit extended, unless event is paid by client's office or department. When required (invoice past due) communicates directly to customers via phone or email. • Conducts monthly cook meetings with secondary leads/cooks regarding menu offerings • Create advisory group and/or attend any PTO/District administrative meetings which will assist in driving sales and participation. • Performs additional duties as assigned by District Manager from time to time. Position may require extended hours including evenings and/or weekends, travel to multiple work sites and occasional out-of-district travel. Must be able to drive his/her own vehicle to other work sites. $1,935 - $2,200 per week REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES: Education: • Bachelor's degree in a related field OR • Bachelor's degree in any field plus a state-recognized school nutrition director certificate OR • Bachelor's degree in any field plus at least 2 years of relevant school nutrition program experience OR • Associate's degree in a related field plus at least 2 years of relevant school nutrition program experience Experience • Minimum 5-7 years of progressive experience in food service operations management • Minimum 3-5 years of general management experience with full P&L responsibility • 3 years' experience in Food Service Management as a Manager/Director required. • Minimum 1 years experience in K-12 programs required Certifications and Training: • ServSafe Mandatory- Local food safety certification if required in jurisdiction of employment. Must be knowledgeable of all local health and food safety ordinances. • Additional management or hospitality certifications a plus • Yearly mandatory training in accordance with USDA Professional Standards requirements as well as mandatory Whitsons training requirements 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 • Proven track record of building and leading high-performing teams • Experience in multi-unit oversight or area management a plus • Working knowledge of cooking procedures and recipe adherence and scaling • 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 Team Member will devote whatever time necessary to accomplish the goals and responsibilities. This may require extended work hours and flexible scheduling to meet business demands. This position is aligned with the assigned school district calendar; however, the General Manager is expected to schedule vacation and other planned time off during school closures whenever possible to minimize disruption to operations. Work schedules are determined by the operational needs of the account. At locations where summer feeding programs or other summer operations are offered, the General Manager will be expected to work during the summer months as required to support the needs of the business. Travel & Onsite Expectations 80% of the workday is expected to be in schools observing and supporting the team. Some travel may be required for corporate meetings, training, conferences, or multi-location support. The role requires daily onsite presence at the location to manage operations and staff effectively. Travel throughout school district will be required. 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. The employee must be able to work in varying conditions throughout the facility including office areas and operational spaces. Work is primarily "hands on" during mealtimes with office work occurring before and after mealtimes. Work Environment: The work is performed in a restaurant/food service environment including both office and operational areas. The work environment includes varying noise levels from moderate in offices to loud during peak operational periods, exposure to varying temperatures, and frequent interaction with staff, customers, 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.