Operations Manager - Drive Excellence in School Nutrition OperationsSupport + Strategy + Impact Are you a seasoned food service professional who thrives on supporting teams, ensuring compliance, and driving operational excellence? Join Whitsons as an
Operations Manager and help elevate school nutrition programs across our districts-fueling student success one meal at a time.
What You'll Do: - Provide operational support to District Manager and General Managers within the District Managers regions across multiple school districts.
- Step in as acting General Manager when needed to ensure seamless operations.
- Monitor and support compliance with all USDA, state, and local regulations related to NSLP, SBP, and food safety.
- Assist in budget development, financial forecasting, and variance analysis.
- Oversee staff training, scheduling, and performance management to ensure team excellence.
- Support new account openings and serve as a key player in onboarding processes.
- Conduct regular site visits (80% travel) to assess quality, safety, compliance, and team support needs.
- Collaborate with wellness and nutrition committees and participate in district meetings and community events.
We're Looking For: - Bachelor's degree in Food Service Management, Nutrition, Culinary Arts, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
- 7-10 years of progressive food service management experience, with 5+ years in K-12 school nutrition required.
- Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to inspire teams and build strong relationships.
- Deep knowledge of USDA school meal guidelines, state regulations, and food safety practices.
- ServSafe certification required; SNS certification highly preferred.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and ability to quickly learn new systems and tools.
- Bilingual (English/Spanish) preferred.
- Must be willing to travel frequently to Whitsons' operating sites.
Why Join Us? - Competitive salary + performance bonus potential
- Work that makes a difference in students' lives
- Health, dental, and vision insurance
- Professional growth opportunities and supportive leadership
This role offers a salary range of $80,000-$85,000 annually, based on skills, experience, and location. Employees also receive a comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, vision, 401(k) with company match, generous PTO, and paid holidays.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES: Education:
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent with concentration in food and nutrition, food service management, dietetics, family and consumer sciences, nutrition education, culinary arts, business or a related field. OR
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent with any academic major AND a state recognized certificate in food and nutrition, food service management, dietetics, family and consumer sciences, nutrition education, culinary arts, or business. At least one year of management experience, preferably in school nutrition strongly recommended. OR
- Master's degree or willingness to work toward master's degree preferred.
Certifications:
- ServSafe Mandatory-- Local food safety certification if required in jurisdiction of employment. Must be knowledgeable of all local ordinances.
- School Nutrition Specialist Certification preferred.
Computer Skills:
- Proficiency in all Microsoft Office applications is required.
- Must be able to communicate electronically through use of email and other similar computer platforms.
- Able to learn new programs easily and quickly.
Competencies:
- Effectively write, present and transfer ideas and information.
- Act in the best interest of the customer, both internal and external
- Create new ideas, processes or products which, when implemented, lead to positive, effective change.
- Organizational Leadership
- Apply strategic thinking, prioritization and decision-making to drive results.
- Effectively assess, select, develop and empower individuals and teams.
Other Qualifications, Experience:
- 10 years' experience in Food Service Management required,
- Minimum 7 years' experience in high volume urban K-12 programs required. Strong interest in school nutrition program development.
- Culinary background is required - Must have a passion and an interest in food
- Working knowledge of cooking procedures and recipe adherence and scaling.
- Must possess excellent time management and organizational skills
- Bilingual Spanish is highly desirable.
As an exempt position, it is expected that Team Member will devote whatever time necessary to accomplish the goals and responsibilities. This will often require extended work hours, evening and/or weekend work.
