Senior Manager of Food Program OperationsBrentwood School is a K-12 independent school serving students, faculty and families across multiple campuses through an in-house culinary program. Reporting to the Executive Chef and working in tandem with the Executive Sous Chef, Sous Chefs and Retail Manager, the Senior Manager of Food Program Operations leads the business and operational side of the program so the culinary team can focus on food.
This role owns the labor management and team schedules, event catering operations, purchasing, receiving, and invoice processing, food safety compliance, and financial analysis. The ideal candidate is a hands-on operator who is as comfortable creating efficient schedules, leading a staff meeting, and developing work processes, as they are reconciling invoices.
This is a full-time, 12-month, exempt position.
Essential duties and responsibilities:Labor management and Scheduling- Develop, publish and communicate weekly staff schedules across all campuses, balancing coverage, labor budget and compliance with California labor law (meal and rest breaks, overtime).
- Monitor schedule adherence and document schedule deviations.
- Coordinate production and menu calendars with the Executive Chef so menus, staffing and ordering stay aligned.
- Adjust staffing in real time for callouts, school calendar changes and special events.
Events and catering operations- Plan and coordinate food and beverage catering for school events in partnership with event team and the culinary team, balancing cost and event needs.
- Prepare and distribute Banquet Event Orders (BEOs) detailing menus, headcounts, timelines, staffing, equipment and service style.
- Direct event setup, supervising service execution and breakdown, ensuring a polished guest experience and an orderly reset of facilities.
Purchasing, receiving and invoicing- Create and manage purchase orders within approved budgets and par levels.
- Oversee receiving process, including product, temperature and quantity checks; resolve shortages, substitutions, pricing discrepancies and credits with vendors.
- Process, code and approve vendor invoices; reconcile them against purchase orders and receiving records.
- Maintain productive vendor relationships, negotiate contract terms and best available prices, and support cost control through inventory accuracy and waste reduction.
Food safety, compliance and quality assurance- Implement and maintain the program's HACCP plans, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and required documentation, including temperature, cooling and receiving logs.
- Conduct routine and unannounced walk-through inspections of kitchens, service lines and storage areas, ensuring all logs are completed; document findings and assign corrective actions.
- Ensure compliance with Los Angeles County health code, allergen protocols and school safety policies; serve as a point of contact during health inspections.
- Track staff food safety certifications and training records.
Policies, procedures and communication- Write, update and enforce departmental policies, procedures and operating standards.
- Serve as a central point of communication between Dining Services, school administration, events team, faculty, vendors and staff.
- Lead weekly team meetings and share timely updates on schedules, menus, events and policy changes.
Financial results- Prepare reports and analysis on the Food Program P&L, including revenue, food cost, labor cost and operating expenses.
- Develop and manage the annual operating budget with the Executive Chef; monitor performance against budget and forecast.
- Analyze monthly and annual financial reports, provide variance explanations and recommended corrective actions.
- Track key performance indicators such as food cost percentage, labor cost percentage, meals served, retail sales and event cost.
- Identify cost-saving and revenue opportunities across dining, retail and catering.
Human resources and team leadership- Recruit, interview, hire and onboard dining services staff in partnership with Executive Chef and Human Resources.
- Manage performance evaluation process and lead ongoing coaching and constructive feedback within the culinary team.
- Administer progressive discipline, including documented warnings and, when necessary, terminations, in accordance with school policy and employment law.
- Foster a professional, respectful and accountable team culture.
Guest relations- Engage directly with students, parents, faculty and staff to gather feedback, conduct surveys, and respond to concerns, including dietary and allergen questions.
- Resolve guest complaints promptly, professionally, and use the feedback to improve service.
- Maintain a visible, approachable presence during meal periods and events.
Other- Engage in professional and personal development with a consistent commitment to growth
- Participate and initiate opportunities that demonstrate one's growth, knowledge, and skills
- Commitment to fairness and to fostering community
- Other duties as assigned to support the success of the culinary program.
QualificationsExperience- 5+ years of food service operations experience, including at least 3 years in a supervisory or management role.
- Strongly preferred: experience in one or more of the following high-volume environments:
- K-12 or university school food programs
- High-vlume corporate or workplace cafeterias
- Hspital or healthcare food service
- High-vlume retail food operations
- Culinary background, with a working knowledge of kitchen production, recipes and food costing.
- Experience planning and executing catered events, including writing BEOs.
Education and certifications- High school diploma or equivalent required; degree in Hospitality, Culinary Arts or Business preferred.
- ServSafe Food Protection Manager certification required (or ability to obtain within 30 days of hire).
- HACCP certification preferred.
- ServSafe Allergens or equivalent allergen training preferred.
- Valid CA Driving Licenses
Skills- Proven P&L management, including food and labor cost control.
- Working knowledge of HACCP principles, health code requirements and allergen management.
- Strong leadership, coaching and conflict-resolution skills, including experience with hiring and progressive discipline.
- Clear, professional written and verbal communication with staff, administrators and families.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office or Google Workspace; experience with scheduling, inventory and purchasing software.
- Highly organized, calm under pressure and able to manage multiple priorities across sites.
- Bilingual English/Spanish a plus.
Physical requirements and working conditions- Ability to stand and walk for extended periods and move between campuses during the workday.
- Ability to lift and carry up to 50 lbs.
- Work in kitchen environments with exposure to heat, cold storage, wet floors and cleaning chemicals.
- Primarily weekday hours aligned with the school calendar; some early mornings, evenings and weekends required for events.
While being vaccinated for COVID-19 is not required, it is strongly recommended.
COMPENSATION: Brentwood School's diverse and talented faculty ranges widely in experience level, from those new to teaching to veterans who are experts in their respective disciplines with 30+ years of experience. Our salary range, of $75,000 - $90,000, includes all levels of experience. Salaries are determined based on years of experience, education, full- or part-time status, and number of months worked per school year. Salary ranges do not include benefits i.e. 403b retirement matching, paid lunch and various other benefits of being a member of the Brentwood School community.
For more information about our school, please visit our website at www.bwscampus.com
Apply online.
