Position Summary: The Office of Food and Nutrition Services (OFNS) serves New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) students over 171 million meals annually by employing a workforce of over 8,000 employees, completing food purchases of over $170+ million annually, managing commodities totaling over $25.0M, and purchasing and maintaining related equipment and supplies. The Menu Management office oversees menu development and the supply chain for the organization, to ensure that the food we serve the students is the most nutritious, appetizing, fresh and delicious as possible.
The Student Nutrition and Engagement Specialist helps advance OFNS's mission of nourishing New York City's students by evaluating food products and supporting the development and implementation of menus that promote health, wellness and student satisfaction. This role ensures that meals meet the highest standards for nutrition, quality, safety and regulatory compliance while responding to the needs and preferences of the city's diverse student population. The selected candidate will also support implementation practices that strengthen equitable access to healthy school meals. Performs related work.
Reports to: Associate Director of Menu Management
Direct Reports: N/A
Key Relationships: Builds collaborative partnerships with directors, administrators and staff throughout the Office of Food and Nutrition Services and across NYCPS offices to support student focused meal programs and operational excellence.
Responsibilities - Supports the continuous improvement of school meal programs by monitoring product quality, compliance, vendor performance and community feedback, ensuring equitable access to high quality, culturally relevant meals that meet the needs of diverse NYCPS school communities.
- Coordinates with school communities, families, and stakeholders to gather and analyze feedback on meal programs, monitoring participation trends, satisfaction levels and community input to help ensure meal offerings are responsive to the diverse needs and preferences of NYCPS students.
- Serves as the lead contact for vendors and internal teams to review food products and ensure they meet established standards, helping deliver safe, nutritious meals that support the health and wellbeing of school communities.
- Plans and coordinates quality assurance reviews throughout the city to assess meals and menu implementation, using findings to inform continuous improvement efforts.
- Researches new food products and trends to help create menus that reflect students' tastes, support diverse cultural backgrounds and promote healthy eating.
- Stays current on federal, state, and local nutrition regulations, food labeling requirements and ingredient standards, recommending updates that strengthen meal quality and compliance.
- Helps identify and select food and beverage products that meet federal and city nutrition standards, supporting healthy meal options for students and strengthening the wellbeing of school communities.
- Supports the Associate Director in evaluating product samples in partnership with culinary teams to assess quality, consistency, preparation requirements, student appeal and suitability for school meal programs.
- Maintains complete and accurate product records and supporting documentation.
- Reviews menus and evaluates product performance to promote consistency, quality, and positive student dining experiences.
- Supports menu planning and procurement activities by assisting with bid specifications that align with menu goals and student needs, while collaborating closely with the Contracts Management unit to ensure effective and compliant processes.
- Evaluates Menu Management procedures and recommends improvements that enhance consistency, efficiency and the ability to deliver high quality, student centered meal programs across NYCPS.
Qualification Requirements: Minimum A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and two (2) years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties described above; or High school graduation or equivalent and six (6) years of experience in community work or community centered activities in an area related to the duties as described above; or Education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1" or "2" above. However, all candidates must have at least one (1) year of experience as described in "1" above. Preferred - Ability to coordinate multiple priority projects involving different functional areas of the department.
- Strong written and spoken communication skills.
- Knowledge of school meal program requirements and nutrition standards.
- Proficiency with computers and software i.e., Heartland WEBSmart, Microsoft Office 365 applications, etc.
Salary : $82,000 - $90,200
(Internal candidates who are selected for this position and who currently hold comparable or less senior positions within the DOE will not earn less than their current salary.)
Please include a resume and cover letter with your application. NOTE: The filling of all positions is subject to budget availability and/or grant funding. * New York City Residency is NOT Required * We encourage all applicants from the New York City tri-state area to apply. 
