Chef Manager: Lead School Nutrition & Fresh Menus

Whitsons Culinary Group; Middletown (NJ); Hybrid; USD 55,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Whitsons Culinary Group seeks a Chef Manager for Middletown School Nutrition to lead daily kitchen operations, supervise staff, and design nutritious, USDA-compliant menus for students. You will manage production records, budgets, and vendor orders while fostering a collaborative, accountable kitchen culture.

The role requires 3+ years of culinary management in high-volume settings, strong leadership, and ServSafe certification, with a focus on scratch cooking and batch preparation.

Qualifications

• College or culinary degree from an accredited institution preferred; Food Management Professional (FMP) certification preferred; equivalent combination of culinary training and progressive kitchen management experience will be considered.
• Minimum 3-5 years of high-volume food service management experience; K-12 or contract food service experience strongly preferred.
• ServSafe certification required; local food safety certification required; OSHA certification preferred; must complete all Company-sponsored training requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily kitchen operations to deliver healthy, high-quality meals to students and staff
• Supervise and train kitchen team members to ensure culinary excellence and efficiency
• Create menus that are nutritious, kid-friendly, and compliant with USDA school nutrition guidelines
• Maintain food safety, sanitation, and inventory controls in alignment with health regulations
• Collaborate with school administrators and nutrition staff to support student well-being
• Manage production records, vendor orders, and kitchen budgets
• Foster a welcoming and inclusive kitchen culture focused on teamwork and accountability
• Strong cooking skills with a focus on scratch preparation and batch cooking
• Knowledge of USDA school meal requirements, production planning, and food safety standards
• A proactive leader who inspires teams and delivers results

Skills

Leadership

Culinary management

Mentoring

Food safety

USDA guidelines

Batch cooking

Communications

Proactive leadership

Education

College or culinary degree

FMP certification preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Whitsons Culinary Group seeks a Chef Manager for Middletown School Nutrition to lead daily kitchen operations, supervise staff, and design nutritious, USDA-compliant menus for students. You will manage production records, budgets, and vendor orders while fostering a collaborative, accountable kitchen culture.

The role requires 3+ years of culinary management in high-volume settings, strong leadership, and ServSafe certification, with a focus on scratch cooking and batch preparation.