Cook Manager

Hopkins-Public-Schools; Hopkins (MN); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Hopkins Public Schools is seeking a School Nutrition Operations Manager to lead and oversee food service operations across schools, ensuring nutrition standards and program integrity.

The role requires strong leadership, regulatory compliance expertise, and experience managing procurement, production, and service in a school setting. Collaboration with staff and the community is essential to promote healthy meals.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years in school food service or 5 years in related quantity food service environment.
• Minimum 3 years supervisory, leadership, management and coaching experience.
• Experience with nutrition and regulatory compliance is required.
• ServSafe Certification within the past three years; CFPM within 6 months.

Responsibilities

• Oversee SNP operations and nutrition planning to ensure program integrity.
• Maintain compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
• Lead procurement, production, service, and sanitation standards.
• Provide staff training, performance feedback, and organizational development.
• Collaborate with district and community partners to promote healthy meals.

Skills

Leadership

Supervisory experience

Organization

Communication

Microsoft Office

Nutrition knowledge

Safety/compliance

Customer service

Education

2-year degree in Culinary Arts/Business/Nutrition

4-year degree preferred

Tools

MS Office

Job description

At Hopkins Public Schools, we believe that our strength lies in the diversity of our students, staff, and community. We are a proudly inclusive E-12 district serving approximately 7,200 students across the City of Hopkins and surrounding communities. Our district represents a rich mosaic of cultures, backgrounds, identities, and lived experiences; we value and celebrate that diversity in everything we do. As an academically rigorous and human-centered district, we are committed to fostering a welcoming environment where every student and staff member feels seen, heard, and valued. There is no "typical" Hopkins student, and we embrace this truth as a catalyst for innovation, growth, and equity in learning.
We seek educators and staff who are equity-minded, culturally responsive, and deeply committed to creating inclusive spaces where all learners can thrive.
We welcome candidates who are passionate about dismantling systemic barriers, advancing justice, and preparing students to become bold, collaborative, and compassionate global citizens. When you join Hopkins Public Schools, you are not just joining a district, you are becoming part of a community that honors difference, nurtures potential, and inspires remarkable achievement in every learner, from birth through graduation.
You are welcome at Hopkins. You belong at Hopkins.

Job Summary:

The School Nutrition Operations Manager is defined as an individual designated by the District to oversee and manage the food service operations in a local school or area of service, i.e., concessions, catering, etc, having accountability relationship with the school nutrition administrators. The job functions include nutrition and menu planning; program accountability; sanitation, safety, and security; equipment use and care; procurement; food production; food acceptability; service, financial management and recordkeeping; marketing; personnel management; and professional development. The school nutrition operations manager shall partner with others in the local school, District and community to solicit support for the development of sound nutrition principles while following federal, state and local guidelines. Our programs are to provide an environment that supports healthy food habits while maintaining program integrity and customer satisfaction.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provides an atmosphere that ensures the purpose of the School Nutrition Program (SNP), and it's auxiliary services, to "safeguard the health and well-being of the nation's children.
• Ensures all food served meet current nutritional standards and meal pattern requirements, including children with special need diets.
• Maintains nutritional integrity of a variety of department programs by following District nutrition principles and USDA regulations.
• Plans and provides menus that encourage customer consumption and satisfaction.
• Establishes leadership role in providing nutrition education as part of the total school education program.

Program Accountability - 15%

• Maintains integrity and accountability through compliance with all federal, state, and local regulations.
• Ensures accountability of recorded documentation for compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
• Ensures compliance with school/school district mission and/or vision statements.

Sanitation, Safety & Security - 10%

• Provides an environment conducive to protecting the health and well-being of the school's children, staff and community through high levels of sanitation standards.
• Responds to a food hold and recall in an expedient, effective, and efficient manner.
• Provides a safe environment for performance of work.
• Provides leadership to ensure a secure work environment during an emergency or crisis.

Equipment Use & Care - 5%

• Establishes administrative responsibility for all foodservice equipment through proper use and care.
• Operates the SNP in compliance with all energy conservation principles.

Procurement - 5%

• Conducts the procurement process within the boundaries of federal, state, and local school purchasing guidelines to protect the integrity of the school nutrition programs.
• Operates the SNP to ensure that proper receiving procedures and storage techniques are followed.

Food Production - 5%

• Applies management principles to establishing and maintaining high standards of control for quality food production and distribution.
• Provides a system for preparing and maintaining records that reflect an accurate report of planned menus, food produced, and food discarded.
• Ensures the SNP credibility through daily monitoring of food production procedures.

Food Acceptability - 5%

• Maintains an operation that responds to students' food preferences.

Service - 5%

• Develops standards of excellence for providing and maintaining quality in the presentation and service of food.
• Provides leadership to ensure all program services and meals will be served in pleasant facilities and by a courteous staff.
• Operates within established guidelines for a financial management system that provides a cost- effective program of high integrity.
• Provides effective office organization and good paper management techniques to ensure all records and supporting documentation are maintained in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations and policies.
• Organizes and manages the business functions to maintain an efficient and effective organization.

Marketing - 5%

• Implements a marketing plan to create an atmosphere that attracts and pleases students, teachers, administrators, and other school support staff.
• Provides leadership that promotes the department and creates an interest in the role of the school nutrition program in the school and community.
• Manages staff according to all federal, state, and local district employment laws, policies, and regulations.
• Communicates effectively with both supervisor and other employees.
• Creates an atmosphere for employee productivity and satisfaction in the workplace.
• Implements organizational techniques to accomplish job tasks with efficiency and maximum development of human resources.
• Integrates a comprehensive training program and standards for evaluating employee performance into the overall management of the SNP.
• Provides leadership that focuses on reorganizing, understanding, valuing, and effectively managing diversity for maximum productivity.

Professional Development - 5%

• Provides leadership that sets high professional standards for the SNP and employees.
• Establishes professional status for the SNP role in the education community by acquiring the education and skills necessary for leadership and management roles.

Other - 5%

• Performs and manages job-related proficiency with the highest ethical integrity.
• Performs and manages with a commitment to promote a quality SNP that meets the nutritional needs of the customers served.
• Performs and manages with an overall nature that is committed to the goals and visions of the school district.
• Performs and manages appropriate communication skills with the customers served.

Contacts Students; parents; community members; faculty; administrators; custodial and Student Dining staff

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Minimum 3 years of successful work experience in a school food service setting required, including quantity food preparation or minimum 5 years of successful work experience in related quantity food service environment required.
• Minimum 3 years supervisory, leadership, management and coaching experience required
• Evidence of excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Must be an experienced PC user familiar with network communications and Microsoft Office software programs
• Most possess excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
• Presents a neat and well-groomed appearance
• Maintains a positive attitude
• Communicates effectively with staff
• Can safely lift up to 40 lbs.
• Handles stress; works hard; is reliable.
• Aware of 21st century student health issues and practice of nutrition education
• Membership in MSNA/SNA encouraged

Education/Certification Requirements:

• Minimum 2 year degree/certificate in Culinary Arts, Business or Nutrition required; 4 year degree in Culinary Arts, Business or Nutrition preferred
• ServSafe Certification acquired within the past three years
• Certified Food Protection Manager license within 6 months