District Chef

SFE- Southwest Foodservice Excellence; Jennings (MO); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

SFE- Southwest Foodservice Excellence is seeking a District Chef to lead school meal programs across multiple campuses. You will design menus, train kitchen staff, and ensure nutritious, budget-conscious meals that delight students.

You'll manage recipes, oversee production, and uphold food safety standards while collaborating with Cafeteria Managers and district staff to elevate the dining experience in K-12 settings.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts or related bachelor’s degree strongly preferred.
• 3+ years of experience in kitchen/back-of-house operations.
• Prior school food service experience strongly desired.
• Knowledge of budgeting and food cost control required.
• Strong culinary skills with hands-on leadership experience.
• Food safety certification (or food handler’s card within 2 weeks of hire) required.
• Must be able to pass a background check, fingerprinting, and MVR audit.
• Clear, professional communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and basic computer systems.
• Must be respectful, inclusive, and able to work with diverse communities.
• Basic cooking and cleaning abilities required.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook food according to standardized recipes and production records
• Create new recipes using commodity and purchased ingredients
• Conduct taste tests and chef demonstrations with students and staff
• Design cost‑effective, appealing, and nutritionally balanced student menus
• Enter menus into the nutritional analysis program
• Place food and supply orders while monitoring cost control
• Train kitchen staff on food safety, HACCP, cooking techniques, and presentation
• Collaborate with Cafeteria Managers to ensure meal quality
• Follow all local health department and company safety regulations
• Supervise and evaluate kitchen team members
• Submit reports as assigned and ensure timely compliance
• Support other duties as assigned to improve culinary operations

Skills

Leadership

Budgeting

Food cost control

Culinary skills

Communication

Microsoft Office

Food safety

Training

Education

High school diploma

Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts

Bachelor's degree in related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Bring Flavor to the Frontlines ? Become a District Chef in K-12 Food Service! Are you a passionate chef who wants to inspire teams and create meals that truly matter? As a District Chef, you?ll design menus, lead culinary training, and elevate school food across an entire region. This role blends creativity with impact, giving you the chance to mentor cooks, shape food programs, and bring bold, nutritious flavors to students every day.

Position Summary

The District Chef plays a critical role in the planning and execution of school meal programs. This includes creating balanced menus, developing recipes, ensuring food safety standards, and training kitchen teams. The position serves as a hands‑on leader, helping maintain high culinary standards while supporting operations across multiple schools.

Key Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook food according to standardized recipes and production records
• Create new recipes using commodity and purchased ingredients
• Conduct taste tests and chef demonstrations with students and staff
• Design cost‑effective, appealing, and nutritionally balanced student menus
• Enter menus into the nutritional analysis program
• Place food and supply orders while monitoring cost control
• Train kitchen staff on food safety, HACCP, cooking techniques, and presentation
• Collaborate with Cafeteria Managers to ensure meal quality
• Follow all local health department and company safety regulations
• Supervise and evaluate kitchen team members
• Submit reports as assigned and ensure timely compliance
• Support other duties as assigned to improve culinary operations

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required
• Associate?s degree in Culinary Arts or related bachelor?s degree strongly preferred
• 3+ years of experience in kitchen/back‑of‑house operations
• Prior school food service experience strongly desired
• Knowledge of budgeting and food cost control required
• Strong culinary skills with hands‑on leadership experience
• Food safety certification (or food handler?s card within 2 weeks of hire) required
• Must be able to pass a background check, fingerprinting, and MVR audit
• Clear, professional communication skills
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and basic computer systems
• Must be respectful, inclusive, and able to work with diverse communities
• Basic cooking and cleaning abilities required

Physical & Work Environment Requirements

Must be able to stand for long periods (up to 5 hours). Regular bending, lifting (up to 50 lbs), reaching, and moving required. Regularly uses hands and must be able to hear and communicate clearly. Must be able to work a full‑time schedule, occasionally including 6?7 day workweeks. Typical workweek is 50?60 hours. Moderate noise levels; computer and phone use required. Travel to schools and company meetings may be required.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, Gender/Minority/Veterans/Disabled and participates with E-Verify Employment Eligibility Program.