District Chef

Southwest Foodservice Excellence, Llc; Southfield (MI); On-site; USD 70,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Southfield Public Schools invites applications for a District Chef to lead school meals across multiple sites. You will design menus, mentor kitchen staff, and drive nutrition, safety, and quality in a high-volume program.

The role requires hands-on culinary leadership, strong budgeting skills, and experience with school food service. A Bachelor's or equivalent is preferred, with a commitment to food safety and student well-being.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED (implicit baseline)
• Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts or related bachelor’s degree preferred
• 3+ years of kitchen/back-of-house experience in school food service desired
• Knowledge of budgeting and food cost control mandatory
• Food safety certification or card required within 2 weeks of hire
• Must pass background check, fingerprinting, and MVR audit
• Strong communication and teamwork abilities
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and basic computer systems

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 health department and company safety regulations
• Supervise and evaluate kitchen team members
• Submit reports as assigned and ensure timely compliance
• Support other duties to improve culinary operations

Skills

Culinary leadership

Menu planning

Budgeting & food cost control

Food safety & HACCP

Education

Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts

Bachelor’s degree in related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

District Chef

Southfield Public Schools-District Office, Southfield, MI, US

3 days ago Requisition ID: 4811

Salary Range: $70,000.00 To $75,000.00 Annually

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