District Chef

Southwest Foodservice Excellence, Llc; West Windsor (NJ); On-site; USD 50,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

Southwest Foodservice Excellence, LLC is seeking a District Chef based at West Windsor Plainsboro Regional SD-District Office, NJ. You will design menus, lead culinary training, and elevate school meals across multiple schools in the region.

The role is hands-on leadership with a focus on nutritious, appealing meals, mentoring cooks, ensuring food safety, and meeting budget targets. 50-60 hour weeks and travel to sites may be involved.

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

Strong culinary skills

Leadership experience

Communication skills

Microsoft Office proficiency

Education

High school diploma or GED

Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts or related bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Basic computer systems

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

West Windsor Plainsboro Regional SD-District Office, West Windsor Township, NJ, US

Salary Range: $55,000.00 To $55,000.00 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 SummaryThe 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

Thank you for your interest in joining the SFE/SLA team! We’re excited to learn more about you as you explore this opportunity.