District Chef

SFE- Southwest Foodservice Excellence; West Windsor (NJ); On-site; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Southwest Foodservice Excellence is seeking a District Chef to lead K-12 menus and nutrition-focused meal programs across multiple schools in New Jersey. You will design menus, train kitchen staff, monitor food safety, and partner with Cafeteria Managers to ensure high-quality, appealing meals for students.

The role requires hands-on leadership, budgeting awareness, and strong communication to mentor cooks and drive operational excellence in a large-school district.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts or related bachelor’s degree strongly preferred.
• 3+ years in kitchen/back-of-house; school food service experience desired.
• Knowledge of budgeting and food cost control.
• Food safety certification required.
• Background check and MVR may be required.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and cook food per standardized recipes.
• Develop new recipes using commodities and purchases.
• Lead taste tests and chef demonstrations.
• Design nutritionally balanced, cost-effective menus.
• Enter menus into the nutrition analysis program.
• Place orders while monitoring costs.
• Train staff on food safety, HACCP, and techniques.
• Collaborate with Cafeteria Managers to ensure quality.
• Follow health regulations and safety rules.
• Supervise and evaluate kitchen staff.
• Submit reports and ensure timely compliance.
• Support other duties to improve operations.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Budgeting

Food safety

Communication skills

Team leadership

Education

Associate's degree in Culinary Arts

Bachelor's degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office

Computer skills

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