District Chef: Lead School Meal Programs & Training

Susd30; West Windsor (NJ); On-site; USD 50,000 - 61,000; Full time

Job summary

West Windsor Plainsboro Regional SD-District Office in West Windsor, NJ seeks a District Chef to design menus, lead culinary training, and elevate school meals across multiple sites. This hands-on leadership role blends creativity with operations and student nutrition.

Requirements include a high school diploma, an associate degree in Culinary Arts (or related bachelor’s) preferred, 3+ years in kitchen/back-of-house, food safety certification, budgeting skills, strong communication, and the

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

Culinary leadership

Menu design

Training kitchen staff

Budgeting

Food safety

Communication skills

MS Office

Education

Associate’s degree in Culinary Arts

Bachelor’s degree in related field

Tools

MS Office

Job description

West Windsor Plainsboro Regional SD-District Office in West Windsor, NJ seeks a District Chef to design menus, lead culinary training, and elevate school meals across multiple sites. This hands-on leadership role blends creativity with operations and student nutrition.

Requirements include a high school diploma, an associate degree in Culinary Arts (or related bachelor’s) preferred, 3+ years in kitchen/back-of-house, food safety certification, budgeting skills, strong communication, and the