Executive Chef & Director of Nutrition

Heartwood Community School; Ridgeland (SC); Hybrid; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Heartwood Community School is seeking an Executive Chef & Director of Nutrition to lead our Nutrition Services program, develop nutritious menus, and ensure compliance with NSLP and state requirements. You will manage kitchen operations, staff, and food safety, while collaborating with nursing and administrative teams to support student health and success.

The role emphasizes culinary leadership, scratch cooking, and optimizing meal service in a school setting, balancing quality, cost, and

Responsibilities

• Lead the overall culinary vision and daily operations of Heartwood Community School's Nutrition Services program.
• Develop nutritious, age-appropriate, culturally responsive, and student-appealing menus that align with USDA school nutrition standards and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
• Develop and maintain standardized recipes, production procedures, portion standards, and food preparation practices.
• Ensure menus meet required meal patterns, nutritional standards, and program requirements.
• Monitor food quality, taste, presentation, portion control, freshness, and consistency.
• Stay current on nutrition, culinary, food safety, and school nutrition trends and incorporate appropriate innovations into the program.
• Work collaboratively with the school nurse to address documented student allergies, intolerances, and dietary restrictions.
• Support Heartwood's commitment to scratch cooking and the use of fresh, wholesome ingredients whenever operationally and financially appropriate.
• Oversee all daily Nutrition Services operations, including breakfast, lunch, meal preparation, service, and kitchen closeout.
• Establish and maintain efficient kitchen workflows that support timely and consistent meal production.
• Ensure appropriate staffing, scheduling, training, and delegation of daily kitchen responsibilities.
• Supervise, coach, and evaluate Nutrition Services staff and foster a professional, collaborative, and accountable team culture.
• Provide direct leadership and support during high-volume meal preparation and service periods.
• Ensure family-style meal service is executed in a manner that is safe, efficient, welcoming, and aligned with Heartwood's educational philosophy.
• Maintain full compliance with USDA, NSLP, South Carolina Department of Education, local health department, HACCP, ServSafe, and Heartwood Community School requirements.
• Ensure required production records, temperature logs, sanitation records, meal counts, and other Nutrition Services documentation are accurate and complete.
• Establish and enforce food safety, sanitation, allergen management, and safe food handling procedures.
• Conduct regular internal compliance and safety checks and promptly address deficiencies.

Job description

At Heartwood Community School, we believe that providing nutritious, nourishing meals for our students is foundational to their success. We view the health and well-being of our students holistically, and nutrition plays an integral role in helping every child thrive. Our students dine together family-style, making mealtime an important part of our school community and an opportunity for students to develop healthy habits, build relationships, and learn the value of contributing to a shared environment.

As the Executive Chef & Director of Nutrition, you will provide strategic and operational leadership for Heartwood's Nutrition Services program. You will lead our culinary program, develop and execute nutritious, age-appropriate menus, oversee kitchen operations and staff, and ensure that our meal program meets applicable USDA, National School Lunch Program (NSLP), food safety, health department, and school requirements.

Working collaboratively with the School Services and administrative teams, school nurse, faculty, vendors, and families as appropriate, you will ensure that students receive safe, nutritious, appealing meals that accommodate documented dietary needs and support their ability to thrive in school and beyond.

This role is ideal for a self-motivated and experienced culinary leader who is deeply passionate about nutrition and children's health, strives for excellence, and understands that a successful school nutrition program requires both culinary creativity and disciplined operational management.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Culinary & Nutrition Program Leadership

• Lead the overall culinary vision and daily operations of Heartwood Community School's Nutrition Services program.
• Develop nutritious, age-appropriate, culturally responsive, and student-appealing menus that align with USDA school nutrition standards and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
• Develop and maintain standardized recipes, production procedures, portion standards, and food preparation practices.
• Ensure menus meet required meal patterns, nutritional standards, and program requirements.
• Monitor food quality, taste, presentation, portion control, freshness, and consistency.
• Stay current on nutrition, culinary, food safety, and school nutrition trends and incorporate appropriate innovations into the program.
• Work collaboratively with the school nurse to address documented student allergies, intolerances, and dietary restrictions.
• Support Heartwood's commitment to scratch cooking and the use of fresh, wholesome ingredients whenever operationally and financially appropriate.

Nutrition Services Operations

• Oversee all daily Nutrition Services operations, including breakfast, lunch, meal preparation, service, and kitchen closeout.
• Establish and maintain efficient kitchen workflows that support timely and consistent meal production.
• Ensure appropriate staffing, scheduling, training, and delegation of daily kitchen responsibilities.
• Supervise, coach, and evaluate Nutrition Services staff and foster a professional, collaborative, and accountable team culture.
• Provide direct leadership and support during high-volume meal preparation and service periods.
• Ensure family-style meal service is executed in a manner that is safe, efficient, welcoming, and aligned with Heartwood's educational philosophy.

Compliance, Food Safety & Risk Management

• Maintain full compliance with USDA, NSLP, South Carolina Department of Education, local health department, HACCP, ServSafe, and Heartwood Community School requirements.
• Ensure required production records, temperature logs, sanitation records, meal counts, and other Nutrition Services documentation are accurate and complete.
• Establish and enforce food safety, sanitation, allergen management, and safe food handling procedures.
• Conduct regular internal compliance and safety checks and promptly address deficiencies.