General Manager

Socket.dev; Hartford (CT); On-site; USD 78,000 - 81,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Family-friendly schedule

Health, dental, vision benefits

Paid holidays & time off

Retirement plans

Job summary

Whitsons is seeking a Food Service General Manager to lead a school nutrition program with a focus on nutrition, safety, and student success.

You’ll manage operations, budgets, and a diverse team while partnering with school staff to align meals with health and learning goals. This full-time role offers growth, competitive pay, and a mission-driven work culture.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in food/nutrition, management or related field.
• Experience in school nutrition programs and leadership roles preferred.
• ServSafe or local food safety certification required or obtainable.

Responsibilities

• Inspire and lead the food service team to deliver nutritious meals.
• Oversee daily operations: scheduling, inventory, compliance, food safety.
• Partner with school staff to support student health and learning.
• Ensure USDA NSLP/SBP guidelines compliance and reporting.
• Manage budgets, staffing, vendor relations, and performance goals.
• Foster a positive, inclusive kitchen culture.

Skills

Leadership

Budgeting

Food Safety

Staff Development

USDA knowledge

ServSafe

Education

Bachelor’s degree in related field

State school nutrition director certificate or 1 year of relevant experience

Associate’s degree + 1 year relevant experience

High school diploma + 3 years relevant experience

Tools

POS systems

Scheduling software

Excel

PowerPoint

Outlook

Job description

Food Service General Manager - Lead with Purpose in School Nutrition!

School Dining Leadership

Are you a food service leader who’s passionate about people, operations, and purpose? Join our school nutrition team as a Food Service General Manager and take the lead in a mission-driven kitchen that fuels young minds and futures.

What You'll Do:

• Inspire and lead the food service team to deliver nutritious, high-quality meals to students and staff
• Oversee all aspects of daily operations: scheduling, inventory, compliance, and food safety
• Partner with school staff to ensure meals support student health, learning, and well-being
• Ensure compliance with state and federal child nutrition program guidelines (NSLP, SBP, etc.)
• Manage budgets, staffing, vendor relationships, and performance goals
• Foster a positive, student-centered, and inclusive kitchen culture

We're Looking For:

• 3-5 years of experience in food service management (K-12 or institutional preferred)
• Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills
• Knowledge of USDA school meal guidelines and food safety regulations
• A hands-on leader who builds strong teams and models accountability
• ServSafe certification (or ability to obtain)

Why Join Us?

• Competitive salary + performance bonus opportunities
• Family-friendly schedule - no nights or weekends
• Health, dental, and vision benefits
• Paid holidays, time off, and retirement plans
• A chance to shape a food program that supports learning, growth, and equity

About Us:

At Whitsons, we believe that every school meal is an opportunity to fuel success. As our General Manager, you’ll lead a team dedicated to serving nutritious, student-approved meals with care, efficiency, and pride. Your leadership will help create a kitchen that’s more than a workplace—it’s a hub of health, learning, and community.

At Whitsons our mission is Enhancing Life One Meal at a Time.

$78,000 - $81,000

Qualifications

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS ANDCOMPETENCIES:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field such as food and nutrition, food service management, dietetics, family and consumer sciences, nutrition education, culinary arts, business, or similar OR

• Bachelor’s degree in any fieldpluseither a state-recognized school nutrition director certificateorat least 1 year of relevant food service experience OR

• Associate’s degree in a related fieldplusat least 1 year of relevant food service experience OR

• High school diploma/equivalencyplusatleast 3 years of relevant food service experience

Experience

• Minimum 5-7 years of progressive experience in restaurant or food service operations

• Minimum 3-5 years of generalmanagement experience with full P&L responsibility

• 3 years’ experience in Food Service Management as a Manager/Directorrequired.

• Minimum 1 year experience in K-12 programsrequired

Certificationsand Training:

• ServSafeMandatory–Local food safety certification ifrequiredinjurisdictionof employment.Must be knowledgeable of all localhealth and food safetyordinances.

• Additionalmanagement or hospitality certifications a plus

• Yearly mandatory trainingin accordance withUSDA Professional Standards requirements as well as mandatoryWhitsonstraining requirements

Technical Proficiency

• Strong business acumen including financial analysis, budgeting, forecasting, and P&L management

• Proficiencyin POS platforms, scheduling software, and reporting tools

• Skilled in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) for business planning, analysis, and communication

• Understanding of marketing strategies, and customer relationship managementas they relate toschool nutrition dining

Other Qualifications

• Demonstrated success in driving sales growth, controlling costs, and achieving profitability targets

• Proventrack recordof building and leading high-performing teams

• Experience in multi-unit oversight or area management a plus

• Working knowledge of cooking procedures and recipe adherence and scaling

• Bi-lingual in Spanish highly desirable

Core Competencies

• Financial Acumen & Cost Management:Manages location-level budgets, P&L, and cost controls — including food cost, labor, and operating expenses — to consistently achieve financial targets and sustain profitability.

• Operational Leadership:Directs all daily operations including production, procurement, inventory, and quality control with a disciplined focus on efficiency, consistency, and brand standards.

• People Leadership & Team Development:Recruits, develops, andretainshigh-performing teams by providing clear direction, consistent coaching, and a supportive work environment aligned with company values.

• Food Safety & Regulatory Compliance:Ensures all location operations meet or exceed HACCP standards, health codes, sanitation requirements, and applicable federal, state, and local regulationsat all times.

• Guest & Client Experience:Builds and sustains strong client and guest relationships through consistent service quality, proactive communication, and a commitment to exceeding expectations.

• Sales, Marketing & Community Engagement:Executes company marketing initiatives and develops local partnerships and community relationships to grow participation, increase revenue, and strengthen brand presence.

• Quality Assurance & Continuous Improvement:Maintainsrigorous internal audit readiness, monitors quality metrics, and drives year-over-year operational improvements across food production, service, and compliance standards.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND OTHER DETAILS

Expected Hours of Work:

This is a full-time exempt position. The role requires availability during all operational hours as needed,Asan exempt position, it is expected that Team Member will devote whatever time necessary toaccomplishthe goals and responsibilities. This may require extended work hours and flexible scheduling to meet business demands.

This position is aligned with the assigned school district calendar; however, the General Manager is expected to schedule vacation and other planned time off during school closures whenever possible to minimize disruption to operations. Work schedules aredeterminedby the operational needs of the account. At locations where summer feeding programs or other summer operations are offered, the General Manager will be expected to work during the summer months asrequiredto support the needs of the business.

Travel & Onsite Expectations

80% of the workday is expected to be in schoolsobservingandsupporting the team.Some travel may berequiredfor corporate meetings, training, conferences, or multi-locationsupport. The role requires daily onsite presence at the location to manage operations and staff effectively.Travelthroughoutschooldistrict will berequired.All approved travel and related expenses will be covered by the Company. These expectations may evolve based on business needs.

Physical Demands of the Job:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the team member isfrequentlyrequired to sit, stand, walk, talk, and hear throughout the facility.The role requires extended periods of standing and walking during operational oversight.The employee must occasionally be able to lift and/or move up to50pounds. Specific vision abilitiesrequiredinclude close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The employee must be able to work in varying conditions throughout thefacilityincluding office areas and operational spaces.Work is primarily "hands on" during mealtimes with office work occurring before and after mealtimes.

Work Environment:

The work is performed in a restaurant/food serviceenvironmentincluding both office and operational areas. The work environment includes varying noise levels from moderate in offices to loud during peak operational periods, exposure to varying temperatures, and frequent interaction with staff, customers, and vendors. The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of thevarious typesof work and duties that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duty does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, or a logical assignment to the position, and the Company reserves the right to addadditionalduties ormodifyexisting duties.