Middle/High School Kitchen Manager-2026-27 School Year

South Newton School Corporation; Indiana (PA); On-site; USD 28,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

The Head Cook at South Newton School Corporation collaborates with the Food Service Director to ensure continuity and quality in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs across school cafeterias. Responsibilities include preparing and serving meals, verifying food quality, and ensuring sanitary facilities while guiding staff in daily duties.

Candidates should have a high school diploma or equivalent and knowledge of food safety and sanitation.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of food handling procedures and sanitation.
• Experience in a school lunch program or similar food service environment.
• Ability to follow recipes and production records.

Responsibilities

• Inform Food Service Director of attendance or personnel problems.
• Ensure proper attire and personal hygiene for staff per safety regulations.
• Brief substitute cooks on duties and responsibilities.
• Communicate important information to staff via meetings or postings.
• Maintain clean, safe, and sanitary facilities; report maintenance needs.
• Assist in equipment use and maintenance as needed.
• Submit non-food supply requests; manage food orders weekly.

Skills

Food safety procedures

Kitchen equipment knowledge

Food preparation

Education

High School Diploma or equivalent

Job description

Applications will be accepted beginning: Friday, July 10, 2026 12:00 AM (Central Standard Time)

South Newton School Corporation

Job Description

Department: Food Service Department

Reports To: Food Service Director

Summary:

The Head Cook communicates and coordinates with the Food Service Director to establish and maintain continuity and quality in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Programs within the elementary and high school cafeterias. The Head Cook has specific responsibilities for preparing and serving food items to students and school personnel; verifying quality of food and supplies; maintaining facilities in a safe and sanitary condition and guiding assigned personal in the performance of their job functions.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Inform Food Service Director of any attendance or personnel problems.
• See that personnel maintain proper attire & personal hygiene as related to food safety regulations.
• Inform substitute cooks of required duties.
• Assist Food Service Director in communicating important information to staff in regard to food service via meetings, postings, etc.
• Maintain facilities that are clean and in good repair, reporting any special janitorial services required.
• Aid staff in proper use of equipment and alert Food Service Director of any equipment maintenance needed.
• Submit requests for any non-food supplies needed, if not otherwise indicated on cook’s orders.
• Monitor and record weekly temperatures of refrigerator/freezer units and daily food temperatures during preparation and service.
• Complete production records; collect, record, and report quantities used, amounts produced, amounts left over and meal counts accurately in compliance with government regulations. Store records in office area.
• Oversee the preparation, cooking, and serving of food and beverage items for the purpose of meeting the projected meal quantities and mandated nutritional and health standards of the National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs.
• Monitor point of sale to ensure students are choosing appropriate meal components in compliance with the National School Lunch Program.
• Inventory food and supplies for the purpose of ensuring availability of items required for projected menus and assisting in minimizing waste of food items.
• Submit invoices and time sheets to Food Service Director.
• Submit food orders weekly to Food Service Director.
• Oversee cashiers ensuring that proper procedures are followed when closing down lunch line. Line reports and bank statements should be run daily.
• Monitor kitchen and cafeteria areas for the purpose of ensuring a safe and sanitary working environment.
• Additional duties may be assigned.

Qualification Requirements:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Should possess working knowledge of food handling procedures, preparation, production, standard kitchen equipment, food safety and sanitation.

Education and/or Experience:

• High School Diploma or equivalent preferred.

Language Skills:

• Ability to read, understand and speak basic English to perform essential functions of the job.
• Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence and memos.
• Ability to write simple correspondence.
• Ability to effectively present information in one-to-one and small group situations.

Mathematical Skills:

• Ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
• Ability to compute recipe conversions, purchases vs. served, and pan yields.

Reasoning Ability:

• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written or oral form.
• Ability to deal with problems involving only a few known variables in routine situations.

Physical Demands:

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

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand continuously for long periods of time, use hands to grasp objects, tools or controls; and reach with hands and arms. The employee may frequently lift and/or move objects weighing at least 40-60 pound items. The employee is frequently required to talk, hear, taste, and smell; and occasionally required to stoop, kneel, or crouch. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision such as to read handwritten or typed material, and the ability to adjust focus.

The environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

The employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions and extreme heat. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Certification, License, Registrations:

High School Diploma or equivalent preferred

South Newton School Corp
13232 S. 50 E.
Kentland, IN 47951
219-474-5184
219-474-6966
[e-mail]