REGIONAL CHEF - K-12 FOOD SERVICE - MO, AR, MS, LA

Compass Group USA; Little Rock (AR); On-site; USD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Vision

Life Insurance/ AD

Disability Insurance

Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Holiday Time Off

Associate Shopping Program

Health and Wellness Programs

Discount Marketplace

Identity Theft Protection

Pet Insurance

Employee Assistance Program

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

Personal Leave

Job summary

Chartwells K12 is hiring a Regional Chef to partner with district leaders to plan, implement, and support innovative culinary programs across the South Central Region (MO, AR, MS, LA, and MS). The role drives culinary excellence, menu innovation, and student engagement with strong leadership and travel up to 50%.

Ideal candidates reside in Missouri or Arkansas, with preference for those in the assigned states.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of progressive culinary experience.
• Bachelor’s degree in culinary arts preferred or equivalent professional culinary experience.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead culinary programs and standards across a region of school districts.
• Support menu and program innovation and live presentation support.
• Provide onsite and remote training, coaching, and development of key culinary personnel.
• Develop regional Culinary Innovation Council for ongoing product and program development.
• Collaborate with Operations, Marketing, Nutrition and Finance to reach business goals.
• Travel up to 50% and support new account openings and events.

Skills

Culinary leadership

Executive presence

Training & mentoring

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s in culinary arts

Tools

MS Office

Recipe management

Nutrition systems

Job description

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REGIONAL CHEF - K-12 FOOD SERVICE - MO, AR, MS, LA

Chartwells K12's goal is to make sure students leave the cafeteria happier and healthier than they came in, by serving food kids love to eat and creating custom dining programs. With more than 16,000 associates in 4,500 schools, ranging from large public institutions to small charter and private schools, Chartwells K12 is built on decades of food, education and operational experience driven by top culinary, nutrition, wellness, and sustainability talent. For more information, visit www.ChartwellsK12.com.

Job Summary

Working as a Regional Chef for Chartwells K12, you will partner with the leadership team to plan, implement, and support innovative culinary programs that positively impact the lives of countless K-12 students throughout the South Central Region, including Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. This role is responsible for driving culinary excellence, menu innovation, operational consistency, and student engagement across the assigned territory while collaborating closely with district partners and regional teams.

The Regional Chef will provide hands‑on culinary leadership, training, and support to ensure the successful execution of Chartwells K12 culinary initiatives and programs. This position requires approximately 50% travel, primarily throughout the South Central Region, with occasional travel to support other regions, attend national meetings, conferences, and company events. The ideal candidate will reside in Missouri or Arkansas; however, qualified candidates residing within any of the four states in the assigned region (Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, or Mississippi) will be considered.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and inspire best in class culinary programs and standards through communication, training and assessment of execution across a region of school districts.
• Support new business growth and retention of existing business through menu and program innovation, live presentation support and contributions to formal proposal submissions.
• Provide onsite and remote training, coaching, and development of key culinary personnel within assigned territory.
• Develop and mentor regional Culinary Innovation Council to ensure a continuous cycle of new product and program development.
• Provide onsite support for new account openings and key events within the territory.
• Orientate and on‑board new chefs and culinarians
• Collaborate and communicate effectively with a diverse regional resource team including Operations, Marketing, Nutrition and Finance to achieve business goals.
• Optimize, monitor and ensure compliance with regulatory and procurement standards, seeking opportunities for product cost or quality improvements in partnership with Purchasing and Supply Chain teams.
• Complete all required reports, logs, and quality audits in a thorough and timely manner.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in culinary arts preferred/or equivalent professional culinary experience.
• 7+ years of progressive culinary experience
• Strong executive presence
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Strong organizational, leadership, mentoring and training skills
• Strategic and analytic thinker with the ability to adapt to evolving market conditions
• Strong technical skills in MS office, recipe management and nutrition systems
• Ability to generate organic growth by building top line driven initiatives with middle and bottom‑line tactics top of mind
• A proven track record of innovation leadership and scaling for growth
• Ability to travel 50+%

Chartwells Schools is a member of Compass Group USA

Compass Group is an equal opportunity employer. At Compass, we are committed to treating all Applicants and Associates fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.

Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. Disclaimer: this job post is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all essential responsibilities, skills, tasks, or requirements associated with this position. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the position posted, the Company reserves the right to modify or change the essential functions of the job based on business necessity. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with a criminal history (including relevant driving history), in a manner consistent with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York Fair Chance Act.

Chartwells K-12 maintains a drug-free workplace.

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Associates at Chartwells K-12are offered many fantastic benefits.

• Medical
• Vision
• Life Insurance/ AD
• Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state)
• Associate Shopping Program
• Health and Wellness Programs
• Discount Marketplace
• Identity Theft Protection
• Pet Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Personal Leave

Associates may also be eligible for paid and/or unpaid time off benefits in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws.For positions in Washington State, Maryland, or to be performed Remotely, click here or copy/paste the link below for paid time off benefits information.

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Job Segment: Chef, Culinary, Food Service, Hospitality