Regional District Chef — School Nutrition & Menu Innovation

Southwest Foodservice Excellence, LLC; Grand Prairie (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

Southwest Foodservice Excellence, LLC is seeking a District Chef in Grand Prairie, TX to design menus, lead culinary training, and elevate K-12 school meals across a regional scope.

The District Chef will mentor cooks, ensure safety and quality, and drive cost-effective, nutritious menus for multiple schools. The role emphasizes hands-on leadership, menu development, and collaboration with cafeteria managers.

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

Leadership & team supervision

Communication skills

Food safety knowledge

Budgeting / cost control

Basic cooking techniques

Education

High school diploma or GED

Associate's degree in Culinary Arts

Bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Southwest Foodservice Excellence, LLC is seeking a District Chef in Grand Prairie, TX to design menus, lead culinary training, and elevate K-12 school meals across a regional scope.

The District Chef will mentor cooks, ensure safety and quality, and drive cost-effective, nutritious menus for multiple schools. The role emphasizes hands-on leadership, menu development, and collaboration with cafeteria managers.