School Cafeteria Operations Manager

Hartford Public Schools; Hartford (CT); Hybrid; USD 28,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

ReNEW Schools seeks a Cook Manager to supervise food service operations across assigned schools, ensuring high standards of meal preparation, service, and inventory control. The role involves supervising staff, maintaining sanitation, and coordinating with the Field Operations Manager for daily tasks and reporting.

You will oversee kitchen operations, open/close procedures, and perform monthly to daily orders while ensuring compliance with health standards and accurate records.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• 2 years’ experience in institutional food service or closely related field.
• Comprehensive knowledge of the procedures, practices operations, and equipment required for institutional food preparation.
• Ability to organize, supervise, train, and evaluate staff.
• Ability to manage or perform the full range of tasks required to prepare, serve, and store food in a quality institutional food service unit.
• Demonstrate organizational skills and ability to meet deadlines.
• Possess ability to follow directions in English, both written and oral, to ensure safety of food preparation and services.
• Demonstrate a general knowledge of safe food handling principles as well as personal hygiene.
• Knowledge in the use of food service equipment in a safe and efficient manner.
• Competent in basic computation such as weights, measures, adding, subtracting, division, and multiplication.
• Proficient in the use of a calculator and computer.
• Demonstrate the ability to deal effectively and courteously with students, food service department staff and school personnel.

Responsibilities

• Is responsible for food preparation as determined by the menu and other program requirements.
• Supervises and directs staff, food production, facilities cleaning, meal service, and other related duties.
• Assists, as needed, in the preparation, service and cleanup of student meals, adult meals and a la carte items.
• Opens and closes the kitchen.
• Forecasts amount of food and supplies needed; prepares all monthly, weekly, and daily orders on proper forms and submits to Food Service Office in a timely manner.
• Maintains inventory using proper storage principles and records month end inventory submitting to Food Service Office in a timely manner.
• Responsible for ensuring that proper sanitary and health standards are maintained for food receiving, storage, preparation and serving including cleaning and care of all equipment and work areas.
• Trains, instructs, supervises, and evaluates staff assigned to his/her school in food preparation and service, food safety and sanitation procedures, and proper personal hygiene.
• Plans and directs daily staff work schedule and job task rotations.
• Controls quality and determines quantity of food prepared and served.
• Responsible for accurate preparation of food production records.
• Submits written records to Food Service Office as required in a timely manner.
• Responsible for bank deposit and cash reconciliation.
• Maintains good public relations with students, parents, faculty, and staff.
• Performs related work as assigned.

Job description

POSTING NUMBER:N138 - 2627

POSTING DATE: August 20, 2026

CLOSING DATE: May 31, 2027

POSITION:Cook Manager – Various Locations

REPORTS TO:FieldOperations Manager

SUPERVISES:Full and part-time food service employees working at the school he/she is assigned to.

PRIMARY FUNCTION: Supervises all aspects of the food service operation to maintain a smooth and efficiently managed meal program in his/her assigned school. Supervises and coordinates activities of workers engaged in preparing, cooking, serving, and storing of food in the school cafeteria or special functions.Prepares daily reports, orders, payroll, and inventory in an accurate and timely manner.

TYPICAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Is responsible for food preparation as determined by the menu and other program requirements.
• Supervises and directs staff, food production, facilities cleaning, meal service, and other related duties.
• Assists, as needed, in the preparation, service and cleanup of student meals, adult meals and a la carte items.
• Opens and closes the kitchen.
• Forecasts amount of food and supplies needed; prepares all monthly, weekly, and daily orders on proper forms and submits to Food Service Office in a timely manner.
• Maintains inventory using proper storage principles and records month end inventory submitting to Food Service Office in a timely manner.
• Responsible for ensuring that proper sanitary and health standards are maintained for food receiving, storage, preparation and serving including cleaning and care of all equipment and work areas.
• Trains, instructs, supervises, and evaluates staff assigned to his/her school in food preparation and service, food safety and sanitation procedures, and proper personal hygiene.
• Plans and directs daily staff work schedule and job task rotations.
• Controls quality and determines quantity of food prepared and served.
• Responsible for accurate preparation of food production records.
• Submits written records to Food Service Office as required in a timely manner.
• Responsible for bank deposit and cash reconciliation.
• Maintains good public relations with students, parents, faculty, and staff.
• Performs related work as assigned.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:

• High School Diploma or equivalent.
• 2 years’ experience in institutional food service or closely related field.
• Comprehensive knowledge of the procedures, practices operations, and equipment required for institutional food preparation.
• Ability to organize, supervise, train, and evaluate staff.
• Ability to manage or perform the full range of tasks required to prepare, serve, and store food in a quality institutional food service unit.
• Demonstrate organizational skills and ability to meet deadlines.
• Possess ability to follow directions in English, both written and oral, to ensure safety of food preparation and services.
• Demonstrate a general knowledge of safe food handling principles as well as personal hygiene.
• Knowledge in the use of food service equipment in a safe and efficient manner.
• Competent in basic computation such as weights, measures, adding, subtracting, division, and multiplication.
• Proficient in the use of a calculator and computer.
• Demonstrate the ability to deal effectively and courteously with students, food service department staff and school personnel.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: 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 accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.The individual must be able to stand for prolonged periods of time, engage in repetitive motion, and be able to lift 40 pounds. Must be able to tolerate extreme temperature changes from freezer to oven area (0-90 degrees F).

CERTIFICATION / LICENSE REQUIREMENTS: A Food Protection Certification Program.

SALARY AND TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT:10 Month Work Year. 7.0 hrs. per day. In Accordance with Local 566-AFL-CIO, Schedule 71C- Elementary, (2026-2027 $20.16- $22.44), 71D- Middle, (2026-2027 $22.81-$25.08).

EVALUATION: Successful completion of a probationary work period.After which an annual, in writing evaluation is completed by the Field Operations Manager.

UNION AFFILIATION: Local 566 of Council 4

APPLICATION PROCEDURE: To be considered, all internal and external applicants must fully complete a Hartford Public Schools’ online application, which can be accessed through our Applicant Tracking System, Nimble, at https://app.hirenimble.com/jobs/hartford. Internal applicants should use a personal email address when applying. Please do not use your hartfordschools.org email. Candidates’ application and supporting documents will be reviewed.Candidates who advance through the initial review will be notified and placed in the pool for consideration by hiring managers.Candidates will be contacted directly by hiring managers for interviews.