School Dining Chef Manager - Lead Culinary & Sustainability

Compass Group USA; Cedar Grove (NJ); On-site; USD 75,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance/AD&D

Disability Insurance

Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Holiday Time Off

Associate Shopping Program

Health and Wellness Programs

Discount Marketplace

Identity Theft Protection

Pet Insurance

Commuter Benefits

Employee Assistance Program

FSAs

Paid Parental Leave

Personal Leave

Job summary

Flik Independent School Dining is seeking a Chef Manager to lead culinary and food service operations within a school dining program. You will oversee production, menu planning, safety, sustainability, and guest satisfaction, blending hands-on cooking with administrative duties.

The ideal candidate has 3+ years of culinary management in contract foodservice, strong P&L skills, and a passion for scratch cooking and local ingredients.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years of culinary management experience in contract foodservice.
• Strong understanding of P&L management and experience in a contract-managed service environment.
• Experience in menu development, production planning, cost control, and inventory management.
• Extensive knowledge of culinary trends, sustainability practices, and food safety regulations.
• Knowledge of exhibition cooking and interacting with guests in a customer-focused environment.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams).
• ServSafe Certification preferred.
• Culinary degree or equivalent experience strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead all aspects of culinary operations, including production, menu planning, food preparation, presentation, and sanitation.
• Run full food service operations including inventory control, ordering, receiving, and vendor relationships.
• Ensure compliance with HACCP standards, health regulations, and company food safety policies.
• Collaborate with the dining team on creative, student-centered menu development that emphasizes local, sustainable ingredients.
• Maintain P&L accountability, supervise food and labor costs, and contribute to financial reporting and forecasting.
• Lead all hiring, onboarding, scheduling, and performance management for frontline staff.
• Train, mentor, and coach culinary and service teams to uphold service standards and culinary perfection.
• Ensure attention to detail across front- and back-of-house operations including cleanliness, signage, menu displays, and pricing.
• Partner with school administration to support special events and community dining initiatives.
• Lead all aspects of administrative functions such as staff payroll, invoicing, weekly and month-end reporting.
• Champion a culture of safety, partnership, and continuous improvement across the department.

Skills

Culinary leadership

P&L management

Menu development

Cost control

Inventory management

Team leadership

Food safety

Microsoft Office

Education

Culinary degree or equivalent experience

ServSafe Certification preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Flik Independent School Dining is seeking a Chef Manager to lead culinary and food service operations within a school dining program. You will oversee production, menu planning, safety, sustainability, and guest satisfaction, blending hands-on cooking with administrative duties.

The ideal candidate has 3+ years of culinary management in contract foodservice, strong P&L skills, and a passion for scratch cooking and local ingredients.