Senior Chef Manager: School Dining & Catering Leader

Compass Group USA; Saxtons River (VT); On-site; USD 90,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance/ AD

Disability Insurance

Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state

Commuter Benefits

Employee Assistance Program

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

Paid Parental Leave

Personal Leave

Job summary

The Senior Chef Manager will lead culinary and dining operations at Vermont Academy in Saxtons River, VT, serving ~237 students. You will oversee menu development, purchasing, inventory, budgeting, labor, and compliance, while mentoring a diverse team.

You will drive high-quality scratch cooking, sustainable sourcing, and exceptional guest experiences, including campus events and catering, partnering with school leadership to deliver nourishing meals and strong client relationships.

Qualifications

• Culinary degree or equivalent professional experience strongly preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive culinary and food service management experience, preferably within school dining or high-volume operations.
• Senior Chef Manager/Executive Chef leadership experience preferred.
• Strong understanding of P&L management, budgeting, forecasting, and contract-managed service environments.
• Proven expertise in menu development, production planning, purchasing, inventory management, and cost controls.
• Extensive knowledge of HACCP standards, food safety regulations, sanitation practices, and proper food storage procedures.
• Experience leading catering programs, events and high-profile client functions.
• Leadership, coaching, mentoring, and performance management skills.
• MS Office and POS systems proficiency.
• Excellent communication and client relationship management.
• ServSafe Certification preferred.
• Ability to lift up to 40 pounds.
• Professionalism, integrity and ethical conduct.

Responsibilities

• Lead all aspects of culinary operations, including menu planning, food production, presentation, quality assurance and sanitation.
• Oversee daily front-and-back-of-house food service operations to ensure an exceptional dining experience.
• Manage purchasing, inventory control, receiving, vendor relationships, and product quality standards.
• Ensure compliance with HACCP, food safety regulations and company policies.
• Collaborate on innovative, student-centered menus featuring seasonal, sustainable ingredients.
• Maintain full P&L accountability, including budgeting, forecasting, financial reporting, food and labor cost controls.
• Lead hiring, onboarding, scheduling, coaching, training and performance management.
• Oversee catering operations, events and campus functions with flawless execution.
• Partner with school leadership to strengthen client relationships and dining experience.

Skills

P&L management

Budgeting

Menu development

Purchasing

Inventory management

Food safety (HACCP)

Staff leadership

Catering programs

Vendor relationships

Contract-managed service

Food production

Sanitation

Microsoft Office

ServSafe certification

Education

Culinary degree

Tools

POS systems

Microsoft Excel

MS Office Suite

Job description

The Senior Chef Manager will lead culinary and dining operations at Vermont Academy in Saxtons River, VT, serving ~237 students. You will oversee menu development, purchasing, inventory, budgeting, labor, and compliance, while mentoring a diverse team.

You will drive high-quality scratch cooking, sustainable sourcing, and exceptional guest experiences, including campus events and catering, partnering with school leadership to deliver nourishing meals and strong client relationships.