Chef Admin Manager for Veterans Programs & Strategic Partnerships

Seeking a CHEF for an ADMIN position:

Manager, Veteran Programs & Strategic Partnerships

This position requires a business-development mindset as well as an understanding of how professional kitchen operate. The employee must actively seek opportunities, create momentum, and produce results rather than waiting for opportunities to arrive.

This is more than a job, it is a mission.

Metropolitan Culinary Arts Institute & Gentle Gourmet

Location: Arlington, Virginia

Position Type: Full-time, hourly

Regular Schedule: Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Remote: Yes after 90 days.

Compensation and Benefits

• Maximum of 40 hours per week
• Compensation: Starting salary, with raise after 90 days.
• Monthly health insurance stipend
• Monthly transportation stipend
• 10 days of paid vacation annually after completing nine months of employment
• Annual performance bonus opportunities based on merit.
• Potential for remote work after successful completion of the first 90 days

Position Overview

Metropolitan Culinary Arts Institute is seeking a highly motivated chef or culinary professional to serve as Manager, Recruitment, Veteran Programs & Strategic Partnerships.

This is an administrative, recruitment, compliance, marketing, and business-development position designed specifically for a chef or culinary professional who understands the culinary industry and can confidently represent MCAI, Cookology Culinary School, and Gentle Gourmet.

This is not primarily a customer-facing service position. However, the successful candidate must be articulate, persuasive, professional, and comfortable speaking by phone, conducting virtual and in-person meetings, visiting institutions, developing partnerships, and representing the organization at trade shows, career fairs, military events, workforce events, and industry conferences.

The position requires an assertive, proactive, results-oriented individual. The successful candidate must be willing to initiate conversations, make calls, pursue leads, follow up consistently, ask for meetings, and build relationships without waiting for detailed direction.

This role is NOT appropriate for someone who is shy, hesitant, uncomfortable with outreach, or reluctant to take initiative.

Work Schedule and Availability

The regular work schedule is:

• Monday through Friday: 9:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
• Maximum of 40 working hours per week

The position may also require attendance at:

• Weekend trade shows
• Evening networking events
• Early-morning meetings
• Career and education fairs
• Military and veteran events
• Institutional visits
• Community outreach programs
• Industry conferences
• Employer and workforce-development events

The regular weekday schedule may be adjusted when weekend, evening, or early-morning work is required so that the employee does not exceed 40 hours in a workweek unless otherwise authorized.

During the first 90 days, the employee will be expected to work primarily on-site for training, onboarding, relationship development, and operational integration.

Following successful completion of the first 90 days, the employee may be approved for a hybrid or remote work arrangement based on performance, productivity, responsiveness, and business needs. This position will continue to require in-person meetings, institutional visits, events, trade shows, and travel.

Primary Responsibilities

Veteran Education Benefits and SCO Administration

• Coordinate veteran education-benefit administration and compliance.
• Complete all required training to become a School Certifying Official through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
• Maintain all required SCO certifications, annual training, continuing education, and compliance requirements.
• Certify and maintain veteran student enrollments through applicable VA systems.
• Submit enrollment certifications, amendments, adjustments, terminations, and other required student-status updates.
• Maintain accurate veteran student records, enrollment documents, benefit records, correspondence, and compliance files.
• Assist veteran and military-connected students with understanding enrollment procedures, required documentation, and available education benefits.
• Monitor institutional compliance with applicable VA education-benefit requirements.
• Assist with the administration of Chapter 33 Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits, Chapter 31 Veteran Readiness and Employment benefits, and other approved funding programs.
• Remain current on changing VA regulations, reporting requirements, policies, systems, and deadlines.

Workforce and State Program Compliance

• Maintain MCAI’s V3 certification and ensure all ongoing requirements are met.
• Maintain MCAI’s Virginia Works and Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act participation and compliance.
• Monitor certification, renewal, reporting, and documentation deadlines.
• Maintain accurate applications, approvals, records, reports, supporting documents, and compliance files.

Admissions and Student Recruitment

• Support the MCAI Recruiter on admissions and student-recruitment initiatives for MCAI’s Culinary Arts and Breads and Pastry Arts programs.

Institutional and Community Outreach

• Visit high schools, colleges, workforce agencies, military organizations, veteran-service organizations, community organizations, employers, and other institutions.
• Introduce MCAI’s programs to counselors, administrators, workforce representatives, transition specialists, employers, and potential referral partners.
• Build relationships with employers, workforce agencies, military organizations, educational institutions, and community partners.
• Identify and pursue community-outreach and partnership opportunities.

Strategic Partnerships and Employer Engagement

• Maintain and expand industry partnerships and employer-engagement initiatives.
• Develop relationships with restaurants, hotels, hospitality groups, food-service companies, culinary organizations, healthcare institutions, senior-living organizations, and related employers.

Gentle Gourmet Marketing and Business Development

• Assist with preparing sales presentations, product information sheets, sample materials, proposal packages, and follow-up communications.
• Support trade-show planning, registration, logistics, booth preparation, promotional materials, lead capture, and post-event follow-up.
• Attend food, healthcare, senior-living, culinary, dysphagia, nutrition, and food-service industry events.

Trade Shows, Events, and Travel

• Represent MCAI, Cookology, and Gentle Gourmet at relevant trade shows, conferences, recruiting events, career fairs, workforce events, and institutional meetings.
• Attend events that may occur on weekends, during evenings, or in the early morning.
• Assist with event registration, travel arrangements, booth setup, presentations, lead collection, and breakdown.
• Travel locally and regionally for institutional visits and business-development activities.
• Be available for occasional business travel to markets including New York City, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Compliance and Administrative Support

• Collaborate with the COO and Director of Recruitment on school initiatives.
• Maintain confidentiality when handling student, veteran, employee, financial, regulatory, or proprietary business information.

Training and Professional Development

The employee must be willing to complete training and continuing education required for the position, including:

• School Certifying Official training through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• VA compliance and annual SCO training
• V3 certification or related training
• Virginia Works and WIOA-related training

Qualifications

• Professional culinary education or significant professional culinary experience.
• Strong understanding of culinary education, commercial kitchens, hospitality, food service, or the culinary industry.
• Confident and professional telephone skills.
• Strong verbal presentation and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to speak knowledgeably and credibly with chefs, educators, employers, veterans, workforce professionals, healthcare professionals, institutional administrators, and business leaders.
• Comfortable making outbound calls and initiating conversations with unfamiliar contacts.
• Strong writing, editing, proofreading, and document-preparation skills.
• Strong organizational and follow-up skills.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines, contacts, and reporting requirements.
• Proficiency with email, Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, Canva, spreadsheets, presentation software, shared calendars, and online databases.

Required Work Style

The successful candidate must be:

• Highly proactive and self-directed
• Persistent without being unprofessional
• Comfortable initiating calls, meetings, and introductions
• Motivated by measurable outcomes
• Willing to pursue opportunities and follow through consistently
• Resourceful when information or instructions are incomplete
• Capable of identifying the next step without waiting to be told
• Comfortable representing multiple growing organizations
• Energetic, persuasive, organized, and deadline-driven
• Willing to accept feedback, training, and accountability
• Able to work independently while communicating consistently with leadership

Remote Work Eligibility

Remote work is not available during the first 90 days except when specifically authorized.

After successful completion of the first 90 days, remote or hybrid work may be approved based on:

• Successful completion of training
• Consistent performance and productivity
• Ability to work independently
• Responsiveness during scheduled hours
• Accurate and timely documentation
• Effective communication with management and staff
• Reliable completion of outreach and follow-up responsibilities
• Attendance at all required in-person meetings, events, visits, and travel

Remote work is a discretionary work arrangement and may be modified or withdrawn based on performance or operational needs.