The Executive Chef reports to the Executive Director and School Nutrition Administrator (SNA) and provides direct leadership and daily management of the school’s School Nutrition Program, including food production, staff development, customer service, ordering, and inventory control. This position supervises, coaches, and develops the School Nutrition Assistant Manager (SNAM) and School Nutrition Food Service workers to ensure exceptional service and efficient operations.
The Executive Chef serves as a role model in carrying out the school's mission and helps create a culture of teamwork, collaboration, and student-centered service.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Food Service Operations
• Prepare and serve nutritionally balanced meals that meet all federal guidelines of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
• Ensure meals are served promptly and efficiently to maximize student participation.
• Complete daily production records on-site before leaving each day.
• Maintain high standards of food quality, presentation, and portion control.
Compliance & Recordkeeping
• Maintain all required records, reports, and inventories in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, sanitation, and HACCP procedures.
• Follow all school policies and procedures related to the School Nutrition Program.
Inventory & Purchasing
• Requisition of food and supplies needed for menu production.
• Verify the cost, quality, quantity, and condition of deliveries upon receipt.
• Ensure proper dating, labeling, storage, and stock rotation of all food and supplies.
• Maintain reasonable fiscal control and accountability.
Staff Leadership & Development
• Supervise, coach, and support School Nutrition Assistant and assigned staff.
• Provide on-the-job training in equipment use, food production techniques, and sanitation standards.
• Set clear performance expectations and conduct regular coaching and growth conversations.
• Foster teamwork, professionalism, and accountability among staff members.
Customer Service & Communication
• Communicate joyfully, respectfully, and professionally with students, parents, visitors, staff, vendors, and nutrition employees.
• Promote a welcoming dining environment focused on excellent service.
• Collaborates with the School Nutrition Administrator to ensure that the School Nutrition Program is successful.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required
• ServSafe Manager Certification (must maintain active certification).
• ServSafe Proctor Certification (to be completed during first year).
• Minimum of 10 continuing education hours annually.
• Experience in food service operations, school nutrition, or institutional meal preparation.
• Supervisory or leadership experience preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• Knowledge of NSLP meal requirements and food safety regulations.
• Strong leadership and team development skills.
• Ability to manage inventory, ordering, and budget controls.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and prioritize multiple tasks.

Work Environment
• School kitchen and cafeteria setting.
• Standing for extended periods, lifting supplies, bending, and frequent movement required.
• Exposure to hot equipment, cleaning chemicals, and commercial kitchen environments.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS OR STANDARDS REQUIRED TO PERFORM ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

The physical activity of this position.

Balancing. Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling and walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. This factor is important if the amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.

Stooping. Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. This factor is important if it occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.

Kneeling. Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.

Crouching. Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.

Crawling. Moving about on hands and knees or hands and feet.

Reaching. Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.

Standing. Particularly for sustained periods of time. Approximate duration 8 hours

Walking. Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.

Pushing. Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.

Pulling. Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.

Lifting. Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position.

Fingering. Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.

Grasping. Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.

Feeling. Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.

Talking. Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.

Hearing. Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discriminations in sound.

Repetitive motion. Substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers

Physical exertion of the position.

Medium work. Medium work involves lifting no more than 50 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 25 pounds. If someone can do medium work, we determine that he or she can also do sedentary and light work.

Visual acuity requirements include color, depth perception, and field vision.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

Ability to understand and follow oral and written instructions.

Ability to exercise independent judgment and initiative in applying standards to a variety of work situations.

Ability to exercise tact and courtesy in contact with parents/guardians or students and with school personnel.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships as necessitated by work assignments.

Ability to apply basic skills in math and using computers.

Ability to complete repetitive tasks.

Ability to organize items and tasks, and possess skill in multitasking and prioritization. 

DISCLAIMER

The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees to this job.