DIRECTOR, DINING SERVICES - American Leadership Academy (ALA), Mesa, AZ

Director Of Dining Services

Working as a Director of Dining Services, you will oversee dining operations for American Leadership Academy (ALA) located in Mesa, AZ. You will oversee food operations for 11 schools serving approximately 10,000 students within a larger district account that supports 24 schools and 20,000 students. Reporting directly to the Resident District Manager, and a team of 4 salaried managers, you will lead an Assistant Director and a frontline team of approximately 45 associates while ensuring successful execution of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership role requiring a strong operational presence in the schools, a commitment to food quality and service excellence, and the ability to build strong client relationships.

The ideal candidate will have experience managing large-scale K-12 food service operations, a thorough understanding of NSLP requirements, and a passion for developing teams. In addition to overseeing daily operations, you will support a growing catering program that ranges from simple meetings to high-profile events for district leaders, community stakeholders, and executive guests. Success in this role requires a leader who enjoys being in the kitchen and the units, coaching teams, driving operational performance, and delivering an exceptional dining experience for students and staff.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead, mentor, and inspire our team of 70 frontline associates.
• Drive strategic initiatives to enhance customer satisfaction and increase profitability.
• Recruit, train, and develop top talent within the organization.
• Own the annual budget and control costs optimally.
• Ensure adherence to quality, safety, and sanitation standards.
• Build strong relationships with clients, customers, and associates.
• Performs other duties as assigned to support the efficient functioning of a dining service operation.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Nutrition/Management/Hospitality/Culinary preferred or equivalent experience.
• K12 food service management experience
• Five plus years of foodservice management experience.
• Strong knowledge of high-volume food production and (catering trends) is preferred.
• Previous P&L accountability or contract-managed services experience.
• Exceptional leadership and communication skills.
• Proficiency in computer skills.

Chartwells K-12 maintains a drug-free workplace. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. Associates at Chartwells K-12 are offered many fantastic benefits including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 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, flexible spending accounts, paid parental leave, personal leave.

Certain positions may require Florida Level 2 background screening. Details: Req ID: 1555120