General Manager- East Aurora School Nutrition

General Manager- East Aurora School Nutrition

Aurora, IL, USA

Requisition Number

16238

Location

East Aurora

Job Description

Food Service General Manager – Lead with Purpose in School Nutrition!School Dining Leadership

Are you a food service leader who’s passionate about people, operations, and purpose? Join our school nutrition team as a Food Service General Manager and take the lead in a mission-driven kitchen that fuels young minds and futures.

What You’ll Do:

• Inspire and lead the food service team to deliver nutritious, high-quality meals to students and staff

• Oversee all aspects of daily operations: scheduling, inventory, compliance, and food safety

• Partner with school staff to ensure meals support student health, learning, and well-being

• Ensure compliance with state and federal child nutrition program guidelines (NSLP, SBP, etc.)

• Manage budgets, staffing, vendor relationships, and performance goals

• Foster a positive, student-centered, and inclusive kitchen culture

We’re Looking For:

• 3–5 years of experience in food service management (K–12 or institutional preferred)

• Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills

• Knowledge of USDA school meal guidelines and food safety regulations

• A hands-on leader who builds strong teams and models accountability

• ServSafe certification (or ability to obtain)

Why Join Us?

• Competitive salary + performance bonus opportunities

• Family-friendly schedule – no nights or weekends

• Health, dental, and vision benefits

• Paid holidays, time off, and retirement plans

• A chance to shape a food program that supports learning, growth, and equity

About Us:

At Whitsons, we believe that every school meal is an opportunity to fuel success. As our General Manager, you’ll lead a team dedicated to serving nutritious, student-approved meals with care, efficiency, and pride. Your leadership will help create a kitchen that’s more than a workplace—it’s a hub of health, learning, and community.

Apply now and bring your leadership to the lunch line—one student, one meal at a time! At Whitsons our mission is Enhancing Life One Meal at a Time™.

The salary for this position is $90,000 per year

Requirements

Education: Bachelors degree or equivalent with concentration in food and nutrition, food servicemanagement, dietetics, family and consumer sciences, nutrition education, culinary arts,business or a related field. OR Bachelors degree or equivalent with any academic major AND a state recognizedcertificate in food and nutrition, food service management, dietetics, family andconsumer sciences, nutrition education, culinary arts, or business. OR Associates degree or equivalent with concentration in food and nutrition, food servicemanagement, dietetics, family and consumer sciences, nutrition education, culinary arts,business or a related field AND at least one year of relevant school nutrition programsexperience. OR High School diploma or GED AND at least Five (5) years experience in school nutritionprograms.

Certifications: ServSafe Mandatory– Local food safety certification if required in jurisdiction ofemployment. Must be knowledgeable of all local health and food safety ordinances.Computer Skills: Proficiency in all Microsoft Office applications is required. Must be able to communicate electronically through use of email and other similarcomputer platforms. Able to learn new programs easily and quickly.

Other Qualifications, Experience: 3 years’ experience in Food Service Management as a Manager/Director required. Minimum 1 year experience in K‐12 programs required. Strong interest in schoolnutrition program development.  Culinary background is required ‐ Must have a passion and an interest in food  Working knowledge of cooking procedures and recipe adherence and scaling.  Must have demonstrated experience developing talent and managing multiple priorities Must be able to use “critical thinking” skills in order to resolve problems or would resultin improving program overall. Ability to effectively communicate verbally, electronically and written with clients,parents, students and support staff. Must possess excellent time management and organizational skills Bilingual Spanish speaking is preferred.

Required Competencies:  Communication o Effectively write, present and transfer ideas and information for the advancement of individual and company performance.  Customer Focus o Act in the best interest of the customer, both internal and external. Innovation o Create new ideas, processes or products which when implemented lead to positive effective change.  Organization Leadership o Apply strategic thinking, prioritization and decision-making to drive results.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB:The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Team Member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the team member is frequently required Sit,walk, talk and hear Use hands and fingers to feel, handle, or operate objects, tools, or controls and reachwith hands and arms. Be standing on feet majority of the workday in addition to walking back and forth. Lift and/or move up to 40 pounds. Lifting while turning side to side is sometimesnecessary. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjustfocus.

Work Schedule

Follows School Calendar M-F This is a 12 month position

Supervisor

David B Murphy

Salary Target

$90,000