Assistant Director of Food Service

Assistant Director of Food Service

Westwood Public Schools is seeking a creative and experienced culinary professional to assist in leading our school nutrition program across seven schools.

Our district of about 3,000 students is known for excellence in teaching and learning and for fostering a culture of professional growth in our staff. The school nutrition program is self-funded with annual revenue of approximately $1.3 million. In addition to the high school and middle school kitchens, the program operates our satellite food programs at the four elementary schools.

Work Year: 195 days per year, aligned to the school calendar

Compensation: $65,000 to $80,000

Terms: This is a 12-month position in accordance with an individual contract

Essential Functions / Responsibilities

The Assistant Director will apply a creative approach to menu development in order to foster healthy food habits in students while maintaining operational efficiency, compliance with regulations, and customer satisfaction. The Assistant Director is responsible for lending assistance to the Director in managing all aspects of the food service program, but in particular the Assistant Director will have a special focus on recipe development that appeals to age groups PK-12 and execution of meals with locally sourced and fresh ingredients. Since the Assistant Director is heavily involved in recipe development and execution, the person will work closely with the Executive Chef.

Nutrition and Menu Planning

• Work with Executive Chef and Director to develop menus with standard recipes and portion sizes for appetizing and flavorful menu options while maintaining nutritional value and meeting all federal, state, and local guidelines
• Incorporate locally sourced, fresh ingredients and consider seasonality of fruits and vegetables when developing menu offerings
• Broaden menu to include foods that are culturally responsive, and assess customer preferences and market trends
• Ensure that menu production meets budget guidelines dictated by federal and state reimbursement and/or school district policy
• Work with families and school administration to protect and support children with dietary restrictions
• Collaborate with the Wellness Committee to assess and improve the program

Management

• Recruit and screen for hires of placement of food service staff
• Model management techniques to maintain an effective program, including goal-setting and fostering a culture whereby employees work as a team
• Provide input to the Director on employee performance and provide professional support and growth opportunities to employees; foster a learning environment in each school cafeteria
• Assess and provide feedback on the need for re-assignment, rotation, discipline, and dismissal procedures
• Assume an active role in professional organizations
• Demonstrate leadership through a code of ethics, the handling of confidential information, and day-to-day personal conduct

Customer Service

• Lead others in implementing high standards for the presentation and service of food
• Implement a district-wide customer service driven philosophy that focuses on nutrition, value, and customer satisfaction
• Independently implement problem-solving and conflict resolution techniques as needed
• Support the Director with operating a catering service for schools and for the local community on an as-needed basis in response to demand and to generate additional revenue for the program

Production and Safety

• Implement standards for food preparation and ensure that food is served in a sanitary and safe environment, including implementation of a Hazard Critical Control Point (HCCP) plan to avoid food related illness in students
• Supervise procedures that integrate employee safety into all phases of the operation
• Oversee efficient and effective food production and distribution, including protocols for employees that permit the operation to run smoothly across six buildings
• Assist the Director to implement a cost-effective procurement system per local and state law
• Implement standards for receiving, storing, and inventorying of food and non-food supplies
• Implement management information systems that increase the productivity and efficiency at point of sale, procurement, food allergy tracking, public menu sharing, etc.

Fiscal Management and Record-keeping

• Track participation goals and maintain profit and loss statements
• Identify opportunities for increasing revenue and/or reducing cost, and understand the fundamental financial drivers of the food service operation
• Seek grants and leverage supplemental funding through local, state, and federal sources
• Collect and manage Direct Certification and the Free and Reduced Price Lunch applications
• Participate and contribute in collective bargaining
• Assess kitchen equipment and facilities needs and communicate to the Director

In addition to the functions above, the candidate must perform other duties, tasks, and responsibilities as assigned by the Director of Food Service, the Superintendent, or designee.

Qualifications

Required

• Two years of experience in a school food service facility or similar workplace
• Associate's degree or an equivalent amount of educational experience in the subject of food and nutrition or culinary arts
• Strong and demonstrated experience with recipe development, planning menus, and working on a kitchen team
• Verbal and written communication skills
• Recordkeeping, math, and accounting skills
• ServeSafe Food Protection Manager Certification or 8 hours of food safety training (may be obtained within 30 days upon hire)
• Valid Driver's License

Preferred

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field
• Academic major in food and nutrition or culinary arts
• Three or more years of experience in a school food service facility or similar workplace
• Strong and demonstrated experience with recipe development and execution, with evidence of both culinary excellence and a variety of cultural offerings
• Experience supervising employees or kitchen staff
• Experience with National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
• MCPPO (Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official) certification and SNA (School Nutrition Association) membership
• Experience with point-of-sale systems, especially MOSAIC

Physical Requirements

• Work is generally performed indoors
• Significant travel expected whenever school is open between school buildings
• Requires frequent operation of computers and similar technology for tracking of financials and for communication and reports
• Work is often performed in kitchens with moderate levels of noise and requires ability to deliver instructions and communicate with a variety of employees and stakeholders
• Work requires dexterity and agility to navigate and use kitchen equipment used in institutional food service
• Occasionally may require standing, walking, sitting, bending, and reaching, as well as carrying and potentially lifting up to 30 pounds
• Work requires sustained focus and discretion and errors could result in financial loss and damage to buildings or risk to safety of students or employees

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The Westwood Public Schools is committed to ensuring that applicants are recruited, hired, and promoted on the basis of qualifications, merit and ability to meet the job demands without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status.