Specialist, Operations

Full-Time, Remote, Limited Service until August 2027

The Specialist of Operations provides technical expertise and program support to help school districts strengthen food service operations and expand sustainable, scratch-cooked meal programs.

Founded in 2009, the Chef Ann Foundation (CAF) believes that all children should have equal access to fresh, healthy, delicious food providing them the foundation to thrive and meet their true potential. We ensure that school food professionals have the resources, funding and support they need to provide cook-from-scratch meals that support the health of children and our planet. To date, we’ve reached over 19,000 schools and over 5.9 million children in all 50 states with our school food programming.

The Specialist of Operations supports school districts in transitioning to and expanding scratch-cooked meal programs through technical assistance, training, and program implementation. Reporting to the Senior Specialist of Operations, this position collaborates with internal teams, school food professionals, and external partners to improve operational practices and support sustainable solutions. The Specialist provides onsite and virtual assistance across five key areas of school food operations: food, finance, facilities, human resources, and marketing.

• Provides technical and operational guidance regarding USDA regulations, procurement, and school food operations;
• Provides onsite and virtual technical assistance to school districts, supporting scratch-cooked meal programs and sustainable practices across CAF's five key areas of school food operations: food, finance, facilities, human resources, and marketing;
• Reviews operational content associated with district work and provides feedback and recommendations to guide technical assistance;
• Attends meetings as needed with funders and stakeholders to answer operational questions;
• Supports food service directors with the educational components across a broad portfolio of programs and grant-funded initiatives, focusing on improving school food operations through scratch cooking and sustainable practices.

• Assists in developing district assessment reports to inform technical assistance and operational improvements;
• Provides on-site training including, but not limited to, scratch cooking, recipe development, and local procurement for districts;
• Assists in developing and maintaining relationships with prospective, new, and existing partner districts;
• Represents CAF in trade-based channels, conferences, and collaboratives;
• Collaborates with the Operations team to complete implementation activities with partner districts;
• Ensures that the districts stay engaged and are moving through key program milestones;
• Leads and/or participates in virtual learning sessions and other CAF professional development programs;
• Coordinates schedules, travel, and district outreach strategy with the Operations team;
• Works with the districts and CAF Marketing Team to highlight program results in districts’ communities and nationally;
• Develops and delivers presentations for webinars, conferences, and other public speaking opportunities focused on school food operations;
• Supports the effective implementation of CAF initiatives, ensuring alignment with organizational standards and a commitment to high‑quality, results‑driven programming;
• Stays current on emerging trends, developments, and regulations influencing school food operations nationwide and incorporating relevant knowledge into programming.

Other duties as assigned within the scope of this position

• Four (4) years of college or equivalent advanced…