General Manager - Downers Grove School Nutrition

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.

• 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
• Oversight of multi-site food service operations with LUNCH meals produced from two central kitchens and distributed to 11 elementary school locations. Must have satellite service experience. No breakfast service.
• Monitor participation trends, forecast meal counts, and communicate effectively between production sites and satellite schools.

• 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
• Serv Safe certification (or ability to obtain)
• Experience managing satellite meal programs within a large K–12 school district environment.
• Demonstrated knowledge of bulk food production, transportation logistics, meal holding standards, and satellite service procedures.
• Experience coordinating production schedules and delivery timelines to ensure accurate meal counts and on-time service across multiple schools.
• Ability to manage operational consistency between multiple production kitchens while maintaining USDA and state compliance standards.
• Experience supervising staff across both production and satellite serving locations.
• Knowledge of HACCP procedures, temperature control, food safety, and transportation documentation for satellite meal service.
• Experience with inventory coordination, ordering, and distribution of food and supplies to multiple district locations.
• Strong organizational and communication skills to support seamless operations between central kitchens, drivers, and elementary satellite sites.

• 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

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.

At Whitsons our mission is Enhancing Life One Meal at a Time.

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field OR
• Bachelor’s degree in any field plus a state-recognized school nutrition director certificate OR
• Bachelor’s degree in any field plus at least 2 years of relevant school nutrition program experience OR
• Associate’s degree in a related field plus at least 2 years of relevant school nutrition program experience

• Minimum 5-7 years of progressive experience in food service operations management
• Minimum 3-5 years of general management experience with full…