Director of Food Services (2025-26 School Year)

**Once your application has been approved, you will receive an email from "TalentEd" with tasks to complete. Once you have completed those tasks, your application will be received by the district. We thank you for your interest in a position at Cotopaxi Consolidated Schools.

Director of Food Services (2025-26 School Year)

Description & Details

Cotopaxi Consolidated Schools, located in School District Fremont RE-3, is currently seeking a Director of Food Services who is responsible for the overall mangement of the kitchen, including all aspects of food preparation and serving, supervision of staff, and training. Develops and promotes good community relations among various community members and school clientele. This is a full-time, or 1.0 FTE, position with benefits. This position is salaried on the classified salary scale (see website).

Responsibilities:

• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the school cafeteria and kitchen, including food preparation, service, and cleanup, ensuring compliance with health and safety regulations.
• Prepare and answer to state inspections, scheduled or unscheduled state reviews
• Order foods at bid prices, do monthly and yearly projections of USDA foods and commercial foods.
• Develop and implement nutritious and diverse menus that meet the dietary needs and preferences of students, considering any allergies or special dietary requirements.
• Manage inventory and order food supplies, ingredients, and equipment, maintaining appropriate stock levels while minimizing waste and controlling costs.
• Submit all online reimbursement claims for all meals; keep all documentation of meals according to state standards; must do all federal and state reports required.
• Responsible for ordering and receiving food orders and seeing that food/items and equipment are maintained properly
• Monitor and maintain food quality standards, ensuring that meals are prepared and served at the right temperatures and in accordance with established recipes and portion sizes.
• Train, supervise, and schedule cafeteria staff, fostering a positive and productive work environment, and ensuring excellent customer service.
• Provide regular reviews and evaluations of employees in food service.
• Implement and enforce food safety procedures, including proper handling, storage, and disposal of food items, and conduct regular inspections to maintain a clean and sanitary cafeteria environment per state and federal regulations.
• Manage the cafeteria budget, tracking expenses, analyzing financial data, and making cost-effective decisions to optimize resources and achieve financial targets.
• Stay updated on industry trends, ever-changing regulations, and best practices related to school food service, and proactively introduce ideas and improvements to enhance the overall dining experience.
• When needed, relieve cashier or cook in their absence.
• Responsible for the assignment of all duties of Food Service staff.
• Directly responsible to the Superintendent. When needed, the principal will have directives for the Director of Food Service.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Previous experience in food service management or cafeteria operations preferred
• Strong culinary skills and knowledge of food preparation techniques, menu planning, and nutrition principles
• Familiarity with dietary restrictions and allergens
• Proficiency in budgeting, cost control, and financial analysis to effectively manage resources, control expenses, and achieve financial targets.
• Familiarity with cafeteria management software, computerized ordering systems, and other technological tools used in food service operations to manage menus, inventory, and financial records.

Experience and/or Knowledge:

• Knowledge of industry best practices, including menu planning, food preparation and portioning.
• Understanding of nutrition guidelines and the ability to create and approve healthy menus that will meet federal and state requirements in a timely manner.
• Understanding of health and safety regulations related to food handling, sanitation, and hygiene.
• Knowledge of allergen management, dietary restrictions and dietary forms.
• Ability to balance spending and quality of food/items.
• Experience in supervising and leading a team, including hiring, training, scheduling, and performance management.
• Ability to foster a positive work environment, promote teamwork, and motivate staff members.
• Knowledge of procurement processes and inventory management
• Ability to communicate effectively across a broad spectrum of staff, students, parents and community, both orally and in writing required.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of information regarding students, employees and others.
• Ability to establish a supportive and compassionate relationship with all students.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with students, staff and others contacted in the course of work.
• Operating knowledge of and experience with personal computer, word processing software and basic office equipment. English language skills required.

Physical Demands With Or Without Reasonable Accommodation:

The physical demands, work environment factors, and mental functions described below 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.

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to stand; walk; sit; use hands and fingers to handle, or feel.
• The work requires the use of telephone and using fingers to operate computer or typewriter keyboards.
• The employee is continually hearing and speaking to exchange information.
• The employee is required to reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• Ability to be on feet up to eight hours every day. The work is mostly walking and standing with periods of sitting.
• Typical positions require workers to lift and carry up to 50 pounds; climb stairs, bend and crouch; reach, hold, grasp and turn objects; use fingers to operate computer or typewriter keyboards; and feel the shape, size and temperature of objects.
• The work requires the ability to speak normally, to use normal or aided vision and hearing, detect odors, identify colors, see, write, count, read, speak, analyze, alphabetize, perceive depth, operate a motor vehicle, and operate motor equipment.
• Conditions include working inside and outside, working around machines with moving parts and moving objects, working closely with others, working alone, and traveling by car, van, bus.