Director Of Area Operations - K-12 Foodservice

Southwest Foodservice Excellence is seeking an experienced K-12 Foodservice Operations Director to join their team! This candidate would be responsible for overseeing schools/districts in the Southeast region of the U.S.

Summary of Position:

Reporting to the Sr. Director of Area Operations this position must aim to maximize SFE’s growth and profitability while leading or managing company operations across multiple customer contracts and multi-site operations. Oversees and coordinates the planning, organizing, training and leadership necessary to achieve stated objectives in sales, cost management, employee retention, customer service, food quality and district client satisfaction. Must have excellent financial analysis and budget development and management skills. Also has a strong understanding of outsourced services and the ability to correlate contract terms to financial impact and budget management. This position also collaborates with other SFE departments and segments of management to establish and execute responsibilities.

Qualifications:

• Skilled in outsourced services contract management and versed at related strategic client conversations
• Strong leadership, staff management, coaching and supervisory skills
• Past experience in managing multiple customer contracts, and multi-site operations and dispirit salaried staff, with cross functional food service roles
• Previous profit and loss (P&L) accountability of at least $10-15 million in total managed volume; food and labor cost management and revenue growth.
• Proficient computer skills such as Microsoft Office programs (Outlook, Excel, Word, PowerPoint), POS systems and internet
• Bachelor’s Degree with an academic major in areas including food and nutrition, food service management, hotel restaurant management, nutrition education, culinary arts, business, or a related field.
• Strong communication; written and verbal skills and presentation abilities
• Strong knowledge of food and catering trends with a focus on K12, quality, production, sanitation, food cost controls, and presentation
• Excellent at client account management and relationship building, conflict resolution and negotiation
• Minimum of 10 years in the Food Service industry. With 3-5 years’ experience as a Food Service Director within the K-12 market (required)
• Excellent at using financial and forecasting tools, proformas and pricing models.
• Must maintain a valid driver’s license and current auto insurance
• Must pass a background check
• Ability to engage and communicate on multiple levels including senior management, client, customer and associate levels
• Excellent financial, budgetary, accounting and computational skills

Responsibilities:

• Other duties, as assigned
• The ability and dedication to train their Food Service Directors to ultimately take on newly awarded contracts or other current business, monitor and drives company bench development.
• Leads strategies to retain business up for competition including proforma and pricing plans, executive summary development and RFP process management. Also lead annual renewal activities.
• Prepare contract annual budgets, review P&L performance to budget and drive accomplishment. Ensure Food Service Directors are meeting financial expectations and food and labor cost control objectives. Make certain plans are in place and executed to get and keep assigned contracts on track financially.
• Supervises leadership of multiple customer contracts to promote effective operations and financial performance. Ensures all company and contractual obligations are met. Directs and ensures that assigned portfolio of contracts achieve revenue and profit expectations, customer satisfaction and employee development objectives.
• Conducts operational assessment of assigned contracts to ensure that operational, safety and financial performance are in line with corporate standards and policies.
• Establishes and maintains excellent, deep and wide relationships with District Administrative senior staff and Board of Trustees.
• Support sales team by participating in new business development meetings geared towards building the SFE operational solution and building the proforma.
• Ensures assigned team provides strong SFE internal customer service, such as effective communication and follow-through with all SFE support departments including Sales, CNOps, Finance, Accounting, HR, and Payroll.

We would prefer this candidate to reside in Pennsylvania (PA), Tennessee (TN), Virginia (VA) or North Carolina (NC).

Physical Demands & Work Environment

• Ability to speak, read, write and understand English and/or dominate language at the school
• Be able to work in a standing position for long periods of time (up to 5 hours)
• Ability to travel 50% of time
• Be physically able to lift, reach, bend and stoop frequently lift up to 50 pounds

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer (Gender/Minority/Veterans/Disabled) and participate with the federal E-Verify Employment Eligibility Program.