Work with Food Service Managers at both the Elementary School Cafeteria and the Middle School/High School Cafeteria through hands-on training to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to assume full responsibility for the management and supervision of the food service program within a single school. Assist with the preparation of food items for breakfast and lunch services. Supervise Food Production Specialists. Communicate and have contact with principals, teachers, students, and other school staff.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS This position requires the applicant to have knowledge of food service management and quantity food production. Applicants must score a minimum of 80% on the Food Service Manager Trainee test. EXTERNAL applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent plus one year of food service management experience. INTERNAL applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent.
SKILL REQUIREMENTS This position requires the ability to follow oral and written instructions. Applicants must be able to read, write, do accurate mathematical computations, and have the mechanical skills to use and maintain complex food service equipment. Applicants must have good interpersonal skills, planning and organizational skills, and be able to demonstrate sound coaching skills. Applicants must be proficient with computers and electronic devices and be able to successfully use all.
JOB PURPOSE AND RESPONSIBILITY
This position is responsible for working with Food Service Managers in various schools through hands-on training to develop a thorough knowledge of the duties and responsibilities.
Applicant will demonstrate knowledge by assuming the responsibilities of a manager in his/her absence and may run a campus independently. Applicant maintains continuity of daily operations in a school unless infractions of regulations or safety standards are noted.
The applicant is responsible for learning how to successfully serve the district menus, supervise cafeteria employees, manage equipment, inventories, and budgets, and assure that appropriate standards of nutrition, safety, and sanitation are always met.
The applicant assists in supervising employees and performs some of the basic cooking, serving, and collection activities.
The applicant promotes department programs on campus and to the campus community. The applicant must have a reliable contact telephone number for receiving assignments and reliable transportation to travel to assignments.
The applicant contributes to the fiscal responsibility and overall quality of the operation and provides and promotes good customer service and public relations. This role will be responsible for developing and implementing innovative sustainable kitchen operations.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Works with managers in various schools through hands-on training to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to assume full responsibility for the management and supervision of the food service program within a single school.
Communicates frequently with immediate supervisor.
Assures adherence with established federal, state, and local guidelines and regulations in preparing, serving, counting, and claiming meals.
Learns to maintain all records for program accountability, including but not limited to end of day operating reports, cash receipts, deposits, prepayment balance sheets, meal planning and production records, collections, inventory, payroll and related personnel records, sanitation inspections, cost of repair and care of equipment and other aspects of cafeteria operation.
Assists with the preparation of weekly and monthly reports on these and other matters.
Ensures that all money is collected properly at every meal service, secured, and accounted for, and daily deposits are made according to policy.
Learns to and assists with planning (forecasting) and preparation of production records for district menus for all meal services based on actuals served last cycle. Learns to and assists with ordering food, supplies, and equipment necessary for complete, safe, sanitary, and quality preparation of meals. Checks incoming groceries for appropriate quantity and quality and monitors storage activity to ensure proper inventory practices. Learns to monitor and review food and operating costs against targets with immediate supervisor.
Assists with evaluation of new products, as needed, to determine possible acceptance in school.
Learns to and assists with adherence to campus productivity chart and labor allocations by maintaining work schedules for employees and making changes as necessary (absences, special events, etc.).
Prioritizes tasks to be completed in daily meal preparation. Assigns duties to employees, monitors kitchen activities and takes part in meal preparation, clean-up and other operational duties as needed to assure that quality meals are produced and served in a safe, timely manner.
Learns to monitor and review labor costs and meal equivalents per labor hour against targets with immediate supervisor.
Observes and learns how to accurately keep time.
Monitors work of food service employees to insure consistent, high quality, prompt food service and efficient use of time in meal preparation. Inspects food quantity and quality, recipe compliance, cafeteria cleanliness, and serving efficiency on a continual basis.
Learns how to coach employees on work performance, as needed.
Learns to and monitors employee performance on a daily basis, documenting improvements needed and outstanding contributions. Provides immediate suggestions for improvement and praises outstanding work. Learns to conduct midyear and annual evaluations of employee performance. Learns to provide staff development and training to prepare employees for career advancement and recommends employees for promotion.
Learns to conduct and keep records of in-depth orientation, ongoing staff training, and regular staff meetings to provide information and training on all aspects of food service operation. Emphasizes existing or new policies and procedures to employees and ensures that employees adhere to the policies. Cross-trains employees as needed to meet operational needs and increase the employees? competence level.
Follows all safety procedures and promotes safety awareness. Learns to complete and submit all paperwork for on-the job accidents in a timely manner.
Maintains sanitation standards as directed by the local governing agency and within LGISD HACCP policy. Follow up on sanitation violations as noted on Health Department Inspections.
Promotes food service programs on campus and in campus community and is a positive champion of department initiatives.
Expands healthy food access and provides education to students about nutrition, cultural foodways and the food system.
Travels to any school as assigned. Transportation is the responsibility of the trainee.
OTHER DUTIES AS ASSIGNED
Perform other related duties as assigned; however, all employees are expected to comply with lawful directives in rare situations driven by need where a team effort is required.
PHYSICAL EFFORT AND WORK ENVIRONMENT
Work is conducted inside a school cafeteria kitchen, about 98% of the time. About 2% of time is spent outdoors taking trash out and transferring food from delivery to cold storage. Applicants may travel around the district to provide management services where needed. Working conditions (varying with each kitchen) may include a congested kitchen, no windows, lack of air flow and/or air-cooling system, and high noise levels from student interaction and kitchen equipment. Most of the working day is spent standing or walking on hard surfaces; peak hours are very fast paced. Applicant may encounter slippery floors and equipment that can cause cuts, lacerations and/or burns. Heavy lifting may be required. Temperature fluctuates depending on the season and cooling system in the kitchen. Chilled and freezing temperatures will be experienced in the walk-in cooler and freezer. Institutional cleaning supplies are used daily. This position may involve rare exposure to blood or body fluids. Regular attendance is required for this position.
JOB REQUIREMENTS:
CONSTANTLY, 67-100% of the time:
Hand and finger dexterity: Ability to handle knives, operate food processor, mixer, dish machine, steamers, ovens, point of sale, maintain records, etc.)
Eye-hand coordination: Ability to utilize serving utensils, operate a point of sale
Lifting: Ability to lift a minimum of 25 pounds
Standing/Walking: Ability to stand for long periods of time on hard surfaces (concrete or tile) for at least 80% of the scheduled eight-hour workday.
Talking and Hearing: Ability to interact with customers, employees, management, school staff and administrators, communicate around workplace safety Feeling: Ability to handle both hot and cold items.
Tasting/Smelling: Ability to determine quality of both food and drink items.
Seeing: Ability to evaluate quality of food, complete paperwork, maintain a safe workplace, and handle money.
Interested persons may apply by submitting an application located on the La Grange ISD website at www.lgisd.net, Human Resources/Job Opportunities. Applicants are encouraged to include attachments such as resumes, letters of interest, transcripts, licenses, applicable certificates, etc… to their application. This posting is for the 2026-2027 school year.
