Chef Manager - The Leffell School

Job Summary

The Chef Manager is responsible for leading both the culinary and food service operations at The Leffell School, an independent Jewish day school in Westchester County, New York, serving approximately 850 students in grades K-12. This role is responsible for delivering an exceptional dining experience while maintaining high standards of food quality, safety, hospitality, sustainability, and operational performance.

The ideal candidate is a skilled culinarian, strong people leader, and polished hospitality professional who thrives in a highly visible school environment. This individual will lead from the front, maintaining a hands-on presence in the kitchen while also serving as a trusted partner to students, parents, faculty, and school administration. Success in this role requires a balance of culinary expertise, operational excellence, financial acumen, and relationship-building skills.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead all aspects of culinary operations, including menu planning, food production, preparation, presentation, quality assurance, and sanitation.
• Maintain a hands-on presence in the kitchen, providing culinary leadership and supporting production and service as needed.
• Oversee all food service operations, including purchasing, inventory management, receiving, vendor relationships, and cost controls.
• Develop creative, student-centered menus that feature scratch cooking, seasonal ingredients, and sustainable food practices.
• Ensure compliance with all HACCP standards, health department regulations, and company food safety policies.
• Maintain accountability for food and labor costs, budgeting, forecasting, and overall financial performance.
• Lead hiring, onboarding, scheduling, training, coaching, and performance management for culinary and service team members.
• Mentor and develop associates while fostering a positive, collaborative, and high-performing team culture.
• Deliver an outstanding hospitality experience by ensuring exceptional food quality, service standards, and guest satisfaction.
• Serve as the primary dining services ambassador, building positive relationships with students, parents, faculty, school administration, and other stakeholders.
• Engage regularly with guests to gather feedback, address concerns, and continuously improve the dining program.
• Partner closely with school leadership to support special events, community functions, and campus dining initiatives.
• Maintain exceptional front- and back-of-house standards, including cleanliness, merchandising, signage, menu displays, and overall presentation.
• Oversee all administrative responsibilities, including payroll, invoicing, reporting, and month-end processes.
• Champion a culture of safety, hospitality, inclusivity, accountability, and continuous improvement.

Preferred Qualifications

• Minimum of 3 years of progressive culinary and food service management experience in contract dining, hospitality, fine dining, private clubs, education, or high-volume restaurant environments.
• Demonstrated success balancing hands-on culinary leadership with operational and administrative responsibilities.
• Strong executive presence with the ability to communicate professionally and confidently with students, parents, faculty, administrators, and clients.
• Proven experience leading client-facing or guest-focused hospitality programs.
• Expertise in menu development, production planning, inventory management, purchasing, and cost controls.
• Strong understanding of P&L management and financial accountability.
• Extensive knowledge of culinary trends, sustainable food practices, and food safety regulations.
• Experience with exhibition cooking, guest engagement, and hospitality-driven service environments preferred.
• Proven ability to recruit, develop, coach, and retain high-performing teams.
• Excellent organizational, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams).
• ServSafe Certification preferred.
• Culinary degree or equivalent professional culinary experience strongly preferred.
• Previous experience in K-12, higher education, independent schools, private clubs, or similar relationship-driven environments is highly desirable.