Manager, Feeding Futures – Food & Nutrition

The Surrey School District respectfully acknowledges that our schools reside on the traditional, unceded, and shared territories of Coast Salish peoples: The q̓íc̓əy̓ - Katzie, the q̓ʷa:n̓ƛ̓ən̓- Kwantlen and the SEMYOME - Semiahmoo First Nations, who have been stewards of this land since time immemorial.

Surrey Schools is the largest BC school district and the second-largest employer in Surrey. Surrey Schools provides quality education to over 82,000 students with 124 schools sites and a variety of other learning facilities, offering a broad range of innovative programs and services to support the learning of our students. The Surrey School District team of approximately 13,000 employees works tirelessly every day to ensure that children are getting the best start they can, providing the preparation to be our leaders of tomorrow.

Our Commitment

Providing quality education extends beyond academic excellence; we are committed to creating and cultivating diverse, inclusive, and barrier-free environments for all applicants, employees, students, and their families.

Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion & Values

Our identity, as Surrey Schools, is expressed in the shared values of openness, fairness and belonging and recognizes the importance of diversity of identity and thought. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. We are committed to removing barriers and creating a workplace where everyone, regardless of their background, feels empowered to contribute their best.

Join us in our mission to provide the best start for children, preparing them to be the leaders of tomorrow. If you are passionate about education, diversity, and making a positive impact, we invite you to explore opportunities with Surrey Schools.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Associate Director of Food & Community Programs, The Manager, Feeding Futures will support the district in the development of procedures, processes and communication plans to ensure schools, staff, parents, and other partners delivering food services comply with legal and regulatory requirements. Additionally, they will ensure compliance with the BC Ministry of Education Guidelines for Food and Beverage Sales in BC Schools and promote understanding of the mandate, mission, and goals of the Feeding Futures Department as established by the Ministry, senior staff, and the Board at both district and department leadership levels.

Feeding Futures offer a variety of breakfast, snack and lunch program options at more than 130 sites including on-site food preparation and/or meals prepared and delivered in collaboration with external vendors. The Manager will maximize efficiencies, work as part of a team, and guide staff to achieve provision of the maximum number of meals to students with the highest quality food and presentation and maintaining detailed oversight of vendors and school based operations. The Manager will supervise various Food Services Supervisors and School Meal Program Aides at Elementary Schools. This position will work in conjunction with the Manager of Business Operations.

Responsibilities

• Develop and oversee the maintenance and adaptation of food service operations in accordance with the Food Safety Act, the Public Health Act, Food Premises Regulation, Fraser Health Food Safety, WorkSafeBC and any other applicable laws or regulations.
• Develop and launch large-scale food programs in complex environments.
• Implement Hot Lunch programs to elementary schools, including assessing and resolving challenges, with the goal to feed 10% of total enrollment in coming years, while tracking progress toward this goal and providing regular updates to the Associate Director.
• Engage with schools to identify students in need of food programs and advance the department mission of expanding and delivering lunches to students.
• Ensure school administration and clerical staff understand how Feeding Futures operates, the support that’s available and the school’s role in delivering food programs.
• Monitor, administer, and report on department operations and program budgets, tracking expenses weekly and adapting plans as needed to optimize resources and ensure programs remain on budget.
• Provide solutions and recommendations when encountering operational issues.
• Recruit, train, schedule, and evaluate unionized staff including School Meal Program Aides, Culinary Assistants, Food Service Supervisors, and Clerical staff. Create improvement plans with compliance monitoring where needed.
• Assess and adapt menus to ensure that provincial nutrition, food guide and district standards are met.
• Develop processes for emergency food delivery when meals do not arrive as planned or require service at secondary locations.
• Create appropriate menus and services, along with vendors, for children with special nutritional needs including food allergies, religious restrictions, and cultural preferences.
• Ensure meals are delivered to all schools at food-safe temperatures, with high-quality presentation and optimal nutritional value. Coordinate with vendors to improve services while reducing costs and increasing efficiency.
• Select, maintain, repair, replace, and dispose of food service equipment including domestic and commercial appliances as directed by the Associate Director and in consultation with school administration and chefs.
• Liaise with Capital Planning Office and District Facilities Management, as required, to ensure all equipment installations are completed on time and are compliant with municipal building codes, asbestos and health and safety processes, and SD36 policies/standards. Share installation, code and building requirements in relation to installations where required.
• Manage software systems (e.g., Bullfrog) for point-of-sale management in teaching kitchens, School Meal Program ordering, and reporting; train staff on system use while recommending upgrades or replacements to improve efficiency in compliance with purchasing policies and privacy rules.
  
  

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Food and Nutrition, Home Economics, Food Science or Dietetics with five (5) years’ experience of proven leadership in a large-scale, unionized work environment. Equivalent combination of education, training and experience will be considered.
• Current or in-process Food Safe Level 2 certification is required.
• Drivers License and access to a vehicle is required.
  
  

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication and presentation skills with the ability to communicate and build trust with a variety of stakeholders.
• Able to Inspire and empower teams through effective motivational strategies, fostering a culture of high engagement and achievement.
• Commitment to inclusion and belonging and building a caring and respectful workplace.
• Effective critical thinking, decision making, and problem resolution skills.
• Leadership experience with the ability to motivate and develop a team through mentorship and coaching.
• Proficiency using MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Ability to exercise tact and discretion and maintain a calm, courteous approach to sensitive interpersonal situations.
• Ability to work with others in a consultative and collaborative manner.
• Ability to work under pressure in a high volume work environment and manage competing priorities and demands.
• Acts with accountability, responsibility and transparency in the use of public funds.
• Experience in the public sector is an asset.
  
  

What We're Offering

• Comprehensive Benefits Package
• Extended Medical, Vision and Dental
• Life Insurance, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
• Employee Family Assistance Program
• Municipal Pension
• 13 Paid Holidays, plus Sick & Vacation Time
• Supportive workplace with a positive and productive work environment. Feel a sense of security and safety to act, speak, and reflect who you are.
  
  

The salary range for this position is $101,086 - $126,357 per year with comprehensive benefits package and Municipal Pension.

Placement in the salary range is determined by an assessment of qualifications and ability to meet the key requirements of the job, and consideration of internal equity comparisons. The midpoint of the range represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications, and experience for the position.

Qualified applicants can apply by clicking the "apply" button to the right of the posting. The closing date for this position is April 18, 2025 at 4:00pm.

Surrey Schools recognizes the importance of accessibility and supporting the diverse needs of our community. If there is any accommodation you may require for your interview, whether related to accessibility or otherwise, please do not hesitate to advise and we will make every effort to meet your needs.

Note: Successful applicants will be required to consent to a Criminal Records Search prior to employment. Only those applicants selected for interviews will be contacted. To all others, thank you for your interest.