Entry Level Food Service Manager Jobs
New grad food service manager jobs welcome recent graduates and entry level candidates with zero to two years of experience, where a strong internship or hands-on kitchen background can carry more weight than a lengthy resume. Most openings are on-site roles across Food & Beverage, Healthcare & Medical Services, and Retail, with employers like Target, Sodexo, and Aramark hiring at this level now.
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Showing 5 of 20+ Entry Level Food Service Manager jobs
Description
Role Mission: The Food Service Specialist ensures that appropriate quantities of food are prepared, portioned, and served to IDEA students. Other responsibilities include but are not limited to: cutting/chopping fruits & vegetables, following recipes, adhering to established kitchen processes, monitoring of students during meal periods (i.e. monitoring for appropriate behavior, encouraging students to consume more fresh fruits & vegetables, no sharing of food, etc.) and kitchen cleaning duties (sweeping, mopping, wiping tables, washing dishes, disposing of trash).
Compensation
Compensation for this role is set at an hourly rate ranging between $16.22 for 0 years of experience and $18.66. This role is also eligible for a performance bonus based on team performance and goal attainment.
Other Benefits
We offer a comprehensive benefits plan, covering the majority of the employee premium for the base medical plan and subsidizing the majority of costs for a spouse/domestic partner and children. Some of the special benefits we offer at IDEA include:
- Paid Family Leave: Eligible staff may receive up to 8 weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child, based on their tenure with the organization and caregiver designation.
- Tuition Reimbursement: Staff members may apply for up to 50% of tuition paid toward a qualifying degree program, up to $5,250 maximum per year subject to manager discretion and budget availability.
- Employer-Paid Mental/Behavioral Health: 5 face-to-face counseling sessions within a year, unlimited 24/7 telephonic counseling, and other work-life services available at no cost.
Other benefits include dental and vision plans, disability, life insurance, parenting benefits, generous vacation time, referral bonuses and professional development. IDEA may offer a relocation allowance to defray the cost of moving for this role, if applicable.
What You Bring -- Competencies
- Ability to understand food recipes, safe handling of food and sanitation practices.
- Working knowledge of kitchen/food production procedures.
- Ability to operate kitchen equipment, tools, and utensils.
- Ability to perform basic math skill.
- Works well under pressure in a team setting.
- Ability to lift, bend, pull, push, twist.
Qualifications
Education: High School Diploma Preferred but Not Required
Experience: 1+ years of experience in a job that shows physical activity or requires you to be on your feet for multiple hours a day is required. This role will require the moving of cafeteria tables daily (due to a shared cafeteria/gymnasium space) and disposal of garbage.
License or Certification: Food Handler’s Permit (City of County) preferred.
What You’ll Do – Accountabilities
- Possess an interest or passion for working with food.
- Has a basic knowledge or can quickly learn of food production processes.
- It all in one job—cooking, cleaning, restocking and resetting the kitchen for next day.
- Can meet the physical demands of the job (lifting, bending, walking, etc.).
- Has a basic knowledge of providing service to our customers (students).
- Understand how to read and execute recipes.
- Must be able to handle working with medium to large equipment (i.e. ovens, slicer, steamer, etc.).
- Have basic math skills that directly relate to portioning food items in small trays.
- Takes pride in food that is prepared and served to the students.
- Can take direction and feedback well.
- Things can change fast, must be able to adapt quickly in being switched from serving food to washing dishes.
- Can take feedback well, especially during mid-year and end of year.
- Can self-reflect and be honest with own performance, desire to correct mistakes quickly.
- Can work around or with an academic calendar.
- Extended periods of time where there is not work (i.e. Spring Break, Summer Break, Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break).
- During regular school days, 8 hours per day. Some overtime needed.
- Depending on the campus, may need to work on Saturdays.
We look for Team and Family who embody the following values and characteristics:
- Believes and is committed to our mission and being an agent of change: that all students are capable of getting to and through college.
- Has demonstrated effective outcomes and results, and wants to be held accountable for them.
- Has a propensity for action, willing to make mistakes by doing in order to learn and improve quickly.
- Works with urgency and purpose to drive student outcomes.
- Thrives in an entrepreneurial, high-growth environment; is comfortable with ambiguity and change.
- Seeks and responds well to feedback, which is shared often and freely across all levels of the organization.
- Works through silos and forges strong cross-departmental relationships in order to achieve outcomes.
We believe in education as a profession and hold ourselves to high level of conduct, professionalism and behaviors as models for our colleagues and students.
About IDEA Public Schools
At IDEA Public Schools, we believe each and every child can go to college. Since 2000, IDEA Public Schools has grown from a small school with 150 students to a multi-state network of tuition-free, Pre-K-12 public charter schools. IDEA Public Schools boasts national rankings on The Washington Post and U.S. News & World Report’s top high schools lists. IDEA serves over 80,000 college-bound students in 143 schools across Texas, Florida, Ohio, and is on-track to maintain its legacy of sending 100% of its graduates to college. When you choose to work at IDEA, you are part of our IDEA Team and Family. You will work alongside team members who set and reach ambitious goals every day, are excited to continue to grow with IDEA, and work relentlessly to make college for all a reality. At IDEA the Staff Culture and Belonging Team uses our Core Values to promote human connection and a culture of integrity, respect, and belonging for all Team and Family members.
To Apply
Please submit your application online through Jobvite. It’s in your best interest to apply as soon as possible.
IDEA Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability, in admission or access to, or treatment of employment in its programs and activities. Any person having inquiries concerning the organization's compliance with the regulations implementing Title VI of Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), or Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), may contact IDEA Human Resources at (956) 377-8000.
Description
Role Mission: The Food Service Specialist ensures that appropriate quantities of food are prepared, portioned, and served to IDEA students. Other responsibilities include but are not limited to: cutting/chopping fruits & vegetables, following recipes, adhering to established kitchen processes, monitoring of students during meal periods (i.e. monitoring for appropriate behavior, encouraging students to consume more fresh fruits & vegetables, no sharing of food, etc.) and kitchen cleaning duties (sweeping, mopping, wiping tables, washing dishes, disposing of trash).
Compensation
Compensation for this role is set at an hourly rate ranging between $16.22 for 0 years of experience and $18.66. This role is also eligible for a performance bonus based on team performance and goal attainment.
Other Benefits
We offer a comprehensive benefits plan, covering the majority of the employee premium for the base medical plan and subsidizing the majority of costs for a spouse/domestic partner and children. Some of the special benefits we offer at IDEA include:
- Paid Family Leave: Eligible staff may receive up to 8 weeks of paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child, based on their tenure with the organization and caregiver designation.
- Tuition Reimbursement: Staff members may apply for up to 50% of tuition paid toward a qualifying degree program, up to $5,250 maximum per year subject to manager discretion and budget availability.
- Employer-Paid Mental/Behavioral Health: 5 face-to-face counseling sessions within a year, unlimited 24/7 telephonic counseling, and other work-life services available at no cost.
Other benefits include dental and vision plans, disability, life insurance, parenting benefits, generous vacation time, referral bonuses and professional development. IDEA may offer a relocation allowance to defray the cost of moving for this role, if applicable.
What You Bring -- Competencies
- Ability to understand food recipes, safe handling of food and sanitation practices.
- Working knowledge of kitchen/food production procedures.
- Ability to operate kitchen equipment, tools, and utensils.
- Ability to perform basic math skill.
- Works well under pressure in a team setting.
- Ability to lift, bend, pull, push, twist.
Qualifications
Education: High School Diploma Preferred but Not Required
Experience: 1+ years of experience in a job that shows physical activity or requires you to be on your feet for multiple hours a day is required. This role will require the moving of cafeteria tables daily (due to a shared cafeteria/gymnasium space) and disposal of garbage.
License or Certification: Food Handler’s Permit (City of County) preferred.
What You’ll Do – Accountabilities
- Possess an interest or passion for working with food.
- Has a basic knowledge or can quickly learn of food production processes.
- It all in one job—cooking, cleaning, restocking and resetting the kitchen for next day.
- Can meet the physical demands of the job (lifting, bending, walking, etc.).
- Has a basic knowledge of providing service to our customers (students).
- Understand how to read and execute recipes.
- Must be able to handle working with medium to large equipment (i.e. ovens, slicer, steamer, etc.).
- Have basic math skills that directly relate to portioning food items in small trays.
- Takes pride in food that is prepared and served to the students.
- Can take direction and feedback well.
- Things can change fast, must be able to adapt quickly in being switched from serving food to washing dishes.
- Can take feedback well, especially during mid-year and end of year.
- Can self-reflect and be honest with own performance, desire to correct mistakes quickly.
- Can work around or with an academic calendar.
- Extended periods of time where there is not work (i.e. Spring Break, Summer Break, Thanksgiving Break, Winter Break).
- During regular school days, 8 hours per day. Some overtime needed.
- Depending on the campus, may need to work on Saturdays.
We look for Team and Family who embody the following values and characteristics:
- Believes and is committed to our mission and being an agent of change: that all students are capable of getting to and through college.
- Has demonstrated effective outcomes and results, and wants to be held accountable for them.
- Has a propensity for action, willing to make mistakes by doing in order to learn and improve quickly.
- Works with urgency and purpose to drive student outcomes.
- Thrives in an entrepreneurial, high-growth environment; is comfortable with ambiguity and change.
- Seeks and responds well to feedback, which is shared often and freely across all levels of the organization.
- Works through silos and forges strong cross-departmental relationships in order to achieve outcomes.
We believe in education as a profession and hold ourselves to high level of conduct, professionalism and behaviors as models for our colleagues and students.
About IDEA Public Schools
At IDEA Public Schools, we believe each and every child can go to college. Since 2000, IDEA Public Schools has grown from a small school with 150 students to a multi-state network of tuition-free, Pre-K-12 public charter schools. IDEA Public Schools boasts national rankings on The Washington Post and U.S. News & World Report’s top high schools lists. IDEA serves over 80,000 college-bound students in 143 schools across Texas, Florida, Ohio, and is on-track to maintain its legacy of sending 100% of its graduates to college. When you choose to work at IDEA, you are part of our IDEA Team and Family. You will work alongside team members who set and reach ambitious goals every day, are excited to continue to grow with IDEA, and work relentlessly to make college for all a reality. At IDEA the Staff Culture and Belonging Team uses our Core Values to promote human connection and a culture of integrity, respect, and belonging for all Team and Family members.
To Apply
Please submit your application online through Jobvite. It’s in your best interest to apply as soon as possible.
IDEA Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability, in admission or access to, or treatment of employment in its programs and activities. Any person having inquiries concerning the organization's compliance with the regulations implementing Title VI of Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504), or Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), may contact IDEA Human Resources at (956) 377-8000.
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Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Food & Beverage
- Healthcare & Medical Services
- Retail
- Education
- Manufacturing
Entry Level Food Service Manager Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get an entry level food service manager job?
Entry level food service managers get hired by showing hands-on experience from internships, part-time food service work, or coursework in hospitality or food science. Employers at this level look for candidates who understand food safety standards, scheduling basics, and team communication. A ServSafe certification or equivalent food handler credential gives entry level applicants a concrete edge over candidates without it.
Which companies hire entry level food service managers?
Companies hiring entry level food service managers right now include Target, Sodexo, and Aramark, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Hospitals, school districts, university dining programs, and regional restaurant groups tend to post the most entry level openings because they run high-volume operations that need supervisory staff at every shift.
Are there remote entry level food service manager jobs?
Yes, though most food service manager roles are on-site by nature. About 0% of entry level food service manager openings are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, and these tend to be in consulting, procurement, or corporate nutrition planning rather than direct kitchen or dining floor management.
Are these new grad food service manager jobs?
Yes, these listings include new grad, recent graduate, and junior food service manager roles. A posting is new-grad friendly when it welcomes zero to two years of experience, counts internships or volunteer food service work toward eligibility, or lists a degree in hospitality, dietetics, or a related field in place of prior management experience. Look for postings that list training programs or mentorship.
Which industries hire the most entry level food service managers?
Entry Level food service manager roles concentrate in Food & Beverage, Healthcare & Medical Services, and Retail, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. These sectors drive hiring at this level because they operate large, regulated food programs that require consistent supervisory coverage and frequently bring in new graduates to fill junior management gaps.