Food Service Director Jobs for OPT Students
Food Service Director jobs are available to F-1 OPT students with degrees in hospitality management, food science, nutrition, or dietetics. Most roles qualify as specialty occupations, supporting H-1B sponsorship after OPT. Your 12-month OPT window (or 24-month STEM extension with an eligible degree) gives you time to prove your value and secure long-term sponsorship.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Do you have hospitality experience, care about current eating trends, and love the idea of serving kids and school communities? If you said yes, we want to talk with you!
We are hiring an energetic, knowledgeable Food Service Director to lead a K-12 school lunch program. You will be responsible for client and community relationships, budgets, and P and L performance, while guiding daily kitchen operations so students and staff receive high quality, compliant meals they enjoy.
In this role, you are the face of the program for the district. You partner closely with school leaders, build trust with staff and families, and make sure the food service team delivers on both service and financial expectations.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
In this role you will:
- Lead the daily, hands-on management and training of the kitchen staff
- Develop menus that fit the needs of the school community and align with USDA Child Nutrition guidelines
- Implement and maintain HACCP and all food safety and sanitation standards
- Manage ordering, inventory, vendor relationships, and cash control
- Deliver budgeted food and labor results and manage P and L performance
- Provide outstanding catering and special event service for the district
- Build and grow strong relationships with district leaders, school staff, students, and families
- Create a safe, clean work environment and monitor day to day operational standards
You will step into a leadership role where you can see your impact every day in the children you serve and the relationships you build with the district and community.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Taher, Inc. is a family owned and operated, chef driven food service management company that has been serving clients since 1981. We provide K-12 school lunch management, campus dining, senior dining, corporate dining and catering, vending, and office beverage services across a growing nationwide footprint, and maintain a consistent presence in Food Service Management's Top 25 companies.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
You must bring at least 3 years of food service leadership experience and an associate degree in hospitality, dietetics, or a related field. In our fast paced K-12 environment, you will juggle multiple priorities, keep the kitchen and office organized, and communicate clearly in person and in writing. Just as important, you build strong relationships with district leaders, school staff, students, and the community. If you take pride in leading a team, serving great food, and being a trusted partner to the client and the people we serve, we want to hear from you.
Additional requirements include:
- Current ServSafe Manager certification or ability to obtain within 90 days
- Demonstrated ability to manage and control food cost
- P&L experience with responsibility for meeting financial targets
- Proven ability to lead, coach, and hold staff accountable
- Strong relationship-building skills with clients, administrators, staff, students, and families
- Proficient computer skills for email, ordering, inventory, and reporting
- Catering or special event experience, preferred
- Ability to successfully complete all required school background checks for the assigned district, which may include fingerprint-based criminal checks, child abuse and neglect registry checks, and other screenings required to work around children, as applicable by state and district policy
COMPENSATION
This position provides excellent work-life balance with Monday-Friday daytime hours, paid vacation, sick, and holiday pay, and some work during academic breaks that follow the school calendar. It offers health and dental benefits, 401(k), and corporate discount perks through LifeMart and Doctegrity virtual healthcare for you and your family at a low cost, and much more.
Taher, Inc. is an EOE/AA employer.
INTRODUCTION
Do you have hospitality experience, care about current eating trends, and love the idea of serving kids and school communities? If you said yes, we want to talk with you!
We are hiring an energetic, knowledgeable Food Service Director to lead a K-12 school lunch program. You will be responsible for client and community relationships, budgets, and P and L performance, while guiding daily kitchen operations so students and staff receive high quality, compliant meals they enjoy.
In this role, you are the face of the program for the district. You partner closely with school leaders, build trust with staff and families, and make sure the food service team delivers on both service and financial expectations.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
In this role you will:
- Lead the daily, hands-on management and training of the kitchen staff
- Develop menus that fit the needs of the school community and align with USDA Child Nutrition guidelines
- Implement and maintain HACCP and all food safety and sanitation standards
- Manage ordering, inventory, vendor relationships, and cash control
- Deliver budgeted food and labor results and manage P and L performance
- Provide outstanding catering and special event service for the district
- Build and grow strong relationships with district leaders, school staff, students, and families
- Create a safe, clean work environment and monitor day to day operational standards
You will step into a leadership role where you can see your impact every day in the children you serve and the relationships you build with the district and community.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Taher, Inc. is a family owned and operated, chef driven food service management company that has been serving clients since 1981. We provide K-12 school lunch management, campus dining, senior dining, corporate dining and catering, vending, and office beverage services across a growing nationwide footprint, and maintain a consistent presence in Food Service Management's Top 25 companies.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
You must bring at least 3 years of food service leadership experience and an associate degree in hospitality, dietetics, or a related field. In our fast paced K-12 environment, you will juggle multiple priorities, keep the kitchen and office organized, and communicate clearly in person and in writing. Just as important, you build strong relationships with district leaders, school staff, students, and the community. If you take pride in leading a team, serving great food, and being a trusted partner to the client and the people we serve, we want to hear from you.
Additional requirements include:
- Current ServSafe Manager certification or ability to obtain within 90 days
- Demonstrated ability to manage and control food cost
- P&L experience with responsibility for meeting financial targets
- Proven ability to lead, coach, and hold staff accountable
- Strong relationship-building skills with clients, administrators, staff, students, and families
- Proficient computer skills for email, ordering, inventory, and reporting
- Catering or special event experience, preferred
- Ability to successfully complete all required school background checks for the assigned district, which may include fingerprint-based criminal checks, child abuse and neglect registry checks, and other screenings required to work around children, as applicable by state and district policy
COMPENSATION
This position provides excellent work-life balance with Monday-Friday daytime hours, paid vacation, sick, and holiday pay, and some work during academic breaks that follow the school calendar. It offers health and dental benefits, 401(k), and corporate discount perks through LifeMart and Doctegrity virtual healthcare for you and your family at a low cost, and much more.
Taher, Inc. is an EOE/AA employer.
How to Get Visa Sponsorship in Food Service Director
Target employers with existing H-1B sponsorship history
Hospital systems, university dining programs, and large contract food service companies like Aramark and Compass Group have established immigration processes. These employers are far more likely to sponsor an H-1B after your OPT period ends than independent restaurants or small operators.
Confirm your degree supports a specialty occupation claim
Food Service Director roles typically require a bachelor's degree in hospitality management, nutrition, dietetics, or food science. A general business degree may weaken your H-1B petition. Match your degree field to the employer's job description before applying to strengthen your sponsorship case.
Apply early to protect your OPT timeline
Food service hiring cycles often align with fiscal quarters or contract renewals. Applying three to four months before your OPT start date gives employers time to evaluate you and begin LCA filing before your authorization window becomes a concern for their HR team.
Get your STEM OPT extension if your degree qualifies
Degrees in food science, nutrition science, or dietetics may qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving you 36 months total. This nearly doubles your runway before an H-1B is needed and significantly reduces employer urgency around the sponsorship timeline.
Address OPT directly in interviews with institutional employers
Healthcare networks, university dining, and corporate cafeteria operators often have HR teams familiar with sponsorship. Frame your OPT status as a defined timeline rather than an obstacle. Clarifying your work authorization upfront avoids late-stage surprises and builds trust with compliance-oriented hiring managers.
Highlight operational scope and compliance experience in your application
Employers evaluating sponsorship cost weigh whether a candidate is hard to replace. Emphasize budget oversight, food safety certifications like ServSafe, team management scale, and regulatory compliance experience. These credentials reinforce the specialty occupation argument that supports a successful H-1B petition later.
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Get Access To All JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Do Food Service Director roles qualify as H-1B specialty occupations?
Most Food Service Director positions qualify when the role requires a specific bachelor's degree in hospitality management, nutrition, dietetics, or food science. The key is the job description: if it requires theoretical and practical application of a specialized field rather than general management skills, USCIS is likely to approve it as a specialty occupation. Generic management titles without a degree requirement can create problems.
Can I work as a Food Service Director on OPT right after graduation?
Yes, if the role is directly related to your degree field. A hospitality management graduate working as a Food Service Director in a hospital, university, or contract dining setting has a clear connection. A food science graduate managing a production facility is similarly well-positioned. The connection between your degree and the job duties needs to be demonstrable, not assumed.
Where can I find Food Service Director jobs that are open to OPT students?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT students and filters jobs by sponsorship willingness, saving you from applying to employers who won't work with your visa status. Institutional employers in healthcare, higher education, and corporate dining are the most reliable segment to focus on, as they typically have HR infrastructure for sponsorship.
Does a food science or nutrition degree qualify for the STEM OPT extension in this field?
It depends on the specific CIP code your program falls under. Food science (CIP 01.1001) and nutrition science programs with a STEM designation do qualify. Hospitality management degrees typically do not. Check your university's designation before factoring a 24-month extension into your job search timeline, since the difference materially affects how urgently employers need to begin H-1B sponsorship.
What types of employers are most likely to sponsor a Food Service Director for an H-1B?
Hospital systems, university dining departments, and large contract food service companies with established legal and HR teams are the strongest candidates. These organizations sponsor H-1B workers regularly and understand the process. Independent restaurant groups and small catering operations rarely sponsor because the cost and administrative complexity outweigh the benefit for a single hire.
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