Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Healthy School Food Collaborative (HSFC) is seeking an experienced, hands\-on **Chief Operating Officer (COO)** to lead the day\-to\-day execution of our growing school food service organization. HSFC partners with schools to build and operate successful child nutrition programs. Our work touches everything from daily food service operations and staffing to USDA program compliance, financial performance, client relationships, and program growth. We are looking for an **operator and implementer** — someone who can take strategy and turn it into consistent execution across multiple schools and programs. This is not a position for someone who wants to manage primarily from behind a desk. The right person will be comfortable moving between executive\-level planning, client meetings, financial reviews, school visits, and solving real operational problems in the field. What You'll Own The COO will have primary responsibility for the operational performance of HSFC, including: * Lead day\-to\-day operations across HSFC\-managed school nutrition programs * Manage and develop operations staff and site\-level teams * Establish clear expectations, accountability, and performance standards * Ensure schools consistently execute HSFC operating procedures and service standards * Monitor meal participation, labor, food costs, purchasing, and overall program financial performance * Identify underperforming programs and develop corrective action plans * Work directly with school leadership to strengthen participation and improve the student meal experience * Oversee operational readiness for new school and program launches * Coordinate staffing, training, scheduling, and coverage across accounts * Ensure compliance with applicable USDA Child Nutrition Program requirements and client agreements * Partner with culinary, nutrition, finance, and administrative teams to solve operational issues * Build scalable systems, procedures, dashboards, and accountability structures as HSFC grows * Maintain strong relationships with school administrators, vendors, partners, and other stakeholders * Provide leadership with clear reporting on operational performance, risks, and opportunities * Take ownership of problems and drive them through resolution What We're Looking For We are looking for someone who has successfully managed **complex, multi\-site operations** and knows how to hold teams accountable while building a strong culture. Strong candidates will have: * Significant operations leadership experience, preferably in food service, K\-12 education, hospitality, healthcare food service, contract dining, or another multi\-site service organization * Experience managing managers and frontline teams * Strong financial and operational understanding, including budgets, labor, food costs, purchasing, and P\&L performance * Ability to build processes and ensure they are actually followed * Strong organizational and project\-management skills * Ability to manage multiple locations, priorities, and deadlines simultaneously * Confidence communicating with school administrators and executive leadership * Strong problem\-solving skills and the ability to make decisions without constant direction * High standards for accountability, follow\-through, and execution * Comfort working both strategically and directly in operations when needed Experience with **USDA Child Nutrition Programs such as the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), CACFP, or SFSP** is highly desirable. The Person Who Will Succeed Here You may be a strong fit if you naturally: * See a problem and take ownership of solving it * Follow through without needing repeated reminders * Hold people accountable while maintaining strong relationships * Use numbers and operational data to make decisions * Create structure where processes are inconsistent * Know when to coach, when to troubleshoot, and when to make a change * Can walk into an operation, quickly understand what is working and what isn't, and develop a practical plan * Are comfortable being accountable for results — not simply activity * Enjoy building an organization rather than maintaining the status quo What Success Looks Like The successful COO will help HSFC create an operation where: **Schools receive consistent, reliable service.** **Site teams understand exactly what is expected of them.** **Managers are accountable for performance.** **Meal participation and program financial performance are actively managed.** **Compliance is built into daily operations rather than treated as an afterthought.** **New programs can launch without creating operational chaos.** **Leadership has visibility into what is happening across every account.** Most importantly, the COO will create an operating structure that allows HSFC to continue growing without sacrificing service, compliance, or financial discipline. Why HSFC School food service has a direct impact on students every day. HSFC has the opportunity to help schools build programs that are financially sustainable, operationally strong, compliant, and genuinely appealing to students. We're looking for a leader who wants to help build that organization — and who is energized by turning ambitious plans into dependable execution. Pay: $77,032\.60 \- $92,770\.44 per year Benefits: * Flexible schedule Work Location: Hybrid remote in New Orleans, LA 70118