Director of Nutrition Services in San Diego, California at Kitchens for Good

POSITION TITLE: Director of Nutrition Services

REPORTS TO: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

FLSA STATUS: Exempt

COMPENSATION: $106,000.00-$132,500.00

LOCATION: San Diego, CA

Who we are:

Kitchens for Good transforms lives through culinary arts

Position Summary:

The Director of Nutrition Services provides strategic leadership, oversight, and compliance management for all nutrition services across Kitchens for Good. This position is responsible for menu development, nutritional analysis, regulatory compliance, special dietary accommodations, and quality assurance for county meal contracts, apprentice meals, and community meals serving food insecure San Diegans.

The Director of Nutrition Services ensures that all food service operations meet applicable federal, state, county, and contractual nutrition requirements while supporting Kitchens for Good’s mission of delivering high-quality, dignified, culturally responsive meals. This position works collaboratively with culinary operations, workforce development, procurement, and compliance teams to advance nutrition excellence, operational efficiency, and innovative food systems solutions.

This role requires a Registered Dietitian (RD/RDN) with experience in institutional food service, large-scale meal production, menu planning, and regulatory compliance.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

• Lead menu development and nutritional oversight across all Kitchens for Good meal programs and nutrition initiatives.
• Ensure compliance with USDA guidelines, Title 15 standards, CACFP, NSLP/SBP requirements, and all applicable county, state, and federal regulations.
• Conduct nutritional analysis and maintain compliant production records, recipes, allergy documentation, and dietary accommodation procedures.
• Develop standardized recipes and menu cycles that balance nutrition, cultural relevance, operational feasibility, and cost effectiveness.
• Collaborate with meal production manager and chefs to improve food quality, meal satisfaction, and menu innovation.
• Oversee nutrition compliance for juvenile detention meal contracts, apprentice meals, and community feeding initiatives.
• Monitor food service operations to ensure adherence to food safety, sanitation, HACCP, and quality assurance standards.
• Support procurement and inventory systems to align purchasing with nutritional and operational goals.
• Analyze participation, meal utilization, cost, and nutrition data to support strategic decision making.
• Develop policies, procedures, and training materials related to nutrition services and dietary compliance.
• Collaborate with the program team to integrate nutrition education and learning opportunities into apprenticeship programs and meal contracts.
• Support grant reporting, audits, inspections, and contract compliance activities.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on nutrition services and community food systems.
• Participate in strategic planning related to Kitchens for Good’s Culinary Impact Center and future nutrition initiatives.

Leadership & Management

• Hire, train, mentor, and manage nutrition and food service staff.
• Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.
• Establish department goals, performance indicators, and operational work plans.
• Serve as a member of the leadership team and support organization-wide initiatives.
• Monitor department budgets, operational performance, and compliance outcomes.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships across culinary, operations, entrepreneurship, and workforce development teams.

Competencies:

• Strong knowledge of institutional nutrition services and food service operations.
• Exceptional organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong leadership and team management capabilities.
• Ability to analyze nutrition, operational, and financial data.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Commitment to equity, dignity, and culturally responsive food systems.
• Strong collaboration and relationship-building skills.

Work Environment:

This job operates in a kitchen environment, housed with equipment such as an oven, stove, dishwasher, slicer, coffee machine, steamer, mixer, and chef’s knives. The employee is frequently exposed to heat, steam, fire, and noise.

As part of the daily responsibilities, employees will interact with juveniles in custody, Kitchens for Good staff, and detention center personnel, maintaining a respectful, professional, and supportive atmosphere.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described are representative of those that an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this job successfully.

The employee is required to stand for prolonged periods of time and reach, lift, bend, kneel, stoop, climb, push, and pull items weighing 50 pounds or less. The position requires manual dexterity, auditory and visual skills, and the ability to follow written and oral instructions and procedures.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

This is a full-time exempt position. Regular hours are Monday through Friday, but the schedule is based on the needs of the department. This role regularly requires evening hours and frequent weekend work.

Travel:

The employee will be expected to travel as needed to additional KFG locations, and the juvenile detention centers listed below. The employee must have access to reliable transportation to KFG locations as needed, and the ability to work across multiple sites.

This job operates across multiple locations including the following juvenile detention centers: Youth Transition Campus 2801 Meadowlark Drive San Diego Ca 92123 and East Mesa Juvenile Detention facility 446 Alta Road # 6100 San Diego, CA 92158.

Other Duties:

Please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time, with or without notice, based on the needs of the department and organization.

Benefits:

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 403(b) retirement savings
• Professional development budget
• 13 paid holidays
• Flexible Vacation Plan
• Group Term Life Insurance.

Compensation Transparency

At Kitchens for Good, we are committed to pay transparency and equity. The base salary range for this position is provided to ensure clarity and fairness in our hiring process. The final salary offered will be determined based on a variety of factors, including your education, relevant experience, skills, and knowledge. We also take into account internal equity to ensure consistency and fairness across our team.

Please note that the listed range reflects the full salary potential for the role. Offers at the top of the range are not typical, as we aim to support long-term growth and advancement within the organization.

Acknowledgment

Qualified individuals must be able to perform the position's essential duties with or without accommodation. A qualified person with a disability may request a modification or adjustment to the job or work environment to meet the physical requirements of the position. Kitchens for Good will attempt to satisfy requests as long as the accommodation needed is reasonable, and no undue hardship would result.

AT-WILL: The individual hired in this role will be at-will and will be subject to termination by the employee or the Company, with or without cause, with or without notice, and at any time.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) STATEMENT: The Company will provide reasonable accommodations (such as a qualified sign language interpreter or other personal assistance) with the application process upon your request as required to comply with applicable laws. If you have a disability and require assistance in this application process, please contact Juanita Atitsogbuie at 619-736-1873 or juanita@kitchensforgood.org.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable Accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO) STATEMENT: The Company is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law.

Education & Work Experience:

• Registered Dietitian (RD/RDN) credential required.
• Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition, Dietetics, Public Health, Food Service Management, or related field required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum five years of progressively responsible experience in nutrition services, institutional food service, or large-scale meal operations.
• Experience with USDA meal programs, public sector contracts, or institutional food service strongly preferred.
• Experience managing compliance, audits, inspections, and regulatory reporting.
• Strong understanding of food safety regulations and HACCP principles.
• Experience with menu analysis software and Microsoft Office 365.
• Bilingual English/Spanish preferred.

Pre-employment Requirements:

• Criminal background clearance (Probation, DOJ, FBI)
• Drug screening
• Tuberculosis testing