USDA Hiring Standards

USDA established professional standards requirements for school nutrition professionals who manage and operate the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.

The regulations are intended to provide consistent, national professional standards strengthening the skills of School Nutrition Programs (SNP) staff to perform their duties effectively and efficiently.

The standards set the minimum education and/or experience standards for new school nutrition directors as well as annual training standards for all school nutrition professionals. These standards ensure school nutrition professionals have the knowledge and training they need to plan, prepare, and procure healthy school meals.

Compliance with these standards are assessed during the Administrative Review conducted by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE) Office of School and Community Nutrition (SCN).

*Effective April 30, 2019, USDA added flexibilities to the hiring standards for new school nutrition directors in small local educational agencies.

The USDA hiring standards create minimum standards for hiring a new nutrition director based on the total sponsor enrollment size. As enrollment increases, program demands and complexity follow. Thus, minimum requirements are higher for sponsors with enrollments of 10,000 or more students than for smaller districts.

Any new directors — those hired into their position on or after July 1, 2015 — are subject to the education and experience requirements below.

*Effective July 1, 2024, USDA will allow medium or large local educational agencies (LEAs) to hire an individual without a bachelor’s or associate’s degree as a school nutrition program director, if they have at least 10 years of school nutrition program experience.

It is also important to note that if the school nutrition director oversees multiple sponsors the total enrollment from all locations will be added together for the hiring standards that must be met by that director.

Enrollment under 500

Enrollment 500-2,499

Enrollment 2,500 - 9,999

Enrollment above 10,000

Steps to Hiring the School Nutrition Director

There are several steps required to hire a qualified school nutrition director and ensure the selected candidate has a successful start. Prior to advertising the open position, the sponsor should assess the current program and update the job description. This is a perfect opportunity to identify the duties of the school nutrition director, assess current programs, and identify specific duties and responsibilities. Based on the information gathered during the assessment, the sponsor can begin to develop the job description, set the salary range, and create the job posting.

The sponsor should ask these questions as they assess SNP department needs.

• What programs does the sponsor participate in? - School Breakfast Program (SBP), National School Lunch Program (NSLP), Afterschool Snack Program (ASSP), Child & Adult Care Food Programs (CACFP) which might include Head Start, Day Care and Supper, and/or catering.
• What is the type of employment? - Administrator, full-time focus, union employee, cook/manager.
• Are there specific goals that the programs are currently working towards?
• How are the duties for overseeing the program split between different departments?

Step 1: Create Job Description

As previously mentioned, school nutrition directors hired after July 1, 2015 must meet minimum levels of education (see Hiring Standards Table below). The standards reflect specific knowledge and expertise required to perform job duties. Standards are based on total student enrollment and define education and experience requirements for the sponsor to follow in the hiring process.

If the sponsor employed a school nutrition director prior to July 1, 2015, the new rules for hiring were waived. Upon the vacancy of the school nutrition director, the sponsor must meet the defined criteria for the enrollment size.

Should a situation arise during recruitment where candidates do not meet USDA requirements, the sponsor should consult with the Indiana Department of Education, School and Community Nutrition for further guidance.

After the needs of the sponsor are identified, the job description needs to be developed and reviewed. The job description defines qualifications and areas of accountability the school nutrition director should meet during their tenure in the department. An effective, detailed job description:

• Defines major responsibilities of the employee’s job or position
• Outlines performance expectations, job training, job evaluation, and career advancement
• Provides a reference point for compensation decisions and unfair hiring practices
• Attracts the right candidates

Job descriptions need to be practical, clear, and accurate. At the same time, it identifies the position and the needs of the department. A good job description typically begins with a careful analysis of the important facts about a job such as:

• Individual tasks involved
• The methods used to complete the tasks
• The purpose and responsibilities of the job
• The relationship of the job to other jobs
• The individual or position that oversees the job

The school nutrition director must have skills and program knowledge to ensure USDA requirements are met. To meet the goals and objectives of the sponsor, the school nutrition director's responsibilities also include:

• Leadership
• Communication
• Operation management
• Financial integrity

The SNP team requires a leader who possesses the ability to guide staff using an array of skills and strategies. The leader needs to execute a range of traits while effectively managing staff. They need to be honest, humble, enthusiastic, supportive, and possess the ability to work with an assortment of stakeholders. An effective leader must be able to appropriately delegate tasks and embrace change while allowing staff time to adapt.

Effective communication is a necessary skill the school nutrition director should possess. They must be prepared to provide information in a variety of methods including verbal, written, and electronic. Communicating with the customer (students) involves understanding and implementing effective social media strategies in a variety of formats. It is important to use innovative methods to communicate with existing and new stakeholders.

Operation management requires meal preparation knowledge combined with an understanding of USDA requirements. The school nutrition director must implement strategies to ensure staff are trained in meal production, recordkeeping, food safety, and customer service. Effective management includes program promotion to increase participation while establishing positive customer relationships.

Financial integrity is an essential skill. The ability to assess and analyze the financial status of the program is vital to the overall fiscal health of the program and the school. Skills in budget development, financial reporting, measuring productivity and participation, along with assessing information are key to operating a financially sound operation.

The Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) recommends the following areas of knowledge, skills, and abilities be included in the job description. The information provided in this section of the resource provides only a sample of job duties, responsibilities, skills, and outcomes. View the full list of knowledge, skills, and abilities in Appendix E for additional consideration as the job description is developed.

Program Management and Accountability: Focuses on compliance with federal laws, regulations, and policies related to operating SNP, SFSP, CACFP, Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP), and farm to school.

Facilities and Equipment Management: Evaluates and projects facility and equipment needs, maintenance, repairs, and manages the physical structures and equipment.

Financial Management: Budgets, monitors, and reports the financial health of the SNP.

Food Production and Operation Management: Establishes procedures to develop menus and ensure food production systems provide safe nutritious foods of high quality.

Food Security, Sanitation, and Safety: Ensures the development of a food safety plan and inspection of facilities.

Customer Service, Marketing, and Communication: Implements a district-wide customer service driven philosophy integrating effective communication with a focus on value and satisfaction.

Menu and Nutrition Management: Serves on the sponsor's local wellness policy committee. Plans cost-effective menus cognizant of student preferences, nutrition integrity, and special nutrition needs.

Human Resource Management: Manages and trains staff to effectively perform job duties in compliance with local, state, and federal regulations.

Procurement and Inventory Management: Implements and adheres to procurement and storage guidelines and regulations to ensure purchased food and supplies, including locally procured foods meet federal, state, and local regulations.

Technology and Information Systems: Implements data management systems to track productivity and improve the efficiency of the program.

Refer to Appendix A for a sample job description.

Step 2: Determine Compensation Range

Establish an appropriate compensation range prior to advertising the position. The salary range should be commensurate with the level of responsibility and duties in the job description. Each sponsor and program are unique in the variety of services they provide and should reflect the specifics of the position. Salary ranges provide a guideline for the sponsor to consider appropriate pay for candidates who exceed requirements. The more robust the candidate, the more likely they will be to meet expectations. Additional compensation may be warranted based on:

• Previous experience
• Education
• Number of SNP sites and employees supervised
• Variety of programs at each SNP site (breakfast, lunch, afterschool snack, suppers, CACFP, and SFSP)
• Size and fiscal health of the SNP budget

Resources to establish a fair range for the new school nutrition director include:

• Pay schedule of comparable sponsors within the region. When comparing pay rates to other sponsors, be sure to consider all influencing factors, e.g., a Director might have a higher level of education, experience, skill, and success than a Director at another.
• Pay scale of positions with similar supervisory job responsibilities within the district.
• Online resources for national salary ranges: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS); School Nutrition Association; salary.com; payscale.com; Indeed.com; and vault.com.
• Local job market

Step 4: Recruitment

The process of identifying qualified candidates will vary depending on the size of the sponsor and the duties and responsibilities of the position. Qualified candidates may come from a variety of fields and backgrounds. It is important to advertise the job posting through a variety of formats.

Sponsors may also contract with a Food Service Management Company (FSMC), Co-Op, Vendor, or or Educational Services Center for some of the duties of the school nutrition director. There are specific processes and procedures to procure these services. Sponsors must work with and utilize the Indiana Department of Education’s procurement templates during this process, which can be found on IDOE’s Procurement Webpage. It is important to note that if the sponsor outsources management of the program, the sponsor must still oversee that regulations are being followed. The sponsor will be required to appoint or hire someone within their organization to oversee compliance with regulations.

There are a variety of sources to solicit and identify qualified candidates:

• Recruiting sites (Monster, Indeed, CareerBuilder, LinkedIn, Glassdoor)
• Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Newsletters)
• Experienced and educated SNP kitchen managers
• Educators within the school (Culinary Instructors and Chefs, Family and Consumer Science Teachers)
• Local restaurant managers
• Indiana School Nutrition Association, https://www.indianasna.org/
• Indiana Dietetic Association, Contact: iand_exec@eatrightin.org
• Purdue University, Center for Career Opportunities (CCO) at Purdue University, https://www.cco.purdue.edu/Employers/
• Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington, http://careers.publichealth.iu.edu/employers/, Kathy Finley, Internship Coordinator, kfinley@iu.edu
• Indiana University Indianapolis, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Department of Nutrition & Dietetics, JoAnne Whelan, Director of Dietetic Internship Program, jcwhelan@iu.edu
• Ball State University, Katherine Beals, Dietetic Internship Director, katherine.beals@bsu.edu

Step 5: Interviewing Candidates

After the job description has been created, salary range determined, the job posted and advertised, and applications received, the interview committee should review the status of the program and the job description prior to reviewing applications. Each application, resume, and cover letter should be screened to ensure the candidate meets minimum required qualifications. A phone interview can further screen candidates and determine if a face-to-face interview is warranted. These steps can reduce the number of candidates to a manageable number. Ideally, three to five candidates should be invited for personal interviews.

The first interview might take place with the position supervisor, reducing the field to two or three candidates. The second interview is generally held with other LEA personnel including:

• Position supervisor
• Human resources department
• SNP manager
• Other LEA administrators
• Wellness committee member
• Current school nutrition director

The school nutrition director Interview rubric, found in Appendix C, provides an assessment tool to record and document the interview process. Interviewers can create questions or use the Candidate Assessment Questions, found in Appendix D. The Candidate Assessment Questions are based on the Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities segments from the job description. At the conclusion of the interviews, the interview team should discuss rubric results and overall impressions to make an informed determination of the final candidate.

Step 6: Selecting the Best Candidate

Following the selection of the best candidate, sponsors must complete IDOE's School Nutrition Director Hiring Form. IDOE Professional Standards Specialists will then review the submission to ensure that all USDA hiring standards have been met for the selected candidate. These hiring standards are in place to ensure that those overseeing the School Nutrition Programs have the knowledge and skills to manage and operate the programs correctly and successfully.

Once the sponsor receives notice that the candidate meets the hiring standards, an offer of employment can be made. Human Resources can then handle the appropriate hiring paperwork and position's fringe benefit details. The candidate must be given a reasonable time to review the package, negotiate a start date, and receive answers to any questions they may have for the sponsor. The other finalists for the position should be notified by phone or in writing, thanking them for their interest and that a new school nutrition director has been hired.

After an agreement is reached, the sponsor's School Board of Directors may be required to officially approve the hiring at a formal meeting. Sometimes, a confirmation interview is held with the Superintendent and the School Board of Directors. The confirmation interview provides both the candidate and key stakeholders the opportunity to meet and get to know the candidate prior to approval at the school board meeting.

Step 7: Successful Onboarding

Onboarding is more than an initial orientation to the sponsor. It is a detailed process of ensuring the new school nutrition director receives information related to both district and department organization. Policies, procedures, and administrative guidance provides insight to how the sponsor operates. To successfully assimilate into the position onboarding could take up to two years. The LEA can identify resources to maximize job performance:

• Assign a SNP mentor or coach
• Provide job specific training
• Identify USDA compliance resources
• Develop additional human resource skills

Hiring a competent, knowledgeable leader for the SNP is key to a successful program, satisfied customers, and a productive staff. Assessments should be held at a minimum 30, 60, and 90 days, with additional reviews at 6 months and the first year. The goal of the review is to provide feedback to assist the school nutrition director to maximize productivity, develop skills to achieve the level of expected performance, and ensure growth and success. The success of the school nutrition director will be based on feedback, both positive and negative, and will be tied to the specific knowledge, skills and abilities, defined in the job description.

Civil Rights Nondiscrimination Statement