Food Service Specialist
Lansing, MI
Office of Operations – Meet and Confer /
Meet and Confer Standard (40 hours/week - 52 weeks/year) /
On-site
The Lansing School District serves over 10,000 PreK-12 students across 25 school buildings in the increasingly diverse urban community of Lansing, MI. We are unique compared to other districts because of the wide variety of exciting and innovative educational options from which families and staff members can choose. All of Lansing School District’s team members are dedicated to our mission to provide an excellent education to all students in a safe and nurturing environment.
The Food Service Specialist provides administrative and compliance support for the district’s Food Service Department and serves as a key point of contact between the district, the contracted food service provider, school staff, and families. This position supports daily operations while assisting with oversight of vendor performance, ensuring compliance with state and federal child nutrition program regulations, and maintaining accurate documentation for audits and reporting.
Qualifications
- Associate degree or higher required
- Minimum of two years of administrative or clerical experience, preferably in a school district, public agency, or food service/nutrition program.
- Familiarity with USDA Child Nutrition Program requirements preferred (training provided).
- Strong organizational and recordkeeping skills with accuracy and attention to detail.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook) and ability to learn district-specific software.
- Effective written and verbal communication skills for working with vendors, staff, families, and state agencies.
- Ability to handle multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and support compliance activities.
Job Responsibilities
- Serve as the district’s primary administrative contact for the contracted food service provider.
- Assist in monitoring vendor compliance with contract terms, staffing levels, service standards, and USDA Child Nutrition Program requirements.
- Collect and review required documentation from the provider (menus, production records, staff training logs, safety/health inspection reports).
- Support on-site compliance reviews by scheduling visits, gathering records, and assisting with inspections/audits.
- Maintain and organize all district food service records, including meal counts, free/reduced meal applications, verification documents, and related reports.
- Assist with preparing and submitting state and federal reports for child nutrition programs.
- Track invoices, reconcile billing with district accounts, and flag discrepancies in coordination with the business office.
- Respond to inquiries from parents, students, and staff regarding meal programs, account balances, and eligibility.
- Provide clerical support for procurement activities, bid processes, contract renewals, and program audits.
- Assist with communication between district leadership, school sites, and the food service provider to address service concerns or corrective actions.
- Maintain confidentiality of student, family, and vendor information in compliance with FERPA, USDA, and district policies.
- Perform other duties as assigned to support effective food service operations.
Work Environment & Physical Requirements
- Primarily office-based within a school or district administrative setting.
- Regular use of computers, phones, and standard office equipment.
- Occasional travel to schools across the district to assist with site monitoring, audits, and provider meetings.
- The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position.
- Primarily sedentary work involving extended periods of sitting and computer use.
- Occasional walking or standing within an office or school building to retrieve files, assist visitors, or attend meetings.
- Frequent verbal and written communication using phone, email, and in-person interactions.
- Daily use of office technology including computers, printers, and phones.
- May occasionally lift or move materials or packages weighing up to 20 pounds.
- Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Food delivery, food service as needed
$47,073 - $86,960 a year
1 FTE (8hours per day/ 5 days per week)
At Lansing School District, we champion diversity, equity, and inclusion, providing equal opportunities to all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or sexual orientation. We foster a rich environment for professional growth and student experiences by valuing diverse perspectives. As an equal opportunity employer, we invite passionate individuals dedicated to educational excellence to apply for our positions.
We value internal mobility and list "Strong Internal Candidate" when considering an internal candidate before posting a job. We still encourage all candidates to apply.
Complete the attached online application at your earliest convenience. If selected, we will contact you to set up an interview. While we strive to provide prompt feedback, the high volume of applicants may limit our ability to do so. All of our jobs will be posted for at least 10 days (unless otherwise noted), but we will review applications on a rolling basis.
External candidates interested in multiple positions within the same department need only apply to one posting and can indicate other roles of interest in the final question. We will consider your application for various roles based on your qualifications.
Internal candidates should apply using their SSO email address and submit separate applications for each role of interest.
Thank you for your interest in joining our mission-driven team. We look forward to meeting you!
This job description is intended to outline the general responsibilities and qualifications for the position. It is not an exhaustive list of duties, and the Lansing School District reserves the right to modify job responsibilities as needed. Due to the evolving needs of the District, additional job responsibilities may be assigned (depending on funding sources).
