Sodexo Government is seeking an Area Operations Manager to support our contract with the United States Air Force. The Area Operations Manager–East is a remote based position that plays a pivotal leadership role within Sodexo’s U.S. Air Force portfolio, providing operational oversight and strategic support across seven bases located in Illinois, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Delaware. This position is ideal for a highly organized, relationship-driven operator who can balance day-to-day execution with long-range planning and continuous improvement initiatives.
This role requires the candidate to reside east of the Mississippi River and within reasonable driving distance of a major airport to support frequent travel and on-site leadership engagement across the region.
The successful candidate will be a strong communicator—both written and verbal—with the ability to translate complex contractual obligations into clear operational actions. They will bring a sharp attention to detail, an analytical mindset, and the confidence to influence outcomes while maintaining strong, collaborative partnerships with Air Force Services leadership, Sodexo unit teams, and cross-functional support groups.
Champion food, physical, and regulatory safety programs to ensure compliance and excellence across all sites.
Drive performance through consistent coaching, monitoring, documentation, and follow-up with unit leadership teams.
Elevate operational standards by ensuring full alignment with Sodexo policies, Air Force contractual requirements, and customer expectations.
Identify opportunities to strengthen client satisfaction, employee engagement, and program execution.
Support district initiatives tied to retention, expansion, quality assurance, staffing strategies, marketing/culinary deployments, and financial performance.
Serve as a critical connection point between the field and the district office, ensuring timely reporting, follow-through, and execution of enterprise initiatives.
Compensation is fair and equitable, partially determined by a candidate's education level or years of relevant experience. Salary offers are based on a candidate's specific criteria, like experience, skills, education, and training. Sodexo offers a comprehensive benefits package that may include:
More extensive information is provided to new employees upon hire.
At Sodexo, our purpose is to create a better everyday for everyone and build a better life for all. We believe in improving the quality of life for those we serve and contributing to the economic, social, and environmental progress in the communities where we operate. Sodexo partners with clients to provide a truly memorable experience for both customers and employees alike. We do this by providing food service, catering, facilities management, and other integrated solutions worldwide.
Our company values you for you; you will be treated fairly and with respect, and you can be yourself. You will have your ideas count and your opinions heard because we can be a stronger team when you’re happy at work. This is why we embrace diversity and inclusion as core values, fostering an environment where all employees are valued and respected. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to individuals regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, disability, sexual orientation, military status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. If you need assistance with the application process, please complete this form.
Minimum Education Requirement - Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience
Minimum Management Experience - 5 years
Minimum Functional Experience - 3 years