Kitchen Manager - Berkeley Culinary Center

SUMMARY

The Kitchen Manager is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the kitchen, ensuring the consistent delivery of high-quality food while maintaining compliance with all food safety, sanitation, and regulatory standards. This role leads and develops kitchen staff, manages food preparation, inventory, purchasing, scheduling, and sanitation activities, and ensures efficient, safe, and productive kitchen operations. The Kitchen Manager drives operational excellence by optimizing food costs, labor utilization, and waste reduction while upholding Whitsons' quality standards and supporting a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND DUTIES

Kitchen Operations & Production Oversight

• Oversee daily kitchen operations to ensure timely, accurate, and efficient food production; hire staff, purchases food and stock, and ensure all team members are trained in proper food preparation and kitchen safety techniques.
• Ensures food is prepared according to approved recipes, batch specifications, weights, and yields, and that Whitsons’ standards for appearance, proportion, and quality are upheld on every order.
• Monitors cooking, cooling, and handling processes to ensure consistency, quality, and food safety compliance.

Workforce Leadership & Training

• Supervises, trains, and develops kitchen staff on proper food preparation, kitchen safety, and equipment use.
• Monitors performance and provides coaching, feedback, and corrective action as needed; fosters a culture of accountability, safety, and continuous improvement.
• Coordinates onboarding and ongoing training to ensure staff competency, compliance with standard operating procedures, and consistent execution of quality and productivity expectations.

Food Safety, Quality & Sanitation Compliance

• Enforces strict adherence to food safety, sanitation, and applicable regulatory standards; develops and follows a sanitation schedule to ensure the kitchen is properly cleaned on a regular basis, and food is disposed of properly.
• Ensures proper food handling, storage, labeling, and documentation practices are consistently followed, and maintains audit readiness in support of internal and regulatory audits.
• Ensures compliance with the facility's HACCP/Food Safety Plan, including monitoring of Critical Control Points (CCPs), prioritizing allergen management procedures, environmental monitoring programs, and cross-contact prevention practices are effectively implemented.

Performance Management & Cost Control

• Manages food cost, waste, and labor hours to optimize costs and drive efficient kitchen operations; tracks key performance indicators including yield, labor efficiency, and waste reduction.
• Identifies opportunities to improve operational efficiency without compromising food safety or quality and supports labor planning and staffing adjustments based on production needs.
• Monitors inventory levels and purchasing practices to minimize shortages, reduce excess inventory, and support cost-effective kitchen operations while maintaining production requirements.

$65,000 - $75,000

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND COMPETENCIES

Education

• High School diploma or equivalent required; Associate/Bachelor or culinary certificate preferred.

• Minimum 3 years of kitchen or food service management experience required.
• Experience overseeing operations utilizing advanced cooking, chilling, and food production equipment.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience managing kitchens equipped with state-of-the-art cooking and chilling systems.
• Experience training and leading teams in the safe and effective use of advanced kitchen equipment and technologies.

Certifications

• ServSafe or Local Food Handlers Ordinance certification required.
• HACCP certification is a plus.

Technical Proficiency

• Knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and X3 required.

Other Qualifications

• Ability to manage and train staff; bilingual Spanish preferred.

Core Competencies

• Team Leadership: Hires, trains, and manages kitchen staff to ensure consistent, high-quality food preparation and service.
• Food Safety & Sanitation: Maintains a clean, compliant kitchen through consistent sanitation practices and adherence to food safety standards.
• Quality & Presentation: Ensures food is prepared, portioned, and presented to Whitsons’ standards on every order.
• Cost Management: Manages food cost, waste, and labor hours to optimize kitchen efficiency and profitability.
• Communication: Effectively writes, presents, and transfers ideas and information for the advancement of individual and company performance.
• Customer Focus: Acts in the best interest of the customer, both internal and external.
• Organizational Leadership: Applies strategic thinking, prioritization, and decision-making to drive results.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND OTHER DETAILS

Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time exempt position. Position sometimes requires extended hours including evenings and/or weekends, along with travel to multiple work sites and occasional out-of-state travel.

Physical Demands of the Job

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Team Member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The Team Member is frequently required to sit, walk, stand, talk, and hear, and must be able to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds, with lifting while turning side to side sometimes necessary. Specific vision abilities required include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

The work is performed primarily in a manufacturing and warehouse environment, specifically in the packing and warehousing areas. Standing for most of the workday is required, with movement in and out of storerooms, near heavy machinery, and freezers. The role involves exposure to extreme temperatures (hot and cold) due to cooking and refrigeration equipment, and the noise level in the work environment is moderate to loud.