Kitchen Manager Independent Fine Dining Immediate Hire

Description

PURPOSE/SUMMARY

The Kitchen Manager AP is responsible for supporting and managing day-to-day Active Passionate kitchen execution with a strong focus on quality, service readiness, sanitation, team accountability, production control, and resident and guest satisfaction. This role bridges hands-on culinary execution and operational leadership, helping ensure the AP kitchen performs at a best-in-class level every day.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead assigned AP kitchen operations, including prep, line service, production, lounge support, catering, events, daily features, and resident requests.

• Ensure food leaving the kitchen is fresh, properly seasoned, attractively presented, correctly portioned, and served at proper temperature.

• Maintain line checks, prep lists, production sheets, station organization, recipe adherence, allergen communication, and service readiness.

• Support the Executive Chef with scheduling, labor deployment, training, coaching, daily lineups, station assignments, and team accountability.

• Monitor food cost controls, waste, inventory, ordering, receiving, storage, rotation, vendor quality, and product consistency.

• Use TOAST, ordering tools, menu systems, inventory controls, and communication logs to support operational accuracy.

• Maintain high sanitation standards, including hot/cold holding, cooling, reheating, labeling, dating, cleaning, dish area support, and inspection readiness.

• Partner with service leadership to improve ticket times, plate presentation, resident satisfaction, guest experience, and communication between FOH and BOH.

• Assist with menu rollouts, tastings, resident events, wine dinners, catering, marketing events, and community differentiators.

• Communicate concerns, staffing needs, equipment issues, resident feedback, vendor issues, and service opportunities promptly to leadership.

• Serve as acting kitchen leader when the Executive Chef or Executive Sous Chef is unavailable.

Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS

• High school diploma or equivalent required; culinary degree or hospitality management training preferred.

• Minimum of 3 years of culinary experience, including leadership or supervisory responsibility in a restaurant, senior living, hotel, club, or high-volume culinary operation.

• ServSafe certification required or ability to obtain within company-required timeframe.

• Strong line cooking, production, knife skills, sanitation, ordering, and kitchen organization skills.

• Ability to lead team members, hold standards, coach performance, and communicate professionally.

• Working knowledge of TOAST, Microsoft Office, ordering systems, scheduling systems, or ability to learn quickly.

• Strong understanding of food cost, labor awareness, inventory, waste reduction, vendor quality, and production forecasting.

• Resident-first hospitality mindset with high standards for professionalism, urgency, presentation, and teamwork.

COMPETENCIES

• Building Trust

• Collaboration

• Communication

• Delivering Results

• Problem Solving

• Taking Initiative

• Service to Others / Resident and Guest Focus

• Personal Accountability

• Operational Excellence

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/REQUIREMENTS

• Must be able to walk, sit, stand, reach, bend, stoop, push, pull, and safely lift up to 50 lbs.

• Must be able to work in hot, cold, wet, and fast-paced kitchen environments for extended periods.

• Must be able to use hands, arms, and manual dexterity to operate kitchen tools, equipment, and service items safely.

• Must be able to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events as business needs require.