Aspiring Kitchen Manager - Lead a High-Impact Sushi Kitchen

OMAKAI; United States; On-site; USD 70,000 - 76,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonuses

Paid time off

Sick days

Insurance reimbursements

Daily meals

Free parking

Onboarding program

Job summary

OMAKAI in Chicago is seeking an Assistant Kitchen Manager with at least two years of sushi or Japanese kitchen experience to lead the back-of-house team on a busy line. You will supervise prep, service, and breakdown, enforce recipe standards, and support the Kitchen Manager with inventory and vendor orders.

You should be able to coach chefs, uphold high cleanliness and service standards, and grow into a Kitchen Manager role.

Qualifications

• Two years of sushi or Japanese kitchen experience required, including experience working multiple stations on a busy line.
• Experience leading, coaching, or training chefs preferred.
• Knife skills and station knowledge across prep, slicing, nigiri, and hand rolls.
• Food manager and sexual harassment prevention certifications required, and all can be obtained during training. We cover the cost of both certificates once you pass the 90-day probation mark.
• Full open availability, including nights, weekends, and holidays.
• Able to learn and memorize every recipe and standard operating procedure in detail, including ingredients, cuts, portioning, and plating.
• Comfortable with inventory counts, ordering, and reporting, including basic math under pressure.
• Communicates clearly and calmly with the team and the Kitchen Manager, even during a rush.
• High school diploma or equivalent preferred but not required.
• Reliable transportation to and from the restaurant.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

Responsibilities

• Lead, manage, and hold the back-of-house kitchen team accountable during every shift, setting the tone for performance and standards.
• Ensure chefs are performing to standard, addressing issues in the moment rather than letting them carry into the next shift.
• Coach chefs patiently and keep morale steady across prep, service, and breakdown.
• Communicate concerns, staffing gaps, and performance issues to the Kitchen Manager clearly and early.
• Lead the back-of-house team when the Kitchen Manager is away, confronting staff when needed to uphold standards.
• Oversee all kitchen operations across prep, service, and breakdown.
• Confirm every station is set up correctly and fully stocked before service begins.
• Keep the stations running smoothly during service, re-sequencing the line when a station falls behind or an ingredient runs short.
• Ensure every station is properly cleaned and restocked after service.
• Ensure every dish is executed according to OMAKAI's recipes and standards.
• Monitor consistency across all stations throughout the shift.
• Correct any deviation in technique, portioning, or presentation immediately.
• Catch an off cut or plating before it reaches the pass.
• Own a defined set of responsibilities assigned by the Kitchen Manager for your location, such as supervising a specific chef station or daypart.
• Run back-of-house in the Kitchen Manager's absence, keeping the team, the standards, and the stations on track.
• Identify operational issues early and bring them to the Kitchen Manager with practical solutions.

Skills

Leadership

Coaching

Knife skills

Education

High School Diploma or Equivalent

Job description

OMAKAI in Chicago is seeking an Assistant Kitchen Manager with at least two years of sushi or Japanese kitchen experience to lead the back-of-house team on a busy line. You will supervise prep, service, and breakdown, enforce recipe standards, and support the Kitchen Manager with inventory and vendor orders.

You should be able to coach chefs, uphold high cleanliness and service standards, and grow into a Kitchen Manager role.