Food Production Supervisor

CookUnity; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 34,440 - 37,195; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage through Cigna

Daily lunch provided

Weekly pay

Job summary

CookUnity is seeking an Automated Plating Supervisor to lead a team of machine operators in our production environment. You will oversee plating robot operations, monitor throughput, and ensure accurate portioning and high-quality outputs.

This role emphasizes safety, quality, and continuous improvement in a fast-paced kitchen setting. Ideal candidates have supervisory experience in food production, strong people skills, and comfort with automated systems.

Qualifications

• Prior supervisory or lead experience in food production or automated systems.
• Strong people management skills; able to motivate and develop a team.
• Deep comfort with machinery and automated systems; diagnose operational issues with confidence.
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to enforce quality standards.
• Clear communicator bridging floor and management.
• Solutions-oriented and calm under pressure in a fast-paced production environment.
• Able to stand for extended periods and work variable shifts.
• Proficient in Spanish for effective team communication.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and develop a team of Machine Operators across shifts.
• Assign operators to workstations and manage shift coverage.
• Conduct pre-shift briefings on production targets and recipe specs.
• Foster accountability and a culture of quality and continuous improvement.
• Oversee plating robot operations and monitor throughput and quality.
• Ensure accurate portioning and adherence to specifications.
• Lead root cause analysis and escalate issues as needed.

Skills

People management

Machinery & automation

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Spanish language

Problem solving under pressure

Job description

Food has lost its soul to modern convenience. And with it, it has lost the power to nourish, inspire, and connect us. So in 2018, CookUnity was founded as the first-of-its-kind platform that connects the world with the source of truly great food: chefs. Today, CookUnity delivers 50 million meals a year from the industry’s best chefs to homes all over the country. Fresh. Ready-to-eat. And crafted with the passion that nourishes body and soul.

Unwilling to stop there, CookUnity is expanding beyond delivery to become an ever-innovating marketplace focused on our singular mission: empower Chefs to nourish the world.

If that mission has you hungry in more ways than one, you’ve found the right job posting.

The Role

The Automated Plating Supervisor is responsible for leading the day-to-day operations of the automated plating system, overseeing a team of machine operators to ensure accurate, efficient, and high-quality meal assembly at scale. This role is critical in driving production performance, developing frontline talent, and serving as the primary escalation point for operational and mechanical issues during live production.

Key Responsibilities

• Supervise, coach, and develop a team of Machine Operators across production shifts
• Assign operators to workstations and manage shift coverage and scheduling
• Conduct pre-shift briefings to align the team on production targets, recipe specs, and priorities
• Foster accountability and a culture of quality and continuous improvement on the floor

2. Production Oversight

• Oversee plating robot operations during scheduled production and testing runs
• Monitor throughput, error rates, and output quality across the team in real time
• Ensure accurate portioning, ingredient placement, and build quality in accordance with specifications
• Drive consistent performance while minimizing downtime and defects

3. Quality & Food Safety

• Hold the team accountable to quality, presentation, and portion standards
• Ensure routine checks on ingredients, weights, and outputs are performed and documented
• Maintain a clean, organized production environment in full compliance with food safety standards
• Review and address quality trends proactively, escalating systemic issues as needed
• Serve as the first escalation point for mechanical or operational issues operators cannot resolve
• Diagnose and resolve mid-level operational issues in real time; elevate complex mechanical failures appropriately
• Lead root cause analysis on recurring errors or downtime events and drive corrective actions
• Ensure accurate documentation of errors, downtime, and issue resolution for reporting and system improvement

5. Setup, Changeovers & Continuous Improvement

• Oversee and participate in machine setup for different recipes, SKUs, or test configurations
• Ensure smooth, efficient changeovers between production runs
• Identify opportunities to improve SOPs, reduce waste, and increase throughput; collaborate cross-functionally to implement improvements

Profile / What Good Looks Like

• Prior supervisory or lead experience in a food production, manufacturing, or automated systems environment
• Strong people management skills - able to motivate, hold accountable, and develop a team
• Deep comfort with machinery and automated systems; able to diagnose operational issues with confidence
• Exceptional attention to detail and ability to enforce quality standards consistently
• Clear communicator who can bridge the floor and management effectively
• Solutions-oriented and calm under pressure in a fast-paced production environment
• Able to stand for extended periods and work variable shifts
• Proficient in Spanish (required for effective team communication)
• Hourly, non-exempt role
• Based in a kitchen / production environment
• Wednesday & Thursday off
• Two shift options: 6:00 AM - 2:30 PM or 3:00 PM - 11:30 PM
• Weekly pay
• Healthcare coverage through Cigna
• Daily lunch provided
• Growth and advancement opportunities

Compensation

All final pay rates will be determined by candidates experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data.

$25 - $27 USD

CookUnity is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are dedicated to creating a community of inclusion and an environment free from discrimination or harassment. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship status, protected veteran status, genetic information, or physical or mental disability.