Founding Kitchen Manager — Wellness Spa

Yora Nordic Spa - Brownstone; Portland (CT); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and wellness benefits

Paid time off

Employee wellness privileges and spa/餐

Bistro and retail discounts

Learning, growth and development

Job summary

Yora Nordic Spa is seeking a Kitchen Manager to join its founding leadership team as we prepare to open in November 2026. You will recruit, coach and lead a Kitchen crew, ensuring fresh, beautifully presented dishes and adherence to approved recipes and specs, while guiding production planning and budget management.

Work will be hands-on, with a focus on safety, continuous improvement and collaboration with Front of House and Maintenance to deliver a seamless spa Bistro experience for our first

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of progressive culinary leadership in hospitality or wellness-focused food service.
• Proven experience leading, coaching and developing high-performing kitchen teams.
• Strong knowledge of food production, kitchen systems, food safety and sanitation standards.
• Experience managing labor, scheduling, inventory, purchasing and departmental budgets.
• Hands-on leadership style with the ability to remain calm in a fast-paced kitchen.

Responsibilities

• Recruit, onboard, coach and develop an engaged, high-performing Kitchen team.
• Lead daily kitchen operations with consistency, organization and efficiency.
• Ensure every menu item is fresh, beautifully presented and prepared to approved recipes, portions and specifications.
• Manage production planning, scheduling, labor, inventory, equipment and departmental budgets.
• Ensure compliance with health-department regulations, HACCP requirements and food-safety standards.
• Conduct regular kitchen inspections and safety audits and lead corrective actions.
• Maintain safe storage, labeling, rotation and temperature control.
• Partner with Front of House and Maintenance teams to deliver a seamless Bistro experience.
• Respond professionally to guest feedback and service-recovery opportunities.
• Manage food cost, inventory, waste and operating expenses without compromising quality.
• Manage purchasing and vendor relationships to maximize quality and value.
• Execute culinary programs and provide operational feedback for continuous improvement.
• Use guest feedback and financial data to improve kitchen operations.

Skills

Culinary leadership

People management

Operations planning

Communication

Problem-solving

Tools

Microsoft Office

Restaurant technology systems

Job description

Yora Nordic Spa is seeking a Kitchen Manager to join its founding leadership team as we prepare to open in November 2026. You will recruit, coach and lead a Kitchen crew, ensuring fresh, beautifully presented dishes and adherence to approved recipes and specs, while guiding production planning and budget management.

Work will be hands-on, with a focus on safety, continuous improvement and collaboration with Front of House and Maintenance to deliver a seamless spa Bistro experience for our first