Kitchen Director

Workstream; Vernon Hills (IL); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Chick-fil-A Vernon Hills is seeking a hands-on Restaurant Leader to guide daily operations and drive performance across KPIs. You will lead a 20-30 member team, set goals with a strategic vision, and ensure adherence to food safety standards across local and brand guidelines.

The role emphasizes staff development, inventory control, cost management, and delivering a remarkable product while maintaining high standards of cleanliness and teamwork.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to set and achieve KPIs and goals
• Strong written and oral communication with high emotional intelligence
• Experience in training and developing others
• Expertise in inventory management and food safety compliance

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of 20-30, delivering frequent performance feedback
• Manage product cost, ordering, speed of service, and labor costs
• Ensure food safety standards per Federal, Local, and Brand requirements
• Drive profits through food presentation, quality, and cleanliness
• Mitigate waste and manage labor, equipment, and supplies
• Uphold integrity, honor, dignity, and respect in all interactions

Skills

Strategic leadership

Communication

Team development

Inventory management

Accountability

Bilingual English/Spanish

Operational excellence

Job description

RESPONSIBILITIES

Through consistent and intentional leadership, ideal candidates will:

• Set our kitchen’s daily, weekly, monthly, and annual goals based on KPIs, available data, and the Operator’s vision for the business.
• With innovation and care, develop, maintain, and lead in operation of our kitchen systems to deliver a Remarkable Product every time through inventory management and adherence to all food safety regulations, Federal, Local and Brand.
• Focus on our performance and deliver regular updates to leadership and the team around our Product Cost and Ordering, Speed of Service, and Labor Cost regarding the kitchen team.
• Deliver regular performance feedback to a team of 20-30 team members and leaders, developing them as we reach our goals.
• Increase our profits through mindful management of our food presentation, quality assurance, and restaurant cleanliness.
• Decrease business loss through tracking of waste, management of labor, and ensuring all equipment/supplies are properly organized, maintained, cleaned, and sanitized.
• Mitigate risk for the business by providing accountability for our team, our systems, and holding to our standards in all areas of service.
• Hunger for growth and improvement, desire for ongoing education, and passionate about developing others
• Must have integrity and be able to treat others with Honor, Dignity, and Respect.

SKILLS REQUIRED

• Strategic goal- and result-oriented thinking, and possessed of strong management skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills and high emotional intelligence, bilingual English and Spanish preferred
• Strong leadership skills - must be able to see the big picture and focus on the details
• Inventory Management and Organization skills
• Ability to work in a team environment and hold accountability to others and yourself
• Must have a proven track record for development and training of others
• Must be a strong leader able to run a shift and a team, but with the humility to know when to follow and the flexibility to serve wherever needed
• Dependable, with drive and stamina for a high-paced environment and the professionalism to stay productive and focused in all seasons of the business and of life
• Must be able to energize others, keep composed under pressure, and build a strong team culture by leading through influence and example

REQUIREMENTS

• SafeServ Manager Certification or equivalent certification by National Restaurant Association
• Open availability to serve 6 days a week (closed Sundays!), days and nights, and some holidays, Fulltime 40hrs/wk.
• Understanding of expectations for Chick-fil-A customer service standards

Working at a Chick-fil-A restaurant is more than a job – it’s an opportunity for teamwork and leadership development in a positive, people-focused environment. Most Chick-fil-A restaurants are locally owned and operated by independent, franchised Operators who invest in the future of their Team Members and give back to their communities.