Kitchen Manager

Compass Group, North America; New York (NY); On-site; USD 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance/ AD

Disability Insurance

Retirement Plan

Paid Time Off

Holiday Time Off

Associate Shopping Program

Health and Wellness Programs

Discount Marketplace

Identity Theft Protection

Pet Insurance

Commuter Benefits

Employee Assistance Program

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

Paid Parental Leave

Personal Leave

Job summary

Bon Appetit in New York seeks a growth-minded Kitchen Manager to lead both culinary and food service operations across our contract dining programs. You will oversee kitchen leadership, inventory management, food safety compliance, quality assurance, and team development in a hands-on role that rewards operational excellence and guest satisfaction.

The ideal candidate is passionate about food quality, sustainability, and maintaining a safe, organized work environment while driving continuous

Qualifications

• HACCP principles and food safety regulations knowledge required.
• 3+ years culinary management in contract foodservice, fine dining, or restaurants with purchasing/ inventory/ cost control responsibilities.
• Extensive knowledge of food and catering trends, quality, production, sanitation, presentation, and cost management.
• Experience leading high-volume culinary operations with regulatory compliance.
• Experience with exposition cooking.
• P&L accountability knowledge and contract-managed service experience preferred.
• ServSafe certification preferred.
• Strong organizational, leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Proven ability to maintain safe, organized, and inspection-ready kitchen.

Responsibilities

• Provide full culinary management of the food service operation including inventory management, ordering, receiving, storage, and product rotation.
• Oversee purchasing, menu development, cost controls, and inventory with a focus on local sourcing.
• Manage ordering processes to maintain inventory levels while minimizing waste using FIFO.
• Ensure proper receiving, invoice verification, labeling, dating, storage, and rotation.
• Maintain clean, organized walk-ins, storage areas, dish rooms, and compliance logs.
• Maintain all food safety, sanitation, and operational logs on schedule.
• Serve as kitchen Safety Champion, conducting safety audits and promoting a culture of safety.
• Ensure HACCP, DOH regulations, temperature monitoring, sanitation standards, and policies are followed.
• Keep kitchen inspection-ready through self-inspections and corrective actions.
• Coordinate maintenance and repairs with timely work orders; report hazards.
• Verify daily opening/closing procedures and production records.
• Complete Grab & Go audits for quality and presentation; ensure guest satisfaction.
• Monitor food quality, freshness, labeling, presentation, and culinary execution.
• Lead and develop kitchen staff, holding them to standards and performance expectations.
• Participate in daily/weekly safety and operations meetings.
• Demonstrate knowledge of P&L and support financial performance goals.
• Advocate sustainability and responsible sourcing.

Skills

HACCP knowledge

Culinary management

Food trends

High-volume operations

P&L accountability

ServSafe certification

Leadership

Communication

Job description

Bon Appetit

Position Title: Kitchen Manager

Salary: 65,000-75,000

Other Forms of Compensation:

Our Passion is Food!

At Bon Appetit Management Company we are committed to two things, great food and outstanding service! At Bon Appetit you won't find our managers referring to a corporate recipe book or our chefs microwaving the lunch special. We do not have standardized recipes or central commissaries, instead, our chefs and managers are expected to stay abreast of current culinary trends and bring cutting edge food into their cafes. We are a restaurant company that operates in contract food service. That means you will have the freedom to be creative, take risks, and truly shine. We are committed to our staff growing, trying new things, and learning all that they can. Our rapid growth and breadth of accounts translates into exciting opportunities for our people!

Job Summary

We are seeking a growth-minded Kitchen Manager for our growing business. In this role, you will be responsible for the overall success of both the culinary and food service operation, including kitchen leadership, inventory management, food safety compliance, quality assurance, and team development. The ideal candidate is a hands-on leader who is passionate about operational excellence, food quality, sustainability, and creating a safe and organized work environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide full culinary management of the food service operation, including inventory management, ordering, receiving, storage, and product rotation.
• Oversee purchasing, menu development, cost controls, and inventory management with a focus on sourcing and utilizing local food products.
• Manage food, beverage, and supply ordering processes to maintain appropriate inventory levels while minimizing waste through First In, First Out (FIFO) practices.
• Ensure proper receiving procedures, invoice verification, product labeling, dating, storage, and rotation throughout the operation.
• Maintain clean, organized, and compliant walk-in coolers, freezers, dry storage areas, dish rooms, porter stations, chemical storage rooms, and smallwares storage areas.
• Maintain all Compass food safety, sanitation, and operational logs accurately and on schedule.
• Serve as the kitchen Safety Champion by maintaining the Safety Binder, conducting safety audits, tracking corrective actions, and promoting a culture of workplace safety.
• Ensure compliance with HACCP procedures, Department of Health (DOH) regulations, temperature monitoring requirements, sanitation standards, and company policies.
• Keep the kitchen inspection-ready at all times through routine self-inspections, documentation, and corrective actions.
• Conduct daily equipment inspections and coordinate maintenance repairs by submitting, monitoring, and following up on work orders until completion.
• Immediately identify and report safety hazards, equipment issues, and operational concerns.
• Verify completion of daily kitchen opening and closing procedures, production records, and operational checklists.
• Complete Grab & Go quality, merchandising, and presentation audits to ensure product quality and guest satisfaction.
• Monitor food quality, freshness, labeling accuracy, presentation standards, and overall culinary execution.
• Lead, coach, and develop kitchen staff while holding team members accountable for food safety, operational standards, and performance expectations.
• Participate in and facilitate daily or weekly 10@10 safety and operational meetings.
• Demonstrate knowledge of P&L accountability and support financial performance objectives.
• Possess a passion for sustainability and support company initiatives that promote responsible sourcing and waste reduction.

Qualifications

• Working knowledge of HACCP principles and food safety regulations.
• Minimum of three years of culinary management experience in contract foodservice, fine dining, or restaurant environments with responsibility for purchasing, inventory management, and cost control.
• Extensive knowledge of food and catering trends with a focus on quality, production, sanitation, presentation, and food cost management.
• Experience leading high-volume culinary operations and maintaining regulatory compliance.
• Experience with exposition cooking.
• Knowledge of P&L accountability and contract-managed service experience preferred.
• ServSafe certification preferred.
• Strong organizational, leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Proven ability to maintain a safe, organized, and inspection-ready kitchen environment.

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Life Insurance/ AD
• Disability Insurance
• Retirement Plan
• Paid Time Off
• Holiday Time Off (varies by site/state)
• Associate Shopping Program
• Health and Wellness Programs
• Discount Marketplace
• Identity Theft Protection
• Pet Insurance
• Commuter Benefits
• Employee Assistance Program
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Paid Parental Leave
• Personal Leave

Compass Group is an equal opportunity employer. At Compass, we are committed to treating all Applicants and Associates fairly based on their abilities, achievements, and experience without regard to race, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by law.

Qualified candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of this position satisfactorily with or without a reasonable accommodation. Disclaimer: this job post is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all essential responsibilities, skills, tasks, or requirements associated with this position. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the position posted, the Company reserves the right to modify or change the essential functions of the job based on business necessity. We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with a criminal history (including relevant driving history), in a manner consistent with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York Fair Chance Act.

Certain positions may require Florida Level 2 background screening. Details: https://info.flclearinghouse.com/

Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Bon Appetit maintains a drug-free workplace.