Kitchen Manager

Rhode Island School of Design; Rhode Island; On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Rhode Island School of Design seeks a Kitchen Manager to oversee on-campus dining venues, the commissary program, and catering. You will lead daily kitchen operations, ensure policy adherence, and guide culinary programs aligned with campus priorities.

The role requires managing supervisors and non-exempt staff, maintaining health and safety standards, and driving continuous improvement in service quality and student experiences.

Responsibilities

• Oversees daily kitchen operations to align with RISD priorities and high standards.
• Monitors customer experience and ensures diverse client needs are met.
• Administers policies, resolves operational concerns, and plans around the academic calendar.
• Delegates tasks effectively and collaborates with front-of-house for seamless service.
• Tests new recipes and concepts for catering, retail, and menus reflecting quality and seasonality.

Job description

JOB SUMMARY (OVERVIEW)

The Kitchen Manager fosters lasting dining relationships by creating a thoughtful and meaningful culinary program. Directly oversees the kitchens of on-campus Dining Venues, the commissary program, and catering. Participates in planning and developing culinary programs that are flexible and reflect campus priorities. Oversees daily operational performance, including staffing levels, ensuring consistent administration of operational policies and culinary principles. Manages the full hiring and performance management process for supervisors and non-exempt staff. Ensures the workplace reflects best practices in terms of health and safety protocols. Maintains key financial influencers. Makes programmatic recommendations based current and next-generation dining trends.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS/DUTIES

Culinary Program

Oversees daily operations to ensure RISD's culinary program aligns with strategic priorities while maintaining high kitchen standards.

Fosters a welcoming and professional environment by promptly and courteously monitoring the customer experience and ensuring the program meets the needs of a diverse clientele.

Administers policies, resolves operational concerns, and plans around RISD's academic calendar.

Effectively delegates tasks aligned with team members' abilities and collaborates with the front-of-house team to ensure seamless service.

Tests new recipes and concepts, ensuring catering, retail, and menu cycles reflect Dining's mission, core values, and high standards of quality, authenticity, and seasonality.

Empower and Develop

Cultivates a strong sense of unity, leading by example and driving overall team performance.

Inspires the culinary team to strive for excellence, fostering growth in cultural sensitivity, flavor profiles, culinary expertise, and technical proficiency.

Ensures the team has the resources, support, and training needed for success and creates a culture of continuous improvement.

With a focus on enhancing the student experience, sets clear goals and rallies the team around shared, student-focused objectives.

Conducts or delegates performance management as appropriate, aligning with team members' roles and responsibilities.

Uses transparent communication methods to keep all levels informed, while ensuring record-keeping, licenses, and quality assurance measures remain up to date.

Adapts and reviews employee training manuals and SOPs as needed to support evolving operational needs.

Financial Oversight

Supports financial outcomes by influencing multi-year financial modeling through intra-venue menu engineering, accurate utilization, and integration of the menu management system.

Leverages relationships with vendor representatives to ensure expectations are met and optimizes services and products to enhance the student experience.

Identifies and suggests process improvements to streamline operations, increase efficiency, and achieve financial goals.

Manages staffing levels to align with target labor hours, including seasonal adjustments.

Ensures accurate input and maintenance of all recipes and processes, with proper pricing and ingredients, in the menu management system.

Regularly meets with vendor representatives to ensure purchases align with specifications, standard par stock levels, and budget forecasts, while all transfer activity is accurately documented.

Health and Safety Compliance

Upholds strict compliance with all applicable health and safety codes, setting and enforcing sanitation standards for food preparation, handling, transport, and service.

Oversees preventative maintenance schedules and ensures kitchen equipment operates properly, following manufacturer instructions and maintaining accurate records.

Responsible for kitchen cleaning schedules and disseminates RI Health Department reports to the team, creating action plans as needed.

Addresses food-related physical, medical, and environmental issues and involves proactive measures and strategic solutions.

Ensures the precise implementation of specialized dietary plans.

Menu Management and Inventory

Creates and updates menus and recipes using CBORD software to align with the culinary vision, dining mission, and core values.

Analyzes ingredient costs and tracks inventory to inform menu pricing and maintain optimal stock levels. Accurately costs recipes to ensure proper pricing for profitability.

Implements inventory management strategies to maintain par stock levels and minimize waste.

Ensures the accuracy and availability of allergen and nutritional information for customer safety and satisfaction. Uses sales data and customer feedback to optimize menu offerings to enhance satisfaction and profitability.

Plays a key role in the execution of catering menus and events, both on- and off-site, and contributes to menu development as requested.

Additional Duties

Provides support to the Executive Chef in planning, preparing, coordinating, and executing both catered and Dining events.

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