Kitchen Manager - Chantilly

Yay Lunch, LLC; Chantilly (VA); Hybrid; USD 51,000 - 69,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Career growth opportunities

Job summary

The Yay Company in Chantilly, VA is seeking a Kitchen Manager to run day-to-day production at our commissary kitchen, serving DC-area school partners. This is a hands-on leadership role; you’ll work on the line with the team and manage schedules, food quality, and on-time execution.

You’ll supervise staff, control labor within budget, handle inventory, and report to the Operations Manager. Must have 2–4 years kitchen experience and ServSafe certification.

Qualifications

• 2–4 years of kitchen or food production experience.
• Hands-on cook and leader, comfortable on the line.
• Experience with cold and hot batch production, food safety, and inventory management.
• Strong people skills and a track record of holding a team accountable.
• ServSafe certification or willingness to obtain within 30 days of hire.
• Must be based in Chantilly or within commuting distance.

Responsibilities

• Runs the kitchen from prep through production and dispatch — schedule, food quality, and on‑time execution
• Leads both cold batch and hot production runs alongside the kitchen team, setting the pace and standard for output
• Manages inventory and pars, keeping waste tracked and trending down through FIFO and portioning discipline
• Sets and manages the kitchen schedule within labor budget; tracks actual vs. scheduled hours
• Directly supervises kitchen staff — hires, onboards, and coaches Lead Cooks and team members
• Handles real‑time issues during production: call-outs, equipment problems, timing
• Reports daily and weekly on labor, waste, and meal counts to the Operations Manager

Skills

Hands-on leadership

Kitchen operations

Food safety

Labor management

Team coaching

Education

ServSafe certification

Job description

The Yay Company

Kitchen Manager — Chantilly, VA (DC-Area Commissary)

Reports to: Operations Manager

Location: Chantilly, VA

Type: Full-Time, Salaried

Role Overview

The Kitchen Manager runs day-to-day production at the Chantilly commissary kitchen, supplying cold and hot meals to a number of school partners across the DC-area market. This is a hands‑on, working kitchen leadership role — you're on the line with the team, not just supervising from the sidelines.

Core Responsibilities

• Runs the kitchen from prep through production and dispatch — schedule, food quality, and on‑time execution
• Leads both cold batch and hot production runs alongside the kitchen team, setting the pace and standard for output
• Manages inventory and pars, keeping waste tracked and trending down through FIFO and portioning discipline
• Sets and manages the kitchen schedule within labor budget; tracks actual vs. scheduled hours
• Directly supervises kitchen staff — hires, onboards, and coaches Lead Cooks and team members
• Handles real‑time issues during production: call-outs, equipment problems, timing
• Reports daily and weekly on labor, waste, and meal counts to the Operations Manager

What Success Looks Like

• The commissary runs smoothly every production day — on time, on standard, no surprises
• Labor stays at or below budget every week
• Waste is tracked and trending down
• All schools served receive food on time, at temperature, and to Yay quality standards

What We're Looking For

• 2–4 years of kitchen or food production experience — you know how to run a shift and lead a team
• Hands‑on cook and leader, comfortable working the line
• Experience with cold and hot batch production, food safety, and inventory management
• Strong people skills and a track record of holding a team accountable
• ServSafe certification or willingness to obtain within 30 days of hire
• Must be based in Chantilly or within commuting distance

What We Offer

• $60,000 annual salary
• A high‑growth, mission‑driven company where your work directly impacts what kids eat every day
• Real career growth as we expand into new markets