Kitchen Manager — Lead Production & Team (School Meals)

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 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.