Kitchen Operations and Stewarding Manager

The Hotel at Auburn University & Dixon Conference Center; Auburn (AL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits package

Dining discounts

Growth opportunities

Job summary

The Kitchen Operations & Stewarding Manager at The Hotel at Auburn University & Dixon Conference Center leads stewarding and culinary operations, ensuring sanitation, food safety, and back-of-house excellence across all food and beverage venues.

Approximately 50% of the role focuses on stewarding leadership and 50% on supporting culinary operations, working with the Culinary Director of Innovation & Operations and cross‑functional teams to optimize labor and service quality.

Qualifications

• Associate's degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, or related field preferred.
• Equivalent management experience may be substituted.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive culinary or stewarding management experience.

Responsibilities

• Direct and manage all daily stewarding operations.
• Develop and manage stewarding schedules.
• Coordinate staffing and maintain relationships with staffing agencies.
• Maintain HACCP, food safety, and health department compliance.
• Oversee kitchen operations support and culinary production during peak periods.
• Lead, coach, and mentor stewarding team members.

Skills

Stewarding operations

Labor scheduling

Inventory management

Cost control

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Team leadership

Kitchen operations

Equipment maintenance

Microsoft Office / POS systems

Education

Associate's degree in Culinary Arts or Hospitality Management

Equivalent management experience

Job description

Job Summary

Key Responsibilities

Concept Oversight: Kitchens & Stewarding

Position Summary

The Kitchen Operations & Stewarding Manager is responsible for providing leadership, direction, and operational support for both the Stewarding Department and Culinary Operations. This role serves as a key member of the culinary leadership team, ensuring the highest standards of sanitation, food safety, operational efficiency, and back-of-house excellence across all food and beverage outlets.

Approximately 50% of the role is dedicated to stewarding management and 50% to supporting culinary operations, allowing the department to maximize labor resources while maintaining exceptional service standards.

The Kitchen Operations & Stewarding Manager reports directly to the Culinary Director of Innovation & Operations and works collaboratively with Executive Sous Chefs, Restaurant Chefs, Banquet Culinary, Engineering, Purchasing, and Food & Beverage leadership.

Stewarding Leadership (Approximately 50%)

• Direct and manage all daily stewarding operations throughout the property.
• Develop, approve, and manage stewarding schedules to ensure efficient labor utilization.
• Coordinate temporary staffing requirements and maintain productive relationships with staffing agencies.
• Maintain compliance with all local, state, and federal sanitation regulations.
• Ensure full compliance with HACCP, food safety, and health department requirements.
• Oversee dishwashing operations, chemical handling, sanitation programs, and waste management.
• Maintain inventory and accountability of china, glassware, flatware, cookware, utensils, and kitchen smallwares.
• Coordinate banquet equipment distribution, event setup, and breakdown logistics.
• Conduct regular inspections of kitchens, storage areas, loading docks, and stewarding facilities.
• Partner with Engineering to coordinate preventive maintenance and repairs of kitchen equipment.
• Monitor departmental expenses while identifying opportunities for cost savings and operational improvements.
• Develop and implement cleaning schedules and deep-cleaning programs for all back-of-house areas.

Kitchen Operations Support (Approximately 50%)

• Assist Executive Sous Chefs and Sous Chefs in daily kitchen operations based on business demands.
• Provide culinary production support during peak service periods, special events, banquets, and high-volume operations.
• Assist with food preparation and production when operationally necessary.
• Support receiving, storage, inventory control, and proper product rotation.
• Ensure adherence to culinary Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Monitor food safety, quality assurance, and kitchen organization.
• Assist in implementing labor efficiency initiatives across culinary operations.
• Support menu rollouts, special events, and operational projects.
• Participate in daily culinary meetings and production planning.
• Help maintain consistency of execution across all kitchens.
• Serve as an operational resource across restaurants, banquets, catering, retail outlets, and employee dining operations.

Leadership Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and mentor stewarding team members.
• Support training and onboarding of culinary and stewarding associates.
• Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, professionalism, and continuous improvement.
• Conduct performance evaluations and provide ongoing coaching.
• Promote safe work practices and a positive working environment.
• Maintain high employee engagement while supporting departmental goals.

Financial Responsibilities

• Manage stewarding labor within established budgets.
• Monitor productivity and labor utilization.
• Assist in reducing operating costs through improved efficiencies.
• Control inventory levels of chemicals, cleaning supplies, kitchen equipment, and smallwares.
• Minimize breakage, waste, and replacement costs.

Operational Standards

• Ensure compliance with:
  • HACCP Standards
  • Health Department Regulations
  • OSHA Requirements
  • Company Policies and Procedures
  • Brand Standards
  • Food Safety Programs
  • Sustainability and Recycling Initiatives

Qualifications

Education

• Associate's degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, or related field preferred.
• Equivalent management experience may be substituted.

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of progressive culinary or stewarding management experience.
• Hotel, resort, conference center, or luxury hospitality experience preferred.
• Experience managing high-volume food and beverage operations.
• Previous supervisory experience required.

Knowledge & Skills

• Strong understanding of stewarding operations.
• Knowledge of commercial kitchen operations.
• HACCP and food safety expertise.
• Labor scheduling and workforce management.
• Inventory management and cost control.
• Equipment maintenance coordination.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Ability to lead multiple teams simultaneously.
• Computer proficiency including Microsoft Office and hotel/POS systems.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods.
• Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to work in hot, humid, and fast-paced kitchen environments.
• Ability to work mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events as business demands require.

Performance Expectations

Success In This Role Will Be Measured By

• Stewarding labor productivity
• Culinary labor support effectiveness
• Health inspection results
• HACCP compliance
• Kitchen cleanliness scores
• Equipment readiness
• Inventory accuracy
• Banquet operational execution
• Employee engagement
• Internal guest satisfaction
• Cost control and labor optimization

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary based on experience
• Performance bonus opportunities
• Paid time off
• Health benefits package
• Dining discounts
• Growth opportunities within Ithaka Hospitality Partners and Gather Group

An Equal Opportunity Employer

We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, or any other status protected by law or regulation. It is our intention that all qualified applicants are given equal opportunity and that selection decisions be based on job related factors.