Manager of Community Kitchen

Community Action House; Holland (MI); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Community Action House in Holland, MI is seeking a Manager of the Community Kitchen to lead a hospitality‑focused team and oversee daily meal preparation for 100–200 guests. You will guide staff and volunteers, plan menus, ensure food safety, and partner with related teams to keep operations running smoothly.

You will foster a warm, welcoming space that connects neighbors with health and support services, while managing inventory and coordinating with partner sites for program success.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of relevant experience.
• 1+ years of supervisory experience.
• Bachelor's degree or culinary certificate, or equivalent years of experience.
• Preferred: Culinary degree / Certification, Food Safety Certification, Nutrition knowledge.
• Basic conversational Spanish proficiency desired.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee daily Community Kitchen operations for 100-200 guests.
• Ensure a welcoming, dignified guest and volunteer experience.
• Plan weekly menus and direct meal preparation and kitchen workflow.
• Supervise staff and volunteers, schedule coverage, and conduct performance management.
• Oversee FIFO inventory management for onsite and offsite inventory.
• Establish procedures, checklists, and expectations for daily operations.

Skills

Team leadership

Staff supervision

Menu planning

Food safety

Communication

Problem solving

Spanish (basic)

Education

Bachelor's degree or culinary certificate

Job description

As the Manager of the Community Kitchen, you’ll lead a hospitality-focused team focused on providing access to free and healthy meals to those in need in our local Holland community Monday through Friday. This position partners with our Lakeshore Food Rescue as well as our Outreach and Housing Access teams, using rescued food to create healthy meals for our guests. The Community Kitchen manager will focus on meal planning, guiding and directing staff and volunteers through daily prep and cooking, and keeping operations running smoothly and safely. Beyond managing the kitchen, you’ll help build a warm, welcoming space that uses food as a bridge to connect neighbors with essential health and support services.

Responsibilities & Essential Duties

• Lead and oversee daily Community Kitchen operations, ensuring the consistent preparation and service of nutritious, high-quality meals for approximately 100-200 guests.
• Ensure a welcoming, dignified, and high-quality experience for Community Kitchen guests and volunteers.
• Plan weekly menus and provide direction for meal preparation, food utilization, kitchen workflow, and service operations.
• Lead, supervise, develop, and hold accountable Community Kitchen team members, including staff scheduling and coverage, delegation of responsibilities, regular 1:1s and team meetings, performance management, and cross-training.
• Oversee inventory management, and ensure FIFO inventory management system is maintained for both onsite and offsite inventory.
• Establish clear roles, workflows, operational procedures, checklists, and expectations that support effective daily operations and appropriate backup coverage.
• Responsible for oversight of food safety, sanitation, health code compliance, kitchen safety, and readiness for required inspections.
• Oversee Community Kitchen program data, documentation, reporting, and other critical program measures to ensure information is accurate, timely, and useful for program decision-making.
• Maintain strong working relationships and active communication with the partner site leadership and other Community Kitchen partners, vendors, and community stakeholders.
• Assist guest conflict resolution and behavior de-escalation, ensuring team members are supported and challenging situations are managed effectively.
• Work collaboratively with the Food Club, Food Rescue and Partnerships, and Logistics teams to ensure effective flow of food between programs.
• Work collaboratively with the Volunteer Experience Champion to expand volunteer opportunities, creating training documentation and pathways for easy onboarding and training of new volunteers to work in our ‘One Team’ approach to service.
• Provide overall leadership and direction for the Community Kitchen, including annual goals, operational planning, staffing and volunteer utilization, process improvement, special projects, and monitoring overall program quality.
• Collaborate with the Director of Housing Access and other organizational leaders to identify program needs, address challenges, evaluate opportunities, and support the long‑term development of the Community Kitchen.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education & Experience

• 6+ years of relevant experience required
• 1+ years of supervisory experience required
• Bachelors degree or culinary certificate required, or in place of a degree, equivalent years of experience
• Preferred: Culinary degree / Certification, Food Safety Certification, Nutrition knowledge
• Basic conversational Spanish proficiency desired

Qualifications

• Previous experience cooking for large groups of people (100-200 people/meal).
• Previous experience in menu planning nutritious meals from scratch, preferably with proven ability to work with uncertain inventory.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks independently.
• Analytical and problem‑solving skills with the ability to interpret information to support decision making.
• Fosters trust with others by consistently conducting work with honesty, reliability, and mutual respect, while also demonstrating transparency and emotional openness.
• Cultivates a collaborative and supportive work environment, empowering team members, fostering collaboration and teamwork, and providing guidance and mentorship as needed.
• Ability to mitigate and resolve guest conflicts, fostering a calm and constructive environment where team members feel supported and conflicts are effectively managed.