Culinary Field Specialist

Upper Crust Food Service, LLC; Lawrence (KS); On-site; USD 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Upper Crust Food Service, LLC in Lawrence, Kansas is seeking an Ops Coordinator to manage staffing and operational logistics across multiple locations. This field role involves problem-solving on-site, ensuring efficient operations, and supporting chefs and staff.

The ideal candidate has experience in food service, strong communication skills, and is able to think on their feet. This position is a pathway to an Area Manager role, providing real responsibility in a growing company.

Qualifications

• Experience in food service, hospitality, or multi-site operations.
• Organized and responsive; able to juggle shifting priorities.
• Calm under pressure and professional communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain staffing schedules across multiple houses.
• Serve as first responder for staffing gaps and emergencies.
• Conduct regular site visits and observe operations.

Skills

Food service experience

Operational instincts

Strong communication skills

Ability to manage shifting priorities

Job description

Proudly serving Sororities and Fraternities, Upper Crust Food Service is known for freshness, quality, variety, and excellent customer service. Upper Crust Food Service began with a vision to solve a problem that many Fraternity and Sorority houses face. That problem is a lack of consistency and professionalism in the kitchen. With a focus on great food and personal service, we’ve remained true to our roots. Today, the chefs of Upper Crust Food Service prepare tens of thousands of meals weekly for students across the country.

The Ops Coordinator is the operational engine of an extended subregion. You work side-by-side with the Area Manager, absorbing the logistics, scheduling, and on-the-ground coordination that keep our houses running — so the AM can stay focused on partners, chefs, and standards.

This is a field role with real responsibility. You’re in the houses, solving problems in real time, building credibility with chefs and staff, and learning the business from every angle. For the right person, this role is the clearest path to becoming an Area Manager at Upper Crust.

WHAT YOU'LL OWN

Scheduling & Staffing Coordination

• Build and maintain staffing schedules across the subregion’s houses, ensuring consistent coverage across every shift.
• Serve as first responder for last-minute staffing gaps — call-outs, no-shows, emergencies. You make the calls and fill the shifts.
• Maintain a current bench of qualified relief staff and track availability proactively.
• Coordinate with vendors on deliveries, invoicing questions, and supply issues.
• Manage logistics for new house onboarding — equipment, setup timelines, staffing plans.
• Own the operational details so the Area Manager can focus on partner relationships.
• Conduct regular site visits across the subregion to check in with chefs and observe operations.
• Identify issues early — operational, staffing, or facility — and escalates with context and a proposed solution.
• Support chefs in the field: problem-solve with them, not around them.

Partner-Facing Coordination

• Serve as the day-to-day logistical contact for on-site partners when operational questions arise.
• Handle logistical and coordination-level conversations; route relationship and commercial matters to the Area Manager.
• Represent Upper Crust with the same professionalism and care our partners expect from the AM.
• Uphold Upper Crust’s service and safety standards on every site visit.
• Learn the business end-to-end: partner dynamics, P&L drivers, menu planning, chef development.
• Build the judgment and relationships that position you for the Area Manager path.

WHAT YOU BRING

• Experience in food service, hospitality, or multi-site operations — ideally in a coordination, supervisory, or lead role.
• Operational instincts: you’re organized, responsive, and comfortable juggling shifting priorities.
• Calm under pressure — especially when a shift needs covering on short notice.
• Strong communication skills; you can hold a conversation with a chef at 6 AM and a partner at 10 AM with equal professionalism.
• Willingness to travel within the subregion and be present where the work is happening.
• Genuine interest in building a career in field operations leadership.

SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

• No chronic coverage gaps — shifts are staffed, issues get solved.
• Chefs and site staff trust you and bring problems to you early.
• The Area Manager has the time and focus to do AM-level work because you’re handling the coordination layer.
• Partner feedback on day-to-day responsiveness is consistently strong.

THE PATH FORWARD

The Ops Coordinator role is designed as the preferred pipeline for Area Manager openings as Upper Crust grows. The on-the-ground experience you build here — partner dynamics, operational judgment, chef relationships — is exactly what prepares you to run your own subregion. This is a role with a destination.

Upper Crust Food Service provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.