Supervisor Operations - Cold Food

Sky Chefs; Des Plaines (IL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

SkyChefs, Des Plaines, IL, seeks a Supervisor Operations - Cold Food to oversee cold production in a high-volume airline catering setting. You’ll supervise a team, ensure meals are prepared, assembled, and delivered on schedule for 180+ daily flights, and drive operational excellence.

Ideal candidate has 1–3 years of supervisory food production experience, an associates or bachelor’s degree or equivalent, and solid knowledge of GMP, FDA, USDA, OSHA, and EPA regulations.

Qualifications

• Associates/Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 1–3 years supervisory experience in food production or catering environment or equivalent.
• Food handling and food safety knowledge.
• Strong leadership and communication skills; able to manage 20+ hourly employees.
• Comfortable with all levels of employees; drive positive program change.
• Ability to give constructive feedback daily.
• Working knowledge of OSHA, GMP, FDA, USDA and EPA regulations.
• Excellent verbal, written, and organizational skills; ability to multi-task.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office and Windows applications.

Responsibilities

• Supervise the Cold Food Department and coordinate with other department leaders.
• Ensure staffing and timely delivery of meals to meet schedules.
• Lead daily work group meetings.
• Maintain financial goals related to material, productivity, overtime, and labor.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory standards (FDA, USDA, OSHA, EPA, HACCP, etc.).
• Document and follow up on department processes to implement improvements.
• Perform other duties as needed.

Skills

Airline catering ops

Team supervision

Employee accountability

Production planning

Time management

Quality & safety

Performance monitoring

Workflow optimization

Meeting deadlines

High-volume production

Education

Associates/Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Job Title: Supervisor Operations - Cold Food
Job Location: Des Plaines-USA-60016
Work Location Type: On-Site
Salary Range: $59,796.82 - 74,746.03

About us

Since 1942, SkyChefs has taken culinary excellence to new heights. As a trusted partner to the nation’s leading airlines and retailers, we proudly deliver millions of meals and exceptional service experiences every year across 43 sites throughout the United States. Built on a legacy of operational excellence, culinary expertise, and continuous innovation, we are committed to setting the industry standard in aviation culinary, airline services, last-mile logistics, and retail commerce. From the kitchen to the runway, our teams work together to deliver quality, reliability, and service at every altitude. Our people are the heart of everything we do. At SkyChefs, a career is more than a job – it’s an opportunity to grow, lead, and make an impact in a fast-paced, team-driven environment. Join America’s first, foremost, and finest and take your career to new heights.

Role Purpose Statement

Responsible for overseeing cold food production operations in a high-volume airline catering environment, ensuring all meals are prepared, assembled, and delivered on schedule to support more than 180 flights daily. Manages production teams by assigning tasks, monitoring performance, and holding team members accountable for meeting quality, safety, and productivity standards.

Demonstrates strong time management skills and a thorough understanding of airline catering requirements, recognizing that on-time food production is critical to preventing flight delays. Regularly walks the production floor to observe workflow, address operational challenges, ensure compliance with procedures, and maintain efficient production processes. A driven and results-oriented leader with proven supervisory experience, focused on team performance, operational excellence, and customer satisfaction.

Main Accountabilities

Supervisor Responsibility

• Responsible for supervising the Cold Food Department and working closely with other department leaders
• Ensure that the area of responsibility is properly organized, staffed and directed and that all delivery times are being met timely
• Conduct daily work group meetings
• Maintains all financial goals related to material, productivity, overtime, and labor goals
• Ensure compliance with all government regulatory agencies standards (example: Food and Drug Administration (FDA), United Stated Department of Agriculture (USDA), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), Department of Transportation (DOT), Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), etc.)
• Document and follow up on all department processes in order to implement improvements
• Other duties as deemed necessary

Key Competencies

• Airline Catering Operations
• Team Supervision & Leadership
• Employee Accountability
• Production Planning & Coordination
• Time Management
• Quality & Food Safety Compliance
• Performance Monitoring
• Workflow Optimization
• Meeting Critical Flight Deadlines
• High-Volume Production Environment
• Continuous Floor Presence & Observation
• Problem Solving & Decision Making

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Associates/Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• In addition, one to three years of supervisory experience in a food production and restaurant or catering environment or equivalent experience
• Food handling and food safety knowledge experience
• Must have strong and effective leadership and communication skills and the ability to successfully manage a staff of 20+ hourly employees
• Candidate must be comfortable with all levels of employees and have the ability to drive positive program change.
• Ability to give negative and positive feedback to employees on a daily basis
• Working knowledge of OSHA, Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), FDA, USDA and EPA regulations
• Excellent verbal, written and organizational skills required along with the ability to multi-task
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office and Windows-based computer applications

SkyChefs is an EEO and Affimative Action Employer of Women/Minorities/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities.