Overview
Kitchen Café & Catering is looking for a dependable, organized, and hands-on Kitchen Lead to help oversee daily food production for both our café and catering operations. This is a working leadership position for someone who enjoys cooking, leading by example, and keeping a kitchen running smoothly.
The ideal candidate is a strong cook with excellent organizational skills, a positive attitude, and the ability to stay calm under pressure. You'll work closely with our Catering Manager and kitchen team to execute café service, prepare catering menus, maintain quality standards, and help create a collaborative, team-oriented environment.
This is an excellent opportunity for someone who wants to take ownership of kitchen operations while working for a growing local catering and café company that values teamwork, flexibility, and great food.
Responsibilities
- Lead daily kitchen operations for both café and catering production
- Serve as the kitchen leader and primary point person for back-of-house operations
- Create and manage weekly back-of-house staff schedules, ensuring proper coverage for café operations, catering production, and events
- Execute recipes and menus while maintaining consistency, quality, and presentation standards
- Work closely with the Catering Manager to develop and execute menus that align with each client's vision, budget, and event needs
- Create, implement, and maintain systems for inventory management, food ordering, and food waste tracking
- Monitor food costs and identify opportunities to reduce waste and improve efficiency
- Manage inventory levels, place orders, receive deliveries, and maintain organized storage areas
- Build prep schedules and production timelines to ensure all café and catering needs are met
- Train, coach, and support kitchen staff while fostering a positive team culture
- Ensure compliance with all food safety, sanitation, and health department standards
- Maintain a clean, organized, and efficient kitchen environment
- Jump into any station as needed, including grill, prep, plating, and event production
- Help establish and refine operational processes as our catering program continues to grow
Requirements
- Minimum 3 years of professional kitchen experience required
- Previous experience in a leadership, supervisory, or kitchen management role preferred
- Current ServSafe Manager Certification required
- Strong cooking skills with experience in high-volume food production
- Catering experience is highly desirable
- Proven ability to lead a team, delegate tasks, and hold staff accountable
- Experience creating staff schedules and managing labor efficiently
- Strong understanding of inventory management, food ordering, food costing, and waste reduction practices
- Ability to develop and implement operational systems and processes
- Excellent organizational, time management, and multitasking skills
- Strong communication skills and ability to work collaboratively with both front-of-house and event teams
- Comfortable working directly with the Catering Manager to execute custom menus and client requests
- Self-motivated, dependable, and capable of working independently with minimal supervision
- Solution-oriented mindset with the ability to adapt in a fast-paced environment
- Ability to lift 50 pounds and stand, bend, and move throughout an entire shift
- Reliable transportation and punctual attendance
- Available to work a regular schedule of approximately 6:00 AM–3:00 PM, four weekdays per week, with weekend availability as needed for catering events
Ideal Candidate
- Confident stepping into a leadership role and taking ownership of kitchen operations
- Looking for a long-term position with opportunities to grow alongside the company
- Leads by example and maintains a positive, professional attitude
- Takes pride in organization, consistency, and attention to detail
- Enjoys building systems and improving processes rather than simply maintaining the status quo
- Thrives in both café and catering environments and enjoys the variety that comes with each
- Strong leadership presence with the ability to motivate, train, and support a diverse team
- Bilingual in English and Spanish strongly preferred; ability to communicate effectively with both English and Spanish speaking team members
Pay: $30.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Flexible schedule
- Paid time off
Work Location: In person
