Assistant Kitchen Manager Job Description
Position Summary
The Assistant Kitchen Manager works closely with the Kitchen Manager and leadership team to oversee kitchen operations, maintain food quality standards, ensure cleanliness and safety compliance, and support staff development. This is a hands-on leadership role ideal for a dependable person who thrives in a fast-paced restaurant setting, leads by example, is committed to supporting strong teamwork and demonstrates a strong work ethic. The perfect candidate is someone who won’t hesitate to jump in and do the hard work when necessary to ensure an excellent guest experience, a smooth kitchen environment, and operational excellence.
Key Responsibilities
Kitchen Operations
- Assist in managing daily kitchen activities, including food preparation, cooking, plating, and service.
- Ensure all menu items are prepared according to recipes, portion standards, and presentation guidelines.
- Help maintain smooth communication between kitchen staff, front-of-house staff, and management.
- Step in to lead kitchen operations when the Kitchen Manager is absent.
Staff Supervision
- Support hiring, training, scheduling, and coaching of kitchen team members.
- Monitor staff performance and provide direction during shifts.
- Promote teamwork, professionalism, and a positive work environment.
- Help ensure proper staffing levels for busy periods, events, and daily operations, while tracking, monitoring and controlling overtime.
- Help manage ticket times and kitchen workflow during peak hours.
- Maintain a positive, team-oriented work environment.
- Assist with opening and closing procedures, including documenting and reporting all waste at closing.
- Communicate effectively with front-of-house and management teams.
Food Safety and Cleanliness
- Enforce food safety, sanitation, and hygiene standards in compliance with local health regulations.
- Ensure proper food storage, labeling, rotation, and temperature control.
- Maintain cleanliness of kitchen equipment, workstations, storage areas, and prep areas.
- Assist with health inspections and internal safety checks.
Inventory and Cost Control
- Assist as needed with ordering, receiving, and inventory management.
- Monitor food waste and help control food costs.
- Ensure supplies, ingredients, and equipment are properly stocked.
- Report shortages, equipment issues, or maintenance needs promptly.
Quality Control
- Inspect food quality before service to ensure consistency and customer satisfaction.
- Assist in resolving food-related complaints or service issues.
- Support menu updates, specials, and seasonal offerings as needed.
Communication & Reporting
· Report daily issues to Kitchen Manager and GM
· Share staff performance concerns and wins
· Provide input on ordering, menu feedback, and staffing needs
· Assist with training and new hire onboarding
· All significant operational or maintenance issues, incident reports, disciplinary actions, safety issues, and theft suspicions must be reported to the Kitchen Manager and GM in writing in an end-of-shift report. Verbal reporting alone is not sufficient.
Physical and Mental Requirements of Position
- Must possess a high level of personal integrity and professional ethics.
- Must be able to work effectively in a high-traffic, fast-paced restaurant environment with frequent interaction with guests and staff.
- Must be able to stand for extended periods (up to 6 - 8 hours per shift), work at a desk, bend, stoop, kneel, and reach to access items at varying height levels (e.g. filing cabinets, tables, and storage areas).
- Must be able to move independently and quickly within and among unconnected property buildings, including safely ascending and descending stairs.
- Must be able to work flexible hours to include nights, weekends and holidays, as required, maintain physical presence at work and have reliable transportation to and from the workplace or other locations.
- Must be able to use computers, tablets, or other electronic devices for extended periods (up to 6 – 8 hours per shift, as needed) for scheduling, communication, documentation, and reporting tasks.
- Must be able to exert up to 50 lbs. frequently to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including safely transporting supplies or other things through crowded service areas.
- Must be able to pick, pinch or otherwise work primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand or arm as in handling individual sheets of paper or writing instruments.
- Must be capable of (i) 3-dimensional vision; (ii) clarity of vision at 20 inches or less; (iii) clarity of vision at 30 feet or more; (iv) adjusting the lens of the eye to bring an object into sharp focus; and (v) identifying and distinguishing colors.
- Must possess strong written and verbal communication skills and be able to communicate effectively in a busy restaurant environment, including clearly expressing ideas; hearing and responding to conversations, guest requests, and operational cues; supervising employees; communicating operational information; and producing clear documentation or reports as required.
- Must be able to organize, plan and prioritize work and evaluate information and solve problems.
- Must be able to observe the service environment, including movement of guests, staff, and equipment, while maintaining awareness of operational activities and making timely operational decisions during high-volume periods in accordance with safety, service quality, and company standards (e.g., redirecting staff to manage unexpected guest surges; quickly addressing safety hazards such as spills or obstructed walkways).
Environment
The individual in this position will encounter a work environment as described below. Reasonable accommodations may be made based on appropriate medical documentation of a person’s disabilities to allow for such persons to be able to perform his or her job functions. While each situation will be evaluated independently, permanent modifications to essential job functions may not possible. The work environments employees will encounter will include the following locations, situations, and/or conditions.
· A general restaurant kitchen environment in the primary workspace where the company’s food production operations occur.
· A general restaurant environment in a secondary workspace where the company’s food and beverage operations occur and where employee orientations and some meetings are held.
· A general office environment in another secondary workspace with standard office equipment accessible.
· Kitchen management and kitchen staff primarily work in a restaurant kitchen setting. Work conditions may include exposure to elevated temperatures, steam, sharp tools, hot surfaces, commercial kitchen equipment, cleaning chemicals, wet or slippery floors, and other hazards typical of a food-service environment. Compliance with all safety, sanitation, and equipment-handling procedures is required.
· Portions of the dining and service areas located outdoors. Management will spend time working in outdoor spaces. Outdoor work conditions may include exposure to heat, humidity, wind, rain, and other weather conditions typical of a coastal restaurant environment.
· Adequate lighting including some natural light from windows and fluorescent and LED overhead light fixtures.
· Generally moderate temperatures in indoor spaces, although temperature is subject to some fluctuations due to building structure.
· Frequent moderate noise levels, occasionally loud.
· High-traffic and fast-paced environment.
· Moderate dust.
· Frequent movement between dining rooms, service stations, kitchen areas, outdoor spaces, and management work areas.
Pay: $44,000.00 - $48,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Dental insurance
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
- Vision insurance
People with a criminal record are encouraged to apply
Work Location: In person
