Reports To: Director of Store Operations
The Production Kitchen Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, production, quality, inventory management, food safety compliance, and financial performance of the Production Kitchen. This position oversees production staff, prepared food programs, inventory and supply management, vendor relationships, and operational execution to support cafe operations, grab-and-go offerings, and other company initiatives.
Working closely with Ownership, Directors, and operational leaders, the Production Kitchen Manager ensures high-quality products, efficient operations, regulatory compliance, and achievement of department goals.
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Oversee daily Production Kitchen operations and production schedules.
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Lead, train, schedule, and develop production team members.
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Establish clear expectations and hold team members accountable for quality, productivity, safety, and operational standards.
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Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, and continuous improvement.
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Ensure consistency, quality, freshness, and presentation of all prepared food products.
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Monitor ingredient quality and ensure products meet company standards for organic, natural, clean-label, local, and responsibly sourced ingredients whenever possible.
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Maintain recipe standards and production procedures to ensure consistency across all prepared food programs.
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Support the development and production of offerings that meet a variety of dietary preferences and needs, including vegetarian, vegan, gluten-conscious, and other specialty diets.
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Implement and monitor procedures that minimize cross-contact and cross-contamination risks for allergen-sensitive and specialty dietary products.
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Manage inventory levels, ordering, receiving, product rotation, and supply usage.
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Monitor food costs, waste, shrink, and production efficiency.
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Coordinate food transfers and inventory needs for cafe operations, grab-and-go programs, and other company initiatives.
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Maintain productive relationships with vendors and suppliers while monitoring product quality, availability, and pricing.
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Stay informed on food trends, ingredients, dietary preferences, and prepared food innovations.
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Manage department profitability through effective production planning, purchasing, labor management, and inventory control.
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Support recipe costing, pricing decisions, and product profitability analysis.
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Utilize reporting and operational data to improve performance and support company objectives.
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Ensure compliance with company policies, food safety regulations, sanitation requirements, and health department standards.
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Maintain clean, organized, and safe production areas.
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Ensure proper food handling, storage, labeling, and sanitation practices are consistently followed.
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Support audits, inspections, and food safety training initiatives.
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Partner with Store Operations, Cafe Operations, and company leadership to support organizational objectives.
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Collaborate with Ownership and Directors on production goals, recipe initiatives, operational improvements, and long-term planning.
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Support product launches, seasonal programs, promotions, and company events.
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Maintain effective communication between the Production Kitchen and other departments.
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Maintain high standards for food quality, ingredient integrity, food safety, and operational execution.
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Support company commitments to organic, local, natural, and responsibly sourced ingredients whenever practical and consistent with operational goals.
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Ensure recipe consistency and appropriate procedures for allergen awareness and cross-contamination prevention.
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Maintain appropriate inventory levels through effective ordering and inventory management.
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Monitor food costs, labor, waste, and department performance.
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Support company goals through effective planning, communication, and execution.
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Previous food service, production kitchen, restaurant, commissary, or culinary management experience preferred.
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Strong knowledge of food production, inventory management, purchasing, food safety, and labor management.
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Food safety certification or ability to obtain certification as required.
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Strong leadership, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
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Ability to analyze operational and financial data to support decision-making.
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Ability to build and maintain productive relationships with vendors, suppliers, and team members.
The Production Kitchen Manager is accountable for department performance, food quality, inventory management, food safety compliance, staffing, vendor relationships, operational execution, and profitability. Through effective leadership and operational excellence, this position supports the success of prepared food programs, cafe operations, and overall company growth while advancing MaMa Jean's values of Community, Integrity, and Progress.
Updated 6.22.2026
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Previous food service, production kitchen, restaurant, commissary, or culinary management experience preferred.
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Strong knowledge of food production, inventory management, purchasing, food safety, and labor management.
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Food safety certification or ability to obtain certification as required.
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Strong leadership, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.
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Ability to analyze operational and financial data to support decision-making.
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Ability to build and maintain productive relationships with vendors, suppliers, and team members.
The Production Kitchen Manager is responsible for the overall leadership, production, quality, inventory management, food safety compliance, and financial performance of the Production Kitchen. This position oversees production staff, prepared food programs, inventory and supply management, vendor relationships, and operational execution to support cafe operations, grab-and-go offerings, and other company initiatives.
Working closely with Ownership, Directors, and operational leaders, the Production Kitchen Manager ensures high-quality products, efficient operations, regulatory compliance, and achievement of department goals.
