Director Of Culinary Operations

General Description

The Director of Culinary Operations is responsible for the overall management of Culinary Operations including all San Antonio and New Braunfels community kitchens through the planning, directing, administering, and evaluating all operational aspects of the food program to meet educational and nutritional needs of children, adults, and seniors. The Director will ensure program operational compliance relevant to federal, state, and local policies, regulations, and procedures at all Community Kitchens. The Director will ensure the meal programs operate to meet customer satisfaction, community values, and expectations. The Director is responsible for giving proper strategic directions and implementing high quality vision for the culinary program, with particular support to the three Director, and their teams, that report into this position. The Director will ensure program integrity and consistency in all work and by oversight of the production, training, and compliance teams.

Essential Functions and Program Delivery:

• Supervision of three Directors: the Director of Culinary Arts, the Director of Culinary Training, and the Director of Culinary Compliance. Communicate policies and procedures. Evaluate performance, coaching, as necessary.
• With the Executive Chef in each Community Kitchen, ensure equipment is maintained and work areas are clean, safe, and orderly.
• With the Executive Chef in each Community Kitchen, strictly adhere to procedures regarding infection control, food borne illness prevention, harmful chemical handling, fire, safety, and sanitation, promptly addressing any violations.
• Demonstrates knowledge of TDA’s & USDA’s federal nutrition programs and incorporates them in the performance duties of the culinary staff.
• With the Executive Chef in each Community Kitchen, evaluate staff performance and analyze the workflow to implement processes and procedures to increase productivity and efficiency.
• Aligns and evaluates the Culinary Operations program across the system, and standardizes client meals, retail offerings, catering services, to include recipes, sourcing, and production at all kitchen locations.
• With the Executive Chef in each Community Kitchen and the Culinary Order Clerk, maintain systems and procedures for the ordering, receiving, storing, preparing, and serving of food products, as well as planning and development using approved systems and policies.
• Responsible for implementing safeguards to mitigate risk of loss from theft, obsolescence, or physical condition.
• Manages operations within all budgetary guidelines established and approved by the CPO.
• With the Executive Chef in each Community Kitchen, controls all food costs, operational labor cost, and operating expenses while providing exceptional customer service.
• With the Executive Chef in each Community Kitchen, optimizes culinary staffing and operational workflows to ensure quality, consistency, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness in the pursuit of compliance, health, wellness, and sustainability.
• Ensures that requirements for appropriate sanitation and safety levels in respective areas are met and staff adequately trained.
• Leads the Culinary Operations with a focus on continually improving quality and the client experience.
• Works collaboratively with SAFB leadership and staff across departments, and effectively communicates with all.
• With the Executive Chef in each Community Kitchen, maintains compliance with all SAFB, USDA, TDA, Feeding America, state & local, Department of Health, HACCP, and other dietetic and regulatory standards.
• Evaluates programs and services to ensure cost-effective and efficient service delivery. Discovers ways to enhance efficiency and productivity of operative procedures and people.
• Works with finance department to develop and monitor annual program operational budgets.
• Oversees data collection and reporting for program operations, inventory, and services.
• Builds strong partnerships with internal teams in kitchens, operations, transportation, development, and marketing, to encourage all move in the same direction, with timely and effective communication across all departments.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations and laws for all programs including, but not limited to: CACFP- Childcare Centers, CACFP – At-Risk, CACFP – Adult Centers, SFSP, NSLP, DADS, Diabetic &Heart Healthy and AACOG.
• With the Director of Culinary Compliance, oversight and responsibility for all audit preparation and outcomes by federal, state, and local entities.
• Attend conferences, meetings and training/educational workshops and ensure proper and regular training of all operational team members within the meal programs department.
• With the Executive Chef of the Mays Community Kitchen, oversight and responsibility for all operational functions and output of the venison processing - Hunters for the Hungry program.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent with concentration in food and nutrition, food service management, dietetics, nutrition education, culinary arts, business, or related field.
• 5 years’ experience in food service management as a manager/ director required.
• Minimum 1 year experience in K-12 programs required. Strong interest in school nutrition program development.
• Knowledge of food service equipment and the principles of kitchen layouts and design.
• Working knowledge of cooking procedures and recipe adherence and scaling.
• Required - ServSafe Manager Certification – Local food safety certification is required in jurisdiction of employment. Must be knowledgeable of all local health and food safety ordinances.
• Solid Firsthand budget management skills, including budget preparation, analysis, decision making and reporting.
• Proficiency in all Microsoft Office applications is required.
• Must be able to communicate electronically through use of email and other similar computer platforms.
• Able to learn new programs easily and quickly, MOSAIC nutrition system.
• Must possess excellent time management and organizational skills.
• Experience in training and supervision.
• Experience in event planning and hospitality environment.
• Excellent communications skills, both written and verbal, including public speaking.
• Ability to work cooperatively with other staff, volunteers, and program personnel.
• Orientation to detail, accuracy, and the meeting of deadlines.
• Good judgment and discretion.
• Ability to represent the Food Bank in a courteous professional manner.
• Possession of a current Texas driver's license and a clean driving record.
• Access to reliable transportation.
• Knowledge of federal feeding programs (CACFP/NSLP/SFSP) preferred.
• Bilingual Spanish is highly desirable.

Physical Demands

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions and responsibilities of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is constantly required to sit, stand, talk, hear, reach, and utilize fine manipulation and near visual acuity. The employee is frequently required to walk, utilize gross manipulation, push, pull, stoop, and keyboard. The employee must occasionally lift, and/or move up to 50 pounds.

Work Environment

This job is performed in an indoor environment and occasionally may require attendance at outdoor events. You may be required to drive to various locations with varying conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and levels of work to be performed and are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities and duties.