Director Of Food And Beverage Education

New York Kitchen

Director, Food & Beverage Education Programs

Department: Education FSLA Status: Exempt Job Type: Full-time

ABOUT NEW YORK KITCHEN:

Since opening its doors on the north shore of Canandaigua Lake in 2006, New York Kitchen, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (formerly known as the New York Wine and Culinary Center) has served as a gateway for residents and visitors alike to experience New York’s incredible agriculture, culinary, and craft beverage industries. New York Kitchen is dedicated to promoting healthy lifestyles and thriving communities by leveraging the stories of agriculture, food, and craft beverages to inspire creative exploration of the incredible

bounty of New York State. Each day, New York Kitchen drives this mission forward through its educational hands-on cooking and craft beverage pairing classes and programs (including a youth-focused Junior Chef initiative in collaboration with community partners and after-school programs to engage students during out-of-school time), industry certification courses, and 100% New York State Tasting Room. Through partnerships with area farmers, wineries, breweries, distilleries, producers and entrepreneurs, New York Kitchen offers an array of inviting experiences and serves as a major tourism destination for upwards of 70,000 visitors each year, proudly highlighting and promoting the quality, diversity, and economic impact of Food and Beverages that originate in New York State.

JOB SUMMARY:

The key responsibility of the Director of Food & Beverage Education Programs is to create Food and Beverage Educational programming and deliver exceptional classes that promote and foster the educational mission of New York Kitchen. This includes ensuring successful delivery of compelling and appealing programs for public and private classes, establishing partnerships with schools, industry and community partners, and other relevant stakeholders. Crucial skillsets include having a strong background in education; NYS agriculture, food/culinary arts, wine and craft beverage; administrative, financial, and management functions, computing and budgeting profitable F&B costs; and establishing community partners/donors to support the mission of New York Kitchen. They work closely with the Executive Director, Donor Relations and Development.

This role will also be responsible for working collaboratively with the front desk staff to ensure all programming is properly documented and added to the New York Kitchen website and related marketing materials.

REPORTS TO: Executive Director, Donor Relations & Development

SUPERVISES: Beverage Education Manager, Tasting Room Manager, Education Program Coordinator, and all instructors and education assistants in the Hands-on Kitchens, Theater and Tasting Room as well as at all external sites and virtual classes.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

· Manages New York Kitchen’s educational programming including industry and community classes, youth/student programs, and all public in-person/virtual and private classes.

· Establish public/private partnerships to enhance existing relationships with schools and after school programs, agriculture, food, and craft beverage industry, industry partners, and business organizations.

· Recruits, selects, hires, trains, supervises, schedules and coordinates all educational staff, including instructors, education assistants, and support staff.

· Develops and oversees all education classes, recipes and budgets, and posting of all public classes and calendar listings on the website.

· Coordinates and programs the use of all classroom spaces (Hands-on Kitchens, Theater, Tasting Room, and classes or experiences taking place in the community)

· Evaluates, develops and oversees any potential internship and student programs.

· Develops, manages and evaluates all Food and Beverage Education classes, sales, and profitability; including annual education department budgets, monthly forecasts, revenue and expense controls.

· Responsible for ordering and tracking inventory for all Food and Beverage classes.

· Responsible for working in a collaborative and timely fashion with New York Kitchen’s Restaurant partner for educational classes when appropriate.

· Works as New York Kitchen’s professional liaison with educational institutions and trade organizations to ensure participation and promotion of New York Kitchen’s programs.

· Works collaboratively with Finger Lakes Community College’s Culinary Arts program.

· Works with Executive Director, Donor Relations & Development to seek grants and funding

sources that complement New York Kitchen’s educational programming mission.

· Works with the Executive Director, Donor Relations & Development to create business-to- business donor development opportunities, including corporate sponsorships.

· Works as a dynamic part of a small team to deliver the best experience for New York Kitchen’s guests.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor’s degree in education, Food and Beverage management, business management, and/or related field of study.

· Certifications in beverage and/or culinary education.

· Relationships and/or experience with educational institutions and industry businesses.

· Three to five years of experience in similar job(s) with supervisory responsibilities.

· Maintain valid ServSafe and TIPS certifications, provided through New York Kitchen.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

· Strong communication, time management, business acumen, and curriculum development skills.

· Excellent organization, relationship management, and customer service skills.

· Desire to promote NYS food, craft beverage, and agricultural products.

· Ability to work independently, as part of a team, and flexibility to perform shift work in addition to being able to multitask.

· Ability to articulate New York Kitchen’s mission to guests, instructors, staff, and exemplify it in all operations.

· Ability to teach educational Food and Beverage classes for youth, industry members, and the public a plus.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions 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 occasionally required to maintain a stationary position; stand for long periods of time. The employee must occasionally move up to 25 pounds.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is not exposed to weather conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work required by you in this position and they are not intended to be an all-inclusive list of your required responsibilities, duties or skills.

COMPENSATION: $70,000 - $75,000 per year based on experience. Includes paid time off, medical, and dental insurance coverage, company IRA match and potential year end performance bonus.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

To apply for the position of Director, Food & Beverage Education Programs at New York Kitchen, please submit a resume, cover letter, and three professional references to tammy.dostie@nykitchen.com

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. New York Kitchen is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity in the workplace. We encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $70,000.00 - $75,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Paid training
• Vision insurance

Shift:

• Day shift

Weekly day range:

• Monday to Friday

Ability to Relocate:

• Canandaigua, NY 14424: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person