Production Kitchen Supervisor

Founded in 2013, Home Chef is the leading meal solutions company with both a retail and online presence. Available online at homechef.com and in retail at more than 2,100 Kroger grocery stores, Home Chef is committed to inspiring and enabling more people to cook simple, delicious meals, no matter how busy they are.

Similar to our recipes, we recognize that variety is the spice of life, and therefore, our employees also bring their uniqueness and color to our fantastic team. We’re eager to work with humble team players and pragmatic next-level thinkers to innovate on Home Chef’s offerings.

As the COVID-19 situation evolves in the US and worldwide, we are taking all the necessary precautions, per the CDC guidelines, to keep our employees and customers safe.

The Production Kitchen Supervisor (PKS) is responsible for collaborating with the Ready to Heat (RTH) project manager to create SOPs and processes, and then execute shift level production plan and supervise an assigned team consisting of production cooks, kitchen associates, and kitchen stewards throughout the shift. The PKS are responsible for managing the performance of the individuals reporting to their respective team which includes participating in hiring, having coaching discussions, delivering feedback, and conducting performance reviews. PKSs must be able to oversee multiple activities simultaneously and take ownership of the kitchen employees. The PKS is responsible for exhibiting a strong working knowledge of all machinery, equipment, and processes and must be able to perform basic troubleshooting processes. The PKS must be able to manage and troubleshoot all technological tools used in kitchen production.

Create Processes and SOPs:

The Ready to Heat business is new to Home Chef and this role will have the opportunity to build and develop processes to make it successful, as well as train people on the defined processes. 

• Work in tandem with the RTH project manager and cross functional partners to create SOPs
• Observe processes and identify opportunities to enhance 
• Write clear descriptions of process 
• Hire and train hourly resources on processes 

Pre-Production Set Up:

The Production Kitchen Supervisor is responsible for arriving prior to the start of production to receive the day’s production plan provided by the Production Kitchen Manager. Specifically, the PKS:

• Receives targets from Production Kitchen Manager. Manages delegation of production tasks to production cooks and kitchen associates to ensure proper staffing for all tasks
• Sets up for each activity according to standard operating procedures (SOPs)
• Ensures workstations are setup for each Production Kitchen activity in a manner that ensures we meet production targets
• Shares recommendations for improvements to safety, equipment, and/or SOPs with Continuous Improvement Manager
• Demonstrates leadership during adoption of new processes and continually works to identify opportunities to gain efficiency and improve quality in production 
• Lead shift level safety meetings

Ingredient Prep, Cooking, and Portioning

The PKS is responsible for overseeing ingredient cooking, cooling, and transportation. Specifically the PKS:

• Inspects working area and holds team accountable for maintaining a clean, safe work environment and 
• Ensures teams are on track to meet production targets for the day
• Verifies that all production cooks clearly understand what’s expected of them in terms of output and quality standards
• Identifies opportunities to improve efficiency and shares ideas with Continuous Improvement team
• Speaks professionally and respectfully to kitchen employees and provides on-the-floor coaching and motivation to boost production pace and improve quality
• Works with quality team to resolve issues identified related to food safety and/or product quality
• Escalates quality issues that may result in future product shorts to Production Kitchen Manager and procurement
• Takes responsibility for the accuracy of counts conducted by the production cooks and coaches teams on best practices for counts and shares progress with cross functional teams
• Demonstrates working knowledge of all kitchen production equipment and machinery (listed below in detail) and can perform basic troubleshooting processes and maintenance

Promoting and Upholding Employee Safety and Food Safety Procedures:

As part of their daily responsibilities listed above, Production Kitchen Supervisors are expected to continually promote and uphold employee and food safety. Specifically, the PKS:

• Ensures Leads / FSQA are conducting a GMP check on all his or her associates at the start of the shift and after lunch
• Calls out and corrects GMP violations when they occur and serves as an example of proper GMPs
• Understands the complete scope of GMPs
• Ensures working conditions are safe and that the team is using best safety practices (e.g., proper lifting technique, proper storage of blue wheels, etc.) 
• Ensures all work areas and work surfaces are clean prior to starting production
• Ensures work surfaces are properly sanitized when production team transitions between activities
• Conducts daily sanitation walkthrough with FSQA when requested
• Ensures that product is staged in a food safe manner 
• Supports the efforts of the company to maintain our food safety system (SQF) and quality programs
• Supports Home Chef’s Safety Goals and is directly accountable for injury rates on their shift

Training, Coaching, and Culture:

Production Kitchen Supervisors are expected to take people leadership seriously, spending almost a third of their time building and maintaining a high-performing, engaged team. Specifically, the PKS: 

• Facilitates and leads huddles with assigned team to communicate safety topics, production plans, GMPs and changes to processes
• Motivate and coach their assigned team of associates
• Trains team on SOPs and provides coaching when necessary
• Coaches and works with team on problem solving as obstacles impacting production pace, safety, quality, or planned activities arise
• Manages conflict among employees on their assigned team as needed, but escalates more serious issues to the Production Kitchen Manager
• Evaluates performance of their assigned team and provides performance feedback on an ongoing basis
• Participates in the hiring/promotion process of associates and leads for their team
• Cultivates culture of mutual respect and demonstrates a “Safety First, Quality Always” mentality
• Is approachable and collaborative with all hourly production associates and leads, especially their team
  

Post Production:

• Ensures progress is tracked and shared
• Works towards mastery of production tracking tools 
• Writes “End of Shift” report
• Makes sure all required items are communicated to PKSs on the subsequent shift in the shift handoff 

This position requires 10% travel. 

55,000-65,000 + Ops Bonus 

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, ability and/or other characteristics needed for this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities.

• General high school degree, or equivalent, (e.g. GED). 
• Minimum of 2+ years of successful supervisory or leadership experience in a fast-paced environment. 
• Leadership experience in a high volume kitchen environment
• Cross-functional experience in 2 more departments (warehouse, production, quality, procurement etc.) preferred
• Track record of driving KPIs and meeting or exceeding goal required
• Experience in developing team members through both leading and managing
• Proficient on using tablets and PC’s
• Open availability to work weekend shifts 
• Must be able to lift up to 49 pounds occasionally with or without reasonable accommodation
• Must have floor presence and be able to stand/walk for up to 10-12 hours in a cold environment less 40 degrees 

Salary range: $55,000-$65,000 + Ops Bonus 

Perks and benefits:

• Candidates can experience Home Chef as a customer - enter promo code PEOPLE30 for $30 off your first order!
• Medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance available
• Paid holidays, sick time and vacation time
• 401k program
• Flexible spending accounts for qualified medical, dependent care, parking, or transit expenses

How We Work Together

We are humble team players.
We are warm and gracious with team members and customers. We seek feedback to improve ourselves - and respectfully listen to and accept input.

We are pragmatic next-level thinkers.
We come up with novel and unique ideas. We explore new strategies to avoid being constrained by conventional thinking.

We take ownership.
We approach ambiguous problems, prepared to dive in, get curious, and learn more. We are results-driven, always challenging ourselves to exceed goals.

Be at Home at Home Chef

We all show up authentically at Home Chef. Our team includes individuals with a variety of identities, backgrounds, and perspectives. You can trust that you’ll be able to bring your whole self to an inclusive and enjoyable workplace.

We welcome people of all races, colors, religions, national origin or ancestry, sex (including sexual identity), age, physical or mental disabilities, pregnancy, veteran or military status, unfavorable discharge from military service, genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, order of protection status, citizenship status, arrest record or expunged/sealed convictions, or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state, or local law.

Home Chef is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, Home Chef will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact our People team at hr@homechef.com.

Home Chef is an equal opportunity employer.

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