Assistant Culinary Operations Manager

Christ House•Washington, DC

1d•$75,000 - $80,000

About The Position

The Assistant Culinary Operations Manager supports daily kitchen operations, with a primary focus on welcoming, training, guiding, and overseeing volunteers, meal groups, and Kairos Work Program participants. This is a hands-on role that also participates in cooking and meal preparation as assigned, manages in-kind donation tracking, and provides backup support to the Culinary Operations and Innovation Manager as needed. The position does not supervise cooks or other kitchen staff. The role supports meal preparation according to established menus, recipes, dietary restriction guidelines, food-safety standards, and quality expectations. It helps maintain kitchen cleanliness, organization, inventory management, and service readiness. The position trains and directs volunteers and meal groups, coordinates their support with program managers, and serves as the kitchen point of contact for their questions and concerns. It also directs and trains Kairos Work Program participants, assigning tasks according to kitchen needs and participant abilities. The Assistant Culinary Operations Manager coordinates in-kind donations with the Culinary Operations and Innovation Manager, oversees Sunday Farmers' Market activities, and helps receive, organize, document, store, track, and report donated food and kitchen supplies. The role communicates the kitchen's donation needs to the Volunteer Manager and supports a welcoming culture of hospitality for patients, Kairos members, volunteers, visitors, and staff. It provides backup coverage for meal planning, ordering, staff scheduling, and other routine operations, including coverage during staff absences as needed.

Requirements

A. O. S. Degree in Culinary Arts or commensurate culinary training.
2–4 years of high-level kitchen experience.
Experience in a supervisory or leadership role involving training, guiding, and supporting others.
Experience with inventory, food donations, ordering, or kitchen scheduling.
Proficiency in basic computer operations and Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook).
DC Health-issued Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) required.
Ability to stand and walk for extended periods throughout the workday.
Ability to lift, carry, push, pull, and transport food, supplies, equipment, and containers weighing up to 50 pounds, including moving items safely on stairs and throughout the kitchen and facility.
Ability to safely handle kitchen equipment, utensils, cookware, and food products.
Ability to perform repetitive hand and arm movements, including chopping, stirring, mixing, lifting, and food preparation.
Ability to work in a commercial kitchen environment with exposure to heat, steam, cold temperatures, wet floors, and varying noise levels.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with volunteers, community members, or diverse groups of people.
Experience working in a nonprofit, community-based, healthcare, shelter, or other mission-driven food service environment.

Responsibilities

Participate in meal preparation and cooking as assigned, following established menus, recipes, dietary restriction guidelines, food-safety standards, and quality expectations.
Support and model high standards of kitchen cleanliness, organization, inventory management, and service readiness.
Train, orient, direct, and oversee volunteers and meal groups working in the kitchen; ensure they follow safety, sanitation, food-handling, and kitchen procedures.
Coordinate with the Volunteer Manager and/or Kairos House Program Manager to prepare and support volunteers and engage them appropriately in kitchen activities.
Serve as the primary kitchen contact for volunteer questions, concerns, and issues.
Communicate relevant volunteer feedback, performance concerns, scheduling needs, and other issues to the appropriate managers.
Provide day-to-day direction, training, and supervision to Kairos Work Program participants assigned to the kitchen.
Assign tasks to participants based on kitchen needs and their abilities, providing clear expectations and support.
Communicate relevant participant feedback, performance or scheduling concerns, and other issues to the appropriate managers.
Coordinate with the Culinary Operations and Innovation Manager regarding acceptance and use of in-kind donations.
Oversee Sunday Farmers' Market activities, coordinating donation pickup and drop-off, inventory, and donation records with volunteers.
Receive, organize, document, and properly store in-kind food and kitchen supply donations.
Communicate the kitchen's greatest in-kind needs to the Volunteer Manager to guide community donation efforts.
Track and report in-kind food and supply donations according to organizational procedures.
Support and model a welcoming, positive culture of hospitality for patients, Kairos members, volunteers, visitors, and staff.
Provide backup coverage for meal planning, ordering, staff scheduling, and other routine operational responsibilities as needed.
Share backup coverage during staff callouts, vacations, holidays, and other absences to maintain continuity of daily operations.
Perform other duties as assigned.