Assistant Kitchen Manager (Kona)

Kona Brewing Hawaii•Kailua Kona, HI

6d•$65,000 - $76,000•Onsite

About The Position

Kona Brewing Hawaiʻi is looking for an Assistant Kitchen Manager who leads by example, takes pride in the craft, and helps the culinary team deliver consistent, high-quality food and a great guest experience. In this hands-on leadership role, you’ll support the Culinary Manager with daily kitchen operations, team development, food quality, sanitation, and cost control. You’ll also partner with restaurant leadership to keep the kitchen and service teams aligned, from everyday service to menu launches, promotions, and special events. This role reports primarily to the Culinary Manager and works closely with the Restaurant General Manager.

Requirements

Experience in restaurant kitchen operations and coaching or leading culinary team members.
Strong working knowledge of kitchen preparation, line execution, recipe consistency, portion control, and presentation.
A commitment to food safety, sanitation, and a clean, organized kitchen.
An understanding of inventory, purchasing, receiving, waste control, and food-cost fundamentals.
The ability to organize priorities, delegate clearly, and maintain standards during busy service.
Respectful, direct communication and a collaborative approach to working with kitchen, service, and management teams.
Dependability, sound judgment, and the willingness to ask questions, learn, and follow through.
A continuous-improvement mindset for your own work, the team’s performance, and the guest experience.

Responsibilities

Lead by example, demonstrating professionalism, accountability, and respect in your daily work.
Coach cooks, prep cooks, dish team members, and developing leaders on culinary technique, food safety, productivity, and service standards.
Support hiring, onboarding, and training so team members understand expectations and have the tools to succeed.
Provide clear, timely feedback, recognize strong performance, and follow through on improvement needs.
Help build a kitchen culture where people feel supported, take ownership, and communicate openly.
Support daily kitchen readiness, including prep plans, station assignments, pars, and opening and closing standards.
Reinforce recipes, portions, product specifications, plating guides, and presentation standards.
Help execute menu changes, tastings, specials, and new culinary initiatives under the direction of the Culinary Manager.
Maintain quality, sanitation, and food-safety standards throughout preparation and service.
Identify operational challenges early, help resolve them, and bring forward ideas for improvement.
Help manage purchasing, receiving, product rotation, inventory, and waste control.
Monitor portioning, product usage, labor productivity, and daily food-cost considerations.
Maintain accurate assigned records, including invoices, inventory counts, waste tracking, and purchasing information.
Support established budget and performance goals, communicate discrepancies promptly, and help carry out corrective actions.
Communicate promptly with front-of-house leaders about ticket times, allergens, modifications, unavailable items, special requests, and guest concerns.
Support food-knowledge training so service and beverage teams can communicate menu information clearly.
Coordinate with restaurant leadership on menu rollouts, pairings, promotions, and special menus.
Keep the Culinary Manager informed of issues that may affect quality, service, or the guest experience.
Translate culinary direction into clear prep plans, production timelines, and station assignments for events, catering, and promotions.
Support consistent food quality and presentation across special projects.
Communicate staffing, product, equipment, and timing needs early.
Provide assigned culinary information and follow-through to help restaurant and marketing teams meet project deadlines.