California Main Lodge Culinary Assistant Manager

Vail Resorts•South Lake Tahoe, CA

4d•$25 - $32•Onsite

About The Position

California Main Lodge is Heavenly's California base area dining destination, serving a diverse guest base with high-quality food, hospitality, and memorable mountain experiences. The Culinary Assistant Manager partners with the General Manager to lead daily food and beverage operations, maintain culinary standards, develop employees, and support safe, efficient, and profitable business performance. This is a hands-on leadership role involving kitchen operations, team coaching, operational readiness, food quality, and delivery of an exceptional guest experience. The role balances culinary expertise with operational leadership and supports food quality, employee engagement, safety, financial performance, and continuous improvement in a fast-paced mountain environment.

Requirements

2–4 years of progressive leadership experience in culinary, food and beverage, hospitality, restaurant, resort, or related operations.
Demonstrated success leading teams in a high-volume food and beverage environment.
Strong culinary knowledge and ability to maintain high standards for food quality, consistency, and execution.
Exceptional communication, coaching, and team-building skills, with a collaborative, hands-on leadership style.
Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, and Outlook.
California Food Handler Certification and ServSafe Certification required.
Ability to work weekends and holidays and in a mountain environment in all weather conditions.
Positive attitude, strong work ethic, and genuine passion for hospitality, people development, and continuous improvement.
At least 18 years of age.

Nice To Haves

Experience with scheduling, purchasing, inventory management, food cost control, labor management, and operational reporting.

Responsibilities

Lead by example to deliver high-quality food, friendly service, and exceptional guest dining experiences.
Maintain consistent standards for food quality, presentation, freshness, and execution.
Support seasonal menus, promotions, events, and culinary initiatives.
Address guest concerns professionally and empower employees to resolve issues positively.
Conduct operational walkthroughs to maintain cleanliness, presentation, and hospitality standards.
Partner with the General Manager to ensure safe, efficient operations that meet company standards.
Lead daily kitchen operations, including production planning, food preparation, line execution, and operational readiness.
Coordinate staffing, scheduling, shift leadership, and daily work assignments.
Keep kitchens, storage, receiving, workspaces, and exterior operational areas clean, organized, and inspection-ready.
Monitor food quality and product handling from receiving through service.
Support menu execution, operational improvements, and process enhancements.
Support labor, food cost, revenue, and profitability goals through operational leadership and resource management.
Manage purchasing, receiving, inventory controls, product ordering, and month-end inventory processes.
Monitor food waste, product utilization, and inventory levels.
Monitor labor and cost-of-sales performance and identify opportunities to improve financial results.
Support accurate payroll, inventory, reporting, and administrative processes.
Lead, coach, and develop culinary and back-of-house employees through training, feedback, and accountability.
Support recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and seasonal staffing.
Foster a team culture based on communication, respect, collaboration, safety, and continuous improvement.
Lead shifts, conduct pre-shift meetings, coach employees, and recognize their contributions.
Ensure employees follow company policies, procedures, food safety requirements, and performance expectations.
Promote safety and compliance with food safety, sanitation, OSHA, and company safety standards.
Conduct operational and safety inspections and address hazards and maintenance concerns.
Ensure compliance with health department regulations, food handling standards, and safety procedures.
Support completion of safety plans, facility inspections, payroll processes, operational checklists, and required documentation.
Maintain safe working conditions during winter, including snow-related operational responsibilities as required.
Collaborate with resort partners, including Mountain Operations, Facilities, Retail, Ski School, and Lift Operations.
Support innovation and ideas that improve food quality, operational efficiency, employee engagement, and guest satisfaction.
Contribute to culinary execution, consistency, and the continued development of Heavenly Mountain Dining.
Support mountain-wide initiatives, special events, changing weather conditions, and other departments as business needs require.
Take on additional responsibilities and operational needs as assigned.