Kitchen Manager - Adult Residential

Odyssey House Inc.•Salt Lake City, UT

4d•$20 - $23

About The Position

The Kitchen Manager is responsible for all daily kitchen operations—including purchasing, receiving, food preparation, sanitation, inventory control, and quality assurance—while maintaining the highest standards of safety, compliance, and client-centered vocational training. This leadership role serves as the primary authority in the kitchen and is fully accountable for audit outcomes, regulatory compliance, and the successful integration of recovery-oriented vocational programming. The Kitchen Manager plays a vital role in Odyssey House’s mission by training and mentoring clients in recovery, helping them develop marketable culinary and life skills that support long-term sobriety and self-sufficiency.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required; culinary or food-service management experience strongly preferred.
Current Food Safety Manager Certification (ServSafe or Utah-approved equivalent) required within 30 days of hire. Valid Utah food handler permit required at start date.
Demonstrated operational knowledge of food-service regulations, inventory systems, and compliance documentation.
Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills with the ability to supervise and mentor adults in recovery.
Proven ability to maintain professional boundaries with vulnerable populations (individuals experiencing substance use disorders, mental health challenges, and trauma).
Must be at least 21 years of age.
Ability to work flexible shifts, including some weekends and holidays as needed for residential program coverage.
First Aid/CPR certification (provided by Odyssey House if not current).
Valid Utah driver’s license and acceptable Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) required.
Must pass all pre-employment screenings, including background check, fingerprinting, and applicable registry checks.

Responsibilities

Maintain a safe, sanitary, and fully compliant kitchen environment in accordance with Utah Department of Health and Human Services regulations, OSHA standards, and Odyssey House policies. Achieve and sustain a minimum 90% score on all monthly and semi-annual audits (TJC, Health Department, food bank, and internal).
Manage food purchasing, receiving, inventory management, storage, and vendor relationships—including strong partnerships with Utah food banks—to ensure cost-effectiveness, product integrity, and regulatory compliance.
Consistently meet or exceed standards for food preparation, portion control, sanitation, temperature monitoring, and safe food handling.
Serve as the primary point of contact for all Health Department inspections, food bank audits, and regulatory reviews.
Maintain accurate, organized documentation (temperature logs, incident reports, food-handler certifications) retained for a minimum of two years.
Design and deliver vocational kitchen training for clients in recovery, teaching food preparation, sanitation, inventory control, safety practices, and professional kitchen operations while modeling healthy boundaries and recovery-supportive behaviors.
Develop and manage kitchen schedules to ensure all meals and program events are properly staffed and executed.
Maintain kitchen equipment, implement cleaning schedules, and coordinate preventative maintenance.
Facilitate weekly kitchen/vocational training meetings and complete all required client-progress documentation.
Provide training on safe equipment use, proper lifting techniques, and hazardous material handling.
Attend all staff meetings and actively contribute to continuous quality improvement.
Perform other duties as assigned in support of the program’s mission.