Kitchen Manager

Rhode Island School of Design•Providence, RI

About The Position

The Kitchen Manager fosters lasting dining relationships by creating a thoughtful and meaningful culinary program. The role directly oversees kitchens in on-campus dining venues, the commissary program, and catering, and participates in planning and developing flexible culinary programs that reflect campus priorities. The manager oversees daily operational performance, staffing levels, consistent administration of operational policies and culinary principles, and the full hiring and performance management process for supervisors and non-exempt staff. The role ensures health and safety best practices, maintains key financial influencers, and makes programmatic recommendations informed by current and emerging dining trends. The Kitchen Manager oversees daily culinary operations to align with RISD’s strategic priorities and kitchen standards, creates a welcoming and professional customer experience for a diverse clientele, and plans around the academic calendar. The manager develops menus and recipes, supports catering and dining events, collaborates with front-of-house and vendor teams, and uses sales data, customer feedback, cost analysis, and inventory practices to support customer satisfaction and financial goals. The role leads, develops, and supports the culinary team through clear goals, training, transparent communication, and performance management. It also ensures compliance with health and safety codes, sanitation standards, equipment maintenance requirements, dietary plans, record-keeping, licenses, and quality assurance measures. The Kitchen Manager serves as a key member of the Dining management team and supports the Executive Chef.

Requirements

Associate’s Degree in Culinary Arts and five years of food service industry experience, with a minimum of two years of culinary leadership experience and demonstrated success leading teams; an equivalent combination of education and experience may substitute for the minimum educational requirement.
Rhode Island Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) certification or equivalent.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
Ability to communicate effectively in English, verbally and in writing, as required for job duties and interactions with team members, customers, and stakeholders.
Interpersonal and leadership skills, including the ability to visualize and communicate desired outcomes to a diverse group in a team-based environment.
Strong written and verbal communication skills to communicate effectively with customers, peers, supervisors, and employees at multiple levels within the College.
Ability to meet pre-employment background screening requirements.

Nice To Haves

Food service experience in the college/university segment and/or catering is preferred.
Knowledge of digital, cloud-based menu management systems and HR software is desirable.
Bilingual skills are preferred.
A valid driver’s license is preferred.

Responsibilities

Oversee daily operations of kitchens in on-campus dining venues, the commissary program, and catering, ensuring alignment with RISD strategic priorities and high kitchen standards.
Monitor the customer experience and ensure the culinary program meets the needs of a diverse clientele.
Administer operational policies, resolve operational concerns, and plan around RISD’s academic calendar.
Delegate tasks according to team members’ abilities and collaborate with the front-of-house team to ensure seamless service.
Test recipes and concepts, and ensure catering, retail, and menu cycles reflect Dining’s mission, core values, quality, authenticity, and seasonality.
Lead and develop the culinary team, fostering unity, performance, cultural sensitivity, culinary expertise, and technical proficiency.
Ensure team members have resources, support, and training; set clear student-focused goals and promote continuous improvement.
Conduct or delegate performance management and maintain transparent communication, records, licenses, and quality assurance measures.
Adapt and review employee training manuals and standard operating procedures as operational needs evolve.
Support financial outcomes through menu engineering, accurate utilization, and integration of the menu management system.
Work with vendor representatives to ensure expectations and product specifications are met, purchases align with par stock and budget forecasts, and transfer activity is documented.
Identify process improvements to streamline operations, increase efficiency, and achieve financial goals.
Manage staffing levels to align with target labor hours, including seasonal adjustments.
Maintain accurate recipes, processes, pricing, and ingredient information in the menu management system.
Enforce health and safety codes and sanitation standards for food preparation, handling, transport, and service.
Oversee preventative maintenance schedules, proper equipment operation, and accurate maintenance records.
Manage kitchen cleaning schedules, share Rhode Island Health Department reports with the team, and develop action plans as needed.
Address food-related physical, medical, and environmental issues and ensure specialized dietary plans are implemented precisely.
Create and update menus and recipes using CBORD software; analyze ingredient costs, cost recipes, track inventory, maintain par levels, and minimize waste.
Ensure accurate and available allergen and nutritional information, and use sales data and customer feedback to optimize menu offerings.
Play a key role in executing on- and off-site catering menus and events and contribute to menu development as requested.
Support the Executive Chef in planning, preparing, coordinating, and executing catered and Dining events.
Serve as a key member of the Dining management team, identify when to implement CARE processes, and perform other duties as required.
Attend work when the school is closed, as dining managers are considered essential personnel.