Shift Lead BOH

MEZZE CULVER CITY LLC•Culver City, CA

About The Position

The Kitchen Supervisor supports the Chef team by leading BOH operations during assigned shifts, ensuring culinary excellence, recipe consistency, food safety, and efficient execution. This role oversees prep, line readiness, opening/closing procedures, and real-time problem solving to keep the kitchen running smoothly. The Kitchen Supervisor coaches cooks, upholds JAG standards, manages pacing during service, and collaborates with FOH leaders to support an outstanding guest experience.

Requirements

3+ years of strong cook experience with leadership potential.
Solid understanding of culinary fundamentals, food safety, and high-volume kitchen operations.
Ability to lead a team during service and maintain calm under pressure.
Strong communication skills; ability to work closely with FOH and Chef leadership.
Tech comfort (inventory tools, POS/KDS, Google Workspace).
Flexibility to work nights, weekends, and holidays.
Ability to stand and work on your feet for extended periods (up to 8 hours).
Frequent lifting, bending, reaching, and carrying up to 30 lbs.
Fast-paced environment with heat, steam, cold storage, and exposure to cleaning agents.
Slip-resistant footwear required.

Responsibilities

Act as BOH leader and point of contact during assigned shifts, supporting chefs with daily execution.
Conduct line checks before each service: temperatures, seasoning, recipe adherence, product quality, equipment readiness, and station setup.
Manage kitchen flow during service — ticket pacing, communication with expo, coordinating between stations, and troubleshooting bottlenecks.
Uphold JAG culinary standards, recipes, and plating guides, correct deviations immediately.
Support guest recovery by ensuring remakes or adjustments are executed promptly and accurately.
Lead kitchen opening procedures: prep review, walk-throughs, station setup, equipment startup, temperature logs, and cleanliness checks.
Oversee closing procedures: breakdown, labeling, storage, sanitation, equipment shutdown, waste logs, and nightly checklist completion.
Verify stations are clean, organized, and properly stocked for the next shift.
Ensure all required logs — temperature, receiving, waste, and sanitation — are completed accurately.
Maintain prep lists daily; assign tasks based on skill set, volume forecasts, and par levels.
Ensure proper rotation (FIFO), labeling, dating, and storage of all products.
Conduct ongoing quality control on prep, sauces, proteins, and mise en place.
Work on the line during busy periods or when staffing gaps require support.
Monitor recipe and portion adherence to maintain consistency and manage food cost.
Coach cooks and dishwashers in real time on technique, speed, organization, and JAG culinary behaviors.
Support onboarding and training for new team members, including station certifications.
Document performance feedback and communicate trends to the Chef team.
Foster a positive, respectful, and collaborative kitchen culture.
Maintain strict DOH compliance and proper food safety standards at all times.
Enforce kitchen hygiene: handwashing, glove use, uniform standards, and workstation cleanliness.
Verify allergy and dietary restriction procedures are followed.
Oversee safe equipment usage, chemical handling, and kitchen organization to minimize risk.
Report facility issues immediately and support incident documentation when needed.
Support inventory counts, ordering, receiving, and product rotation.
Reduce waste through accurate prep, portion control, and communication with Chef team.
Track and escalate product shortages, quality issues, or over-prep risks.
Manage labor in-shift by reallocating tasks or adjusting deployment as volume changes.