Lead Kitchen Expeditor

The University of Texas at Austin•Austin, UT

12d•Onsite

About The Position

The Lead Kitchen Expeditor plays a critical role in ensuring the timely, organized, and accurate flow of catering orders prepared from the kitchen for events. Acts as a communication bridge between kitchen staff, catering, and delivery personnel—ensuring quality control, proper packaging, labeling, and on-time dispatch of all catering food orders. Upholds the highest standards of food presentation, accuracy, and customer satisfaction while maintaining a clean, efficient, and well-organized staging environment.

Requirements

Two years of experience working and preparing food in a restaurant, commercial, or institutional facility.
Experience training or leading staff in a restaurant, commercial, or institutional food facility.
Experience with operating standard kitchen equipment.
Ability to complete and maintain Food Safety Training required by University Housing and Dining.
Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Nice To Haves

Three or more years of experience working and preparing food in a restaurant, commercial, or institutional facility.
Previous experience expediting and coordinating catering food orders.
One or more years of experience training or leading staff in a restaurant, commercial, or institutional food facility.
Experience using excel.
Experience using catering management systems such as Spoonfed.
Ability to multi-task and work with little supervision.

Responsibilities

Serve as the central communication point between the kitchen production team, catering leadership, and delivery staff.
Review banquet event orders (BEO’s) and ensure all parties are aligned on food order specifications, timing, and special client instructions.
Relay real-time updates regarding production progress, timeline changes, or event adjustments.
Conduct final checks on all outgoing orders to confirm accuracy, completeness, and presentation quality.
Synchronize preparation and packing of food with scheduled delivery or pickup times.
Ensure hot and cold items are handled appropriately to maintain ideal serving conditions.
Organize orders systematically based on event schedules or delivery routes to optimize efficiency.
Utilize checklists or tracking tools to streamline dispatch and prevent delays.
Immediately communicate any order discrepancies, production delays, or last-minute client requests to the appropriate team members.
Collaborate with management and staff to adjust plans as needed to maintain service excellence.
Record all daily catering orders in an Excel spreadsheet, including event details, menu items, quantities, and service charges.
Maintain accurate and organized records to support timely monthly invoicing.
Review data entries regularly to ensure accuracy and completeness.
Serve as the primary contact for student beyond the plate program menu ordering requests.
Receive and review student menu orders for accuracy and completeness.
Enter all student orders into the catering management system, ensuring correct details for menu items, quantities, pickup times, and special instructions.
Communicate order details promptly to chefs and unit management for production planning and scheduling.
Confirm and share pickup information with both the kitchen and the student client to ensure smooth order fulfillment.
Monitor order status to proactively address any questions, changes, or issues.
Keep all expediting and staging areas sanitary, organized, and free of clutter.
Clean surfaces regularly and maintain clear pathways for efficient operations.
Monitor inventory of packaging materials, utensils, and labels.
Notify management of low stock and assist with restocking as needed.
Adhere to University policies regarding time and attendance, training, and compliance.
Complete and maintain required food safety training, including Texas Food Handler Safety.
Other duties as assigned.