Airline Catering - Production Manager

Abby's Catering•Houston, TX

About The Position

Abby’s Catering has delivered exceptional culinary and hospitality experiences since 1980. Our clients include private, corporate, and commercial aviation passengers traveling through Houston, as well as corporate offices and private events throughout the region. Abby’s is trusted by high-profile travelers including industry leaders, government officials, and international guests who expect the highest standards of quality, safety, and service. The Food Production Manager leads commercial aviation food production operations to ensure all meals and catering components are produced efficiently, safely, and according to airline specifications. This role oversees Cold Food, Food Assembly, and Tray Set Up operations while ensuring strict compliance with HACCP food safety standards, production timelines, and quality requirements. The Food Production Manager works closely with warehouse, kitchen, and operations teams to ensure accurate inventory flow, efficient production planning, and on-time flight readiness.

Requirements

Minimum 5 years of management experience in food production, airline catering, commercial kitchens, or food manufacturing.
8–10 years of overall food production or culinary operations experience preferred.
HACCP Certification required.
Food Protection Manager Certification required (ServSafe or equivalent).
Strong knowledge of food safety, sanitation, and regulatory compliance standards.
Experience managing high-volume food production environments.
Ability to coordinate production with warehouse inventory and supply flow.
Strong leadership, organizational, and analytical skills.
Excellent attention to detail and time management.

Nice To Haves

Airline catering industry experience.
Experience with aviation catering production or large-scale food manufacturing.
Bilingual English / Spanish.

Responsibilities

Lead daily commercial aviation food production operations.
Provide direction, coaching, and accountability to production supervisors and teams.
Ensure all production targets, safety standards, and quality expectations are met.
Maintain a positive, professional, and performance-driven work environment.
Plan and coordinate daily food production based on flight schedules and passenger volumes.
Develop efficient production workflows and process improvements.
Ensure kitchen-ready times are consistently met for all flights.
Monitor throughput, production timelines, and operational bottlenecks.
Enforce all HACCP protocols and food safety regulations.
Ensure proper food handling, labeling, temperature controls, and traceability.
Maintain inspection readiness at all times.
Ensure all HACCP documentation and food safety logs are completed accurately.
Support food safety training and compliance initiatives.
Coordinate with warehouse teams to ensure accurate ingredient and supply availability.
Monitor inventory flow from warehouse to production.
Ensure proper product rotation and inventory management.
Prevent shortages and missing items that could impact production.
Manage staffing levels based on production demand and passenger volumes.
Monitor productivity, labor utilization, and overtime.
Ensure accurate timekeeping and data management in Paylocity.
Lead hiring, coaching, performance management, and corrective actions.
Ensure product quality, presentation, and weight accuracy meet company and airline standards.
Track waste levels and implement waste reduction initiatives.
Identify opportunities to improve efficiency and production flow.
Partner with Hot Food, Warehouse, Operations, and Food Safety teams.
Ensure smooth coordination across production departments.
Address operational issues quickly to maintain production timelines.