Shared-use Kitchen Manager
About The Position
The Arkansas Food Innovation Center at the Market Center of the Ozarks (AFIC@MCO) is a 45,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art food processing and research facility. As part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, AFIC@MCO serves as a collaborative hub designed to empower local food entrepreneurs and farmers. It offers shared-use commercial kitchens, specialized processing capabilities, and technical assistance to support the growth of local food businesses. The University of Arkansas is seeking a dynamic and entrepreneurial shared-use kitchen manager to lead the daily operations of the shared-use kitchen and support a growing ecosystem of food entrepreneurs across Northwest Arkansas. This individual will play a key role in facility management, tenant engagement, and program delivery while fostering innovation and business success.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree
- Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in culinary arts, food operations, or entrepreneurship
- Strong leadership skills
- Experience managing food operations or food business enterprises
- Ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders including entrepreneurs, industry partners, researchers, and community organizations
- Excellent written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills
- Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic environment
- Problem-solving mindset with a customer-service orientation
Nice To Haves
- Degree in Culinary Arts, Food Science, or a related field
- Experience supporting food startups, small businesses, or entrepreneurial ecosystems
- Demonstrated experience in grant writing and program development
Responsibilities
- Manage daily operations of the shared-use commissary kitchen and tenant spaces
- Oversee tenant onboarding, orientations, and facility walkthroughs
- Assist with tenant profiles, scheduling, bookings, and billing
- Generate usage and impact reports using The Food Corridor software
- Coordinate kitchen reservations, station assignments, and equipment scheduling
- Ensure compliance with kitchen policies, SOPs, sanitation, and food safety standards
- Provide day-to-day tenant support and troubleshoot operational challenges
- Maintain readiness of shared equipment, prep stations, and common areas
- Coordinate equipment maintenance, repairs, and service schedules
- Monitor and manage inventory of sanitation supplies, smallwares, and janitorial items
- Oversee dry, refrigerated, and frozen storage assignments
- Conduct routine inspections for cleanliness, safety, and regulatory compliance
- Serve as the primary point of contact for tenant needs and facility access
- Document incidents, policy violations, and follow-up actions
- Support tenant retention through proactive communication and service
- Support networking events and outreach activities
- Participate in facility tours and stakeholder engagement efforts
- Mentor and support food entrepreneurs in business development and growth
- Increase tenant recruitment, retention, and overall facility utilization
- Contribute to grant writing and program development efforts
- Support and participate in educational programming for entrepreneurs
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Number of Employees
1-10 employees
