Kitchen Manager

Description

The kitchen manager is responsible for managing the daily operations of the kitchen and co-packing facility. Their primary responsibilities include maintaining a clean, safe, and compliant facility, coordinating with inspectors, managing the kitchen schedules, and overseeing the kitchen users and staff. The Kitchen Manager works closely with the Program Director to implement policy and price changes, procure new equipment, develop recipes, and identify inefficiencies.
Applicants should be interested in local food system work and working with farmers and producers.

Organizational Overview

The George Washington Carver Agriculture Research Center (GWCARC), a 501(c)3 organization, has a mission to sustain, strengthen, and enhance agriculture and the environment in Virginia’s Northern Piedmont. The Carver Food Enterprise Center (CFEC), a GWCARC project, provides valuable infrastructure to support our regional food system. The CFEC provides services to the five-county region of Culpeper, Fauquier, Madison, Orange, and Rappahannock counties in three categories:

Economic Development: Accessible and affordable equipment and space for value-added agricultural products and mobile food units that serve local agritourism.
Food Security: We provide convenient and nutritious meals to local food banks while reducing food waste. Rescued foods are transformed into meals through volunteer cooking events and job skills training programs.
Job Training and Creation: We offer food safety, culinary, processing equipment, and regulatory compliance training. These programs prepare entrepreneurs as they start and grow their businesses and help provide a ready-trained workforce to those businesses.

For more information, please visit: https://www.gwcfec.org/jobs-volunteers

Job Duties

– Small Food Business Support: Work closely with small farmers, food businesses, community leaders, Virginia Cooperative Extension, and appropriate agents and specialists to help small food businesses navigate regulations.

– Copacking: Promote business growth in the region through the support of co-packing initiatives at the CFEC.

– Cleaning: Complete daily/ weekly/ monthly cleaning tasks as needed. Supervise and train staff as needed.

– Documentation: Maintain accurate and up-to-date food safety documentation, including records of inspections, audits, training, and corrective actions.

– Monitoring: Daily monitoring and documentation of all refrigeration and freezer temperatures. Responsible for providing and ensuring other daily records (chemical concentration logs, dish wash temp logs, ice machine cleaning logs -weekly and monthly)

– Calibration: Regular calibration and documenting of thermometers and pH meters

– Daily Operations: Assist in facilitating the daily operations and activities in the commissary while ensuring food safety measures are met during the process

– Food Safety: Develop, audit, improve, verify, and validate GMPs, Standard Operating Procedures SOPs, specific performance standards, and other pre-requisite programs and ensure food safety and compliance with all FSMA and audit standards

– Regulatory Compliance: Work with the program director to ensure compliance with all applicable food safety and quality regulations, including VDH, VDACS, FDA, and USDA

– Audits and Inspections: Conduct internal audits and inspections to monitor compliance with food safety standards and identify areas for improvement.

– Training: Develop and deliver training programs and onboarding to all employees and kitchen users on food safety, kitchen policies, and regulatory requirements.

– Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities for improvement in processes and implement corrective actions.

– Training: Maintain a high level of proficiency in the subject matter field by participating in in-service training and professional activities.

– Performs other tasks as assigned.

Skills Required

– 2 years of food system experience- production experience preferred
– Experience navigating food business regulations
– Desire to advance the mission of the Carver Food Enterprise Center/ GWCARC
– Personal commitment to working with diverse clientele and colleagues
– Demonstrated ability to work with minimal supervision in an unstructured setting
– Demonstrated ability to manage and prioritize responsibilities for multiple projects
– Demonstrated ability to work independently and in teams
– Knowledge and use of computer technology
– Effective verbal and written communication and presentation skills
– Ability to stand for long periods
– Carry weight, lift – lift up to 10 pounds frequently and up to 50 pounds occasionally.
– Ability to climb a ladder occasionally

Work Schedule

– Work takes place on-site (9432 N James Madison Highway, Rapidan VA 22733)
– Flexible schedule available. 36-hour work week.
– Some weekends and nights required.

Additional Info

Benefits

– Paid holidays and annual leave (4 hours each pay period). Paid sick leave, and family leave.
– Flexible schedule available. 36-hour work week.
– Matching QSEHRA Funds
https://www.healthcare.gov/small-businesses/learn-more/qsehra/
– EAP Membership- One-on-one personal and professional coaching.

This is a grant-funded position with paid holidays and time off. This position requires on-site work and involves occasional evening and weekend hours for special events.

GWCARC is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.