Culinary Manager

Culinary Manager

We are seeking a Culinary Manager (CM) to lead the kitchen operations at MAKE Caf, a farm-to-table caf with global flavors. The CM blends culinary excellence, operational oversight, and workforce development. You will be responsible for menu creation, food quality, and kitchen efficiency, while training/coaching participants working in the kitchen. You will partner with the Executive Director (ED) on the restaurant concept, values and vision, and the Restaurant Manager (RM) to ensure a profitable, high-quality dining experience.

Full-time, salaried in San Diego. Immediate Supervisor: Executive Director. Direct Reports: Line Cook(s), Trainees (program participants).

About MAKE Projects:

MAKE Projects is a social enterprise that operates a global-inspired, locally-sourced caf while providing hands-on culinary and hospitality training to participants in our programs. Our mission is to combine exceptional food with meaningful workforce development, creating opportunities for participants to grow skills, confidence, and professional experience.

Position Overview:

We are seeking a Culinary Manager (CM) to lead the kitchen operations at MAKE Caf, a farm-to-table caf with global flavors. The CM blends culinary excellence, operational oversight, and workforce development. You will be responsible for menu creation, food quality, and kitchen efficiency, while training/coaching participants working in the kitchen. You will partner with the Executive Director (ED) on the restaurant concept, values and vision, and the Restaurant Manager (RM) to ensure a profitable, high-quality dining experience.

Job Responsibilities:

Service Leadership

• Set BOH standards and collaborate with ED, RM and MAKE advisors to develop training programs to ensure service excellence
• Write daily log posts and properly address all service or personnel issues
• Be on site for service five days a week to ensure employee development and service standards are being met
• Customer Relations: work with FOH management to maintain high levels of customer satisfaction by addressing customer complaints or concerns promptly and professionally and implementing strategies to enhance the overall dining experience
• Be able to quickly and directly communicate a comprehensive knowledge of MAKE values, policies and standards

People Leadership

• Mentor and provide regular performance feedback to BOH crew
• Partner with Human Resources + ED regarding team member coaching and development strategies
• Assist ED with recruiting and ensure best practices are used to build a strong team
• Work with Human Resources to follow company practices, including delivering regular feedback, course correcting and enforcing policies
• Maintain a culture of accountability with staff when performance expectations are not met, including delivering disciplinary action when necessary

Operational Leadership

• Oversee day-to-day BOH operations to ensure smooth functioning of the restaurant
• Ensure proper training of BOH crew by following company training manuals
• Work with ED to set and ensure staffing, COGS and operational budgets, and support site management to operate within them
• Work with ED, RM and Farm & Gardens Manager to ensure menu items are in line with company values and site themes
• Ensure staff is following SOPs for stocking, rotating and storing of product, inventory, and ordering
• Ensure proper equipment and facilities maintenance schedule
• Ensure staff maintains a clean, safe and organized workplace
• Uphold all health and safety regulations in the kitchen and all MAKE food production activities
• Write and publish BOH staffing schedules two weeks in advance
• Track, monitor, review and approve timesheets for all direct reports in a timely on-time manner

Revenue Leadership:

• Work with ED and RM to set quarterly, annual and three-year goal posts
• Lead revenue growth by supporting staff to develop innovative menu and dining experiences
• Think creatively to cross utilize products and minimize waste

Leadership Behaviors:

• Act with integrity, honesty, and knowledge to promote MAKE's culture, values, and mission
• Cultivate teamwork by being an example, develop team members and effectively hold staff accountable
• Recognize or seek areas of improvement and offer positive solutions for change; publicly acknowledge a job well done
• Champion a safe and harassment, discrimination, and retaliation-free workplace environment
• Have a sense of ownership to MAKE's vision and brand, and be accountable for personal performance
• Operate within the location daily with efficiency, respect, friendliness, professionalism, teamwork, knowledge, patience, awareness, compassion, courtesy and initiative

Skills:

• Experienced quality consistency management and operational savvy
• Strong understanding of recipe formulation and food cost controls
• Excellent guest service skills
• Able to multi-task without sacrificing quality and service
• Ability to educate, supervise and direct the work of others
• Have an extensive knowledge of food and service
• Have a working knowledge of computer word processing programs and POS systems
• Organized with a strong emphasis on attention to detail and time management
• Strong sense of urgency and ability to consistently meet deadlines
• Ability to think independently and willingness to take initiative
• Ability to adjust leadership style as necessary to cultivate a results driven team

Qualifications:

• Minimum 3 years hospitality experience with an emphasis on guest service
• Minimum 1 year of leadership experience
• ServSafe Manager Certified

Physical Demands and Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential job functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to: communicate and accurately exchange information at normal speaking levels; move in an office or restaurant environment to accomplish tasks; use hands to finger, grasp, or feel; reach by extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction; stoop, kneel, crouch, and crawl; and view and operate electronic devices and equipment, including but not limited to, phones, tablets, and computers, and coffee grinders, espresso machines, and other food facility equipment. The employee must also be able to detect, distinguish, and determine with a degree of accuracy the differences or similarities in intensity or qualify of flavors or odors by using the tongue or nose. The employee must frequently raise objects weighing 25 pounds or less and from a lower position to a higher position or move such objects horizontally from position-to-position, and occasionally raise or move objects weighing more than 25 pounds. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Note

This Job Description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed; it is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for the position. You will be expected to render all services that are consistent with the position and its responsibilities. The Company has the right to revise this Job Description at any time or to require that different tasks, duties, and responsibilities be performed as assigned.

Work Environment:

This position requires a full-time, in-person schedule Wednesday through Sunday. Our current restaurant service hours are 9am-2pm, with occasional private dinners and special events. Subject to change as we grow.

Compensation and Benefits:

This is a full-time, salaried at $70,300 per year plus health benefits, paid time off, and paid sick leave. MAKE Projects also offers a matching 401k retirement plan after six months of employment.

How to Apply:

Visit to submit your cover letter, resume and responses to our questions.

MAKE Projects is an equal opportunity employer. MAKE Projects does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, creed, national origin, marital status, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, or disability. Any offer of employment is contingent upon the satisfactory results of reference and background checks.