Assistant Director of Operations - Food Services

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Overview: As a growing 501(c)(3), non-profit organization, CRCI is always looking for new talented individuals who can be an addition to its efforts. It is CRCI Management’s desire that each person involved with the organization, paid or not paid, has a burden for the lost, the sick, and the suffering. It is also important that all staff recognize that they are representatives of CRCI, and their actions will affect the community’s outlook upon it. Staff are a representation of the CRCI program, and it will be expected for them to conduct themselves in a manner that always promotes and elevates the image of CRCI to the community. Any behavior that promotes a negative image of the organization is unacceptable.

Position Summary: The Assistant Director of Operations - Food Services is responsible for leadership, oversight, planning, and implementation of all food service operations and food-related logistics across CRCI programs. This position functions as an operational leadership role under the Director of Facility Management & Operations and is responsible for supervising food service personnel, coordinating farm operations as they relate to the program food stream, maintaining active inventory systems, planning food procurement, managing schedules, and ensuring that CRCI residents and approved staff receive nutritious meals in a consistent, safe, and cost-effective manner.

This position oversees the connection between CRCI’s kitchens, farm operations, food donations, purchasing, inventory, storage, transportation, and resident meal service. A major focus of this role is to incorporate as much farm-produced food as possible into CRCI’s resident food stream in order to reduce waste, improve stewardship, lower food costs, and support the broader mission of the ministry.

The Assistant Director of Operations - Food Services must be a highly qualified, mission-aligned leader who is capable of managing people, schedules, inventory, systems, compliance, and logistics with excellence. This person must be able to think strategically, plan ahead, solve problems, communicate clearly, and lead staff and residents in a manner consistent with CRCI’s mission, values, and Christ-centered recovery model.

Key Responsibilities

Food Service Management

• Oversee all food service operations for every CRCI program and campus as assigned.
• Ensure all CRCI residents and approved employees are fed daily according to program schedules and operational needs.
• Provide leadership for kitchen operations, menu planning, food preparation, meal service, storage, sanitation, and food distribution.
• Manage and maintain a rotating menu that meets nutritional, dietary, budgetary, and program requirements.
• Adjust menus as needed for special events, holidays, emergencies, resident health needs, food donations, inventory availability, and seasonal farm production.
• Ensure that food service operations are organized, efficient, safe, sanitary, and aligned with CRCI standards.
• Coordinate with program leadership to ensure food service supports the daily schedule and structure of the residential program.

Operations Leadership & Logistics

• Serve as an operational leader under the Director of Facility Management & Operations for all food service operations and related logistics.
• Strategically plan food service operations in advance, including staffing, purchasing, inventory, meal schedules, campus needs, storage capacity, and transportation needs.
• Coordinate food distribution between kitchens, campuses, storage areas, farm operations, and donation sources.
• Develop and maintain systems that improve operational efficiency, accountability, cost control, and consistency across CRCI food service operations.
• Prepare for seasonal needs, emergency food service needs, campus growth, program changes, and special events.
• Communicate clearly with leadership regarding operational needs, risks, staffing concerns, budget concerns, and opportunities for improvement.

Farm Operations & Farm-to-Food Stream Integration

• Supervise or coordinate with farm and agricultural staff as they relate to CRCI food production and food service operations.
• Work with farm staff to plan, harvest, store, and distribute farm-grown food in a way that supports CRCI’s menu and resident meal needs.
• Coordinate planting and production goals with anticipated kitchen needs whenever possible.
• Help identify which crops, produce, or farm products can be most effectively used in the resident food stream.
• Ensure harvested food is properly washed, stored, recorded, and transferred into kitchen inventory.
• Maintain consistent communication between farm staff and kitchen staff so available food is used before it spoils.
• Create systems for preserving or processing excess food when appropriate, including freezing, approved canning methods, dehydrating, or preparing food for later use.
• Track farm production usage and report how farm-grown food is being incorporated into meals.
• Ensure farm operations support CRCI’s goals of stewardship, resident skill development, cost reduction, and sustainability.
• Work with instructors from higher education institutions to provide the best learning experience possible while utilizing these resources to serve the needs of the farming operation in the best way possible.

USDA / DSS / Compliance

• Assist with management of the USDA Food Program and EBT/SNAP programs, including documentation, reporting, and compliance with all federal and state guidelines.
• Ensure full compliance with state, federal, grant-based, and internal requirements related to food services, nutrition, safety, sanitation, and documentation.
• Participate in internal and external audits and ensure all required documentation is accurate, complete, and accessible.
• Ensure farm-grown food, donated food, purchased food, and stored food are handled according to applicable food safety expectations.
• Maintain required certifications, logs, rosters, reports, and inspection readiness at all times.

Food Sourcing & Procurement

• Oversee procurement for the Food Services Department, including purchasing, inventory, vendor relationships, donor relationships, and coordination of food donations.
• Seek out cost-saving opportunities, donations, bulk purchasing options, and partnerships that reduce expenses while maintaining food quality.
• Collaborate with CRCI kitchens and campuses to standardize sourcing, accept shared donations, and coordinate bulk orders.
• Reduce unnecessary purchasing by using existing inventory, donated food, and farm production first whenever possible.
• Develop purchasing plans based on active inventory, menu needs, resident census, seasonal farm production, and budget limits.
• Maintain vendor and donor relationships in a professional manner that reflects CRCI’s mission and reputation.

Inventory Management

• Maintain an accurate and active inventory of food items, supplies, equipment, donations, and farm products.
• Track expiration dates, rotate stock, monitor usage, and minimize waste.
• Conduct regular inventory reviews and maintain usage reports to inform procurement planning.
• Ensure food from the farm is entered into inventory and used in a timely manner.
• Monitor freezer, refrigerator, dry storage, kitchen, warehouse, and farm storage areas for cleanliness, organization, and proper rotation.
• Develop systems for identifying surplus food and redirecting it into meals, preservation, donation, or other approved uses before it is wasted.
• Use inventory data to forecast future needs, reduce unnecessary purchases, and strengthen stewardship of ministry resources.

Staff Supervision, Scheduling & Training

• Supervise kitchen staff, farm staff, LDI assistants, resident workers, volunteers, and other assigned support staff.
• Develop and manage staff schedules to ensure adequate coverage for meal preparation, service, cleaning, receiving, inventory, farm coordination, and logistics.
• Provide training, mentorship, accountability, and skills development in kitchen operations, food safety, farm-to-kitchen systems, sanitation, inventory, and stewardship.
• Ensure residents assigned to kitchen or farm-related food service duties follow safety, sanitation, and operational protocols at all times.
• Collaborate with program staff to maintain a structured, safe, and recovery-supportive work environment.
• Hold direct reports accountable to CRCI policies, schedules, expectations, and standards.
• Communicate performance concerns, staffing needs, safety issues, and operational concerns to the Director of Facility Management & Operations.

Safety & Sanitation

• Maintain clean, organized, and sanitary kitchen, storage, farm food handling, and food distribution environments.
• Lead safety training for kitchen residents, food service staff, and farm-related food handlers.
• Conduct monthly safety audits and enforce corrective actions immediately when needed.
• Ensure farm-grown food is handled safely from harvest to storage to preparation.

Recurring Responsibilities

Daily

• Ensure preparation and service of all scheduled meals for residents and approved staff.
• Maintain kitchen cleanliness, sanitation, and organization.
• Supervise assigned staff and resident workers.
• Monitor food stock and rotate inventory as needed.
• Communicate with farm staff regarding available produce and immediate food needs.
• Ensure farm-grown food is properly received, stored, documented, and used when available.
• Address urgent kitchen, inventory, staffing, safety, logistics, or sanitation concerns.

Weekly

• Review and adjust the 4-week rotating menu based on inventory, donations, resident census, budget needs, and farm production.
• Review employee schedules and adjust staffing assignments as needed.
• Communicate with farm staff regarding upcoming harvests and kitchen needs.
• Provide coaching and training to residents serving in kitchen or farm-related food service roles.
• Implement weekly deep-cleaning tasks and sanitation checklists.
• Coordinate with CRCI kitchens and campuses to evaluate food needs and distribute donations or surplus food.
• Review waste patterns, inventory movement, and purchasing needs to identify improvements.

Monthly

• Conduct monthly food orders and verify budget alignment.
• Oversee full inventory review and usage reporting.
• Complete USDA program reporting, documentation, and compliance tasks.
• Submit required departmental reports to the Director of Facility Management & Operations.
• Conduct monthly safety training refreshers and safety audits.
• Review farm production usage and report how much farm-grown food was incorporated into meals.
• Evaluate food waste, purchasing patterns, inventory movement, and opportunities for cost reduction.
• Meet with leadership as needed to discuss farm-to-kitchen goals, staffing, compliance, logistics, and operational improvements.

Qualifications

• Highly qualified leader with demonstrated experience in food service management, operations management, logistics, agriculture, institutional meal service, or a related field.
• Valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving record and ability to be approved to drive CRCI vehicles.
• ServSafe Manager Certification, or the ability to obtain certification within the first 30 days of employment.
• Proven ability to supervise staff, develop schedules, manage assignments, and maintain accountability in a working department.
• Strong knowledge of food safety, sanitation, inventory management, procurement, and large-scale meal planning.
• Ability to maintain an active inventory system and use inventory data for strategic planning and purchasing decisions.
• Ability to strategically plan food service operations across multiple needs, including menu planning, staffing, purchasing, farm production, donations, storage, and logistics.
• Ability to train, supervise, and mentor program residents within a recovery-based environment.
• Strong leadership, communication, problem-solving, organization, and teamwork abilities.
• Ability to prioritize safety, lead safety training, and enforce compliance.
• Strong computer skills and ability to maintain accurate reports, rosters, schedules, inventory records, and operational documents.
• Commitment to CRCI’s mission, values, and Christ-centered recovery model.
• Ability to agree, without reservation, to the mission, purpose, and Statement of Faith of Christian Recovery Centers, Inc.

Working Conditions

• Full-time leadership role with regular hours and flexibility as needed.
• Requires time in kitchen, storage, office, warehouse, farm, vehicle, and outdoor environments.
• Requires long periods of standing, walking, bending, lifting, and working in heat, cold, and changing weather conditions.
• Requires lifting up to 50 pounds when necessary.
• Requires interaction with residents in recovery and adherence to CRCI policies and Christian ethics.
• May require early mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, or emergency schedule adjustments depending on food service, farm, logistics, or program needs.