Based in Exton, the Chester County Food Bank was formed in 2009 to address the escalating hunger problem in the county. Its primary goal was, and still is, to have a viable, sustainable organization that secures, manages, and distributes food to those in need. Today, the Food Bank is the central hunger relief organization serving more than 120 partner agencies in Chester County. Its staff is comprised of passionate people dedicated to the mission.

Kitchen Operations Manager (KOM)

The primary objective of this position is to manage the development, implementation, and day-to-day operations of the kitchen. He/she trains, manages, and maximizes productivity of the kitchen staff and volunteers, and supervises/coordinates all related culinary activities. The person will develop and implement appropriate kitchen programming, including core meal production, produce processing, recipe development, and a culinary workforce development program.

The KOM must bring vision, creativity, flexibility, and openness to experiment and explore as the Food Bank develops and grows this critical program. He/she will manage and direct all operations of a 3,500-square-foot commercial kitchen. Responsibilities include:

• Approve kitchen/program expenditures and be accountable for the budget/financials for all kitchen programs; Maintain and report all outcomes as required by grants and funders
• Coordinate with procurement and distribution to determine agency needs
• Supervise regular inventory control of specific product lines (chemicals, food, etc.), placing orders and supervising check-in to assure accuracy for all processing, production, and culinary programs.
• Determine appropriate packaging, cooking equipment, storage needs and ingredients
• Development of food safety and sanitation practices, adhering to food safety in the kitchen; develop and maintain a master cleaning schedule and all equipment PM’s
• Serve as the Food Bank’s primary liaison with chef’s, restaurants, catering companies, and food associations as they pertain to the operation of the kitchen
• Leads the CCFB Emergency Response Team and will coordinate with the County for all emergency situations
• Understanding of community food security and passion for food justice and social change to contribute to the growth and evolution of the Chester County Food Bank and its programs

The ideal candidate will possess a degree in Culinary Arts, Nutrition, Public Health or a related field, and have three to five years of professional cooking and product development experience. He/she should have at least five years of experience directly managing staff and/or teams. The person should have the ability to be creative and resourceful in processing varying types and quantities of produce.

He/she should have knowledge of food safety and sanitation principles (with a valid Chester County Food Manager’s Certification) and basic computer skills.

To apply, submit your resume and cover letter to jobs@chestercountyfoodbank.org.