The Assistant Culinary Operations Manager plays a key role in supporting daily kitchen operations with a primary focus on welcoming, training, guiding, and overseeing volunteers, meal groups, and Kairos work program participants. This is a hands-on position that also participates in cooking and meal preparation as assigned, manages in-kind donation tracking, and provides backup support to the Culinary Operations and Innovation Manager as needed. This position does not supervise the Cooks or other kitchen staff.  

Essential Functions: 

1. Meal Preparation

• Participate in meal preparation and cooking as assigned, following established menus, recipes, dietary restriction guidelines, food-safety standards, and quality expectations. 
• Support and model high standards of kitchen cleanliness, organization, inventory management, and service readiness. 

2. Volunteers and Meal Group Oversight

• Train, orient, and provide day-to-day direction and oversight to volunteers and meal groups while they are working in the kitchen, ensuring volunteers understand and follow kitchen safety, sanitation, proper food handling, and kitchen procedures. 
• Coordinate with the Volunteer Manager and/or Kairos House Program Manager to ensure volunteers are prepared, supported, and appropriately engaged in kitchen activities. 
• Serve as the primary kitchen point of contact for volunteer questions, concerns, and issues. 
• Communicate relevant feedback, including positive feedback, performance concerns, scheduling needs, or other issues to the Culinary Operations and Innovation Manager, Volunteer Manager, and/or Kairos House Program Manager as appropriate. 

3. Kairos Work Program Supervision 

• Provide day-to-day direction, training, and supervision to Kairos Work Program participants assigned to the kitchen. 
• Assign tasks based on kitchen needs and participant abilities, providing clear expectations and support. 
• Communicate relevant feedback, including positive feedback, performance and/or scheduling concerns, and any other issues to the Culinary Operations and Innovation Manager and/or Kairos House Program Manager as appropriate. 

4. In-Kind Donation Management

• Coordinate with the Culinary Operations and Innovation Manager regarding the acceptance and use of in-kind donations. 
• Oversee Sunday Farmers' Market activities, working alongside volunteers to coordinate pickup and drop-off of donations, inventory, and recording of in-kind donations. 
• Participate in receiving, organizing, documenting, and properly storing in-kind food and kitchen supply donations as part of the kitchen team. 
• Communicate the kitchen's greatest in-kind needs to the Volunteer Manager to help guide community donation efforts. 
• Track and report all in-kind food and supply donations according to organizational procedures (Ex: farmer's market produce, meal group meals, etc.). 

5. Operational Support

• Support and model a welcoming, positive culture of hospitality for patients, Kairos members, volunteers, visitors, and staff. 
• Provide backup coverage to the Culinary Operations and Innovation Manager for meal planning, ordering, staff scheduling, and other routine operational responsibilities as needed. 
• Share responsibility with the Culinary Operations and Innovation Manager for providing backup coverage during staff callouts, vacations, holidays, and other absences as necessary to provide continuity of daily operations. 

6. Other duties as assigned. 

Job Qualifications: 

1. Education: A. O. S. Degree in Culinary Arts or commensurate culinary training. 

2. Experience: 

•  2-4 years’ experience of high-level kitchen experience.  
• Experience in a supervisory or leadership role with responsibility for training, guiding, and supporting others.  
• Experience working with volunteers, community members, or diverse groups of people preferred. 
• Experience working in a nonprofit, community-based, healthcare, shelter, or other mission-driven food service environment preferred.  
• Experience with inventory, food donations, ordering, or kitchen scheduling.  
• Must be proficient in basic computer operations and Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook).  

3. License: DC Health-issued Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) required. 

4. Physical Demands: 

• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods throughout the workday.  
• Ability to lift, carry, push, pull, and transport food, supplies, equipment, and containers weighing up to 50 pounds, including safely moving items up and down stairs and throughout the kitchen and facility as needed.  
• Ability to safely handle kitchen equipment, utensils, cookware, and food products.  
• Ability to perform repetitive hand and arm movements, including chopping, stirring, mixing, lifting, and food preparation.  
• Ability to work in a commercial kitchen environment with exposure to heat, steam, cold temperatures, wet floors, and varying noise levels.