School Kitchen Manager - Dallas

The Kitchen Manager is the on-the-ground operator for the Dallas market. This is a working kitchen leadership role the Kitchen Manager directly runs day-to-day operations at the primary hub kitchen and maintains check-in oversight of two additional school locations in the market that have staff onsite and one additional drop-off location. The Kitchen Manager is accountable for food quality, kitchen team performance, production execution, and operational standards across all four Dallas schools.

• Works alongside the Lead Cook and kitchen team daily this is a working kitchen role, not supervisory-only
  
• Owns bi-weekly cold batch production: plans, leads, and executes all cold batch runs at the hub kitchen
  
• Leads hot prep days in partnership with the Lead Cook, setting the pace and standard for the team
  
• Manages production scheduling, food quality, waste tracking, and inventory at the hub
  
• Directly supervises kitchen staff and holds the team accountable to Yay standards
  

• Delivers cold food to both additional Dallas schools twice per week
  
• Uses each delivery as a structured site visit directly oversees kitchen staff, checks standards, and addresses any issues in person
  
• Manages the school relationship at each location: serves as the primary Yay contact for school staff and leadership
  
• Supports Lead Cook development at each site through in-person coaching during delivery visits
  
• Conducts daily check-ins with both locations on non-delivery days to confirm service is on track
  

• Runs hub kitchen from prep through service production schedule, food quality, and on-time execution
  
• Manages call-out coverage and real-time kitchen decisions during service hours
  
• Ensures food is produced to Yay standards and delivered on time to spoke schools served by the hub
  
• Serves as primary point of contact for school partners at hub location on day-of operational matters
  
• Checks in with both additional Dallas locations daily to confirm service status and address any real-time issues
  

• Sets the hub kitchen schedule within labor budget provided by the Operations Manager
  
• Tracks actual hours versus scheduled hours daily; identifies and corrects overages
  
• Approves any schedule changes or additional shifts at the hub kitchen
  
• Reports labor performance to the Operations Manager as part of daily and weekly reporting
  

• Monitors and reduces waste at the hub kitchen holds team accountable for portioning, FIFO, and end-of-day tracking
  
• Confirms inventory counts are accurate and that pars are correctly set for the week ahead
  
• Reviews waste reports from additional Dallas locations and flags concerns to Operations Manager
  
• Upholds Yay food quality and safety standards at all three Dallas locations
  

• Provides direct leadership to Lead Cooks and kitchen staff at the hub kitchen
  
• Supports Lead Cook development at the two additional locations through regular check-ins and site visits
  
• Leads onboarding for new kitchen hires and sets standards for the Dallas market
  
• Escalates performance or operational issues to the Operations Manager as needed
  

• Present at the hub kitchen during service hours managing production flow, team execution, and quality
  
• Handles real-time issues: call-outs, equipment problems, service timing, and school-level escalations
  
• Checks in with both additional Dallas locations to confirm service is running smoothly
  

• Reviews the day through the ops dashboard and daily reports after service closes
  
• Sales vs. target: are all three Dallas locations hitting expected meal counts?
  
• Labor hours logged vs. budget: did the hub kitchen run over, and why?
  
• Waste reported by hub and additional locations: is it within acceptable range?
  
• Sends a brief end-of-day summary to the Operations Manager on any flagged items labor overages, waste spikes, service misses, or school concerns
  

• Inventory review: confirms hub kitchen has submitted accurate counts and pars are set for the following week
  
• Schedule audit: reviews Dallas hub schedule for the coming week to confirm labor hours are within budget and all roles are covered
  
• Check-ins with both additional location Lead Cooks: brief call or structured Slack review to surface any issues and align on the week ahead
  
• Waste debrief: reviews weekly waste totals across all three Dallas schools, identifies trends, and holds Lead Cooks accountable
  
• Weekly update to Operations Manager covering labor %, waste, meal counts, and operational flags
  

• The hub kitchen runs smoothly every service day on time, on standard, no surprises
  
• Both additional Dallas locations are checked in with daily and any issues are surfaced early
  
• Labor stays at or below budget across all Dallas locations, every week
  
• Waste is tracked, understood, and trending down root causes identified and addressed
  
• All three Dallas schools receive food on time, at temperature, and to Yay quality standards
  
• Lead Cooks at additional locations are supported, accountable, and growing in the role
  

• 2 4 years of experience in kitchen or food production operations you know how to run a shift, lead a team, and keep a kitchen on track
  
• Hands-on cook and leader you're comfortable working the line alongside your team and setting the standard through your own work
  
• Experience with batch production, food safety, and inventory management FIFO, portioning discipline, and waste reduction are second nature
  
• Strong people skills you've held people accountable, coached newer cooks, and built trust with a team
  
• Organized and dependable you manage multiple moving pieces daily and nothing gets dropped
  
• Comfortable on the road this role involves regular driving between Dallas locations; reliable transportation and a valid driver's license required
  
• ServSafe certification or willingness to obtain within 30 days of hire
  
• Must be based in Dallas or within commuting distance
  

• $50,000 annual salary
  
• A high-growth, mission-driven company where your work directly impacts what kids eat every day
  
• A leadership team that values accountability, transparency, and operators who take pride in their craft
  
• Real career growth as we expand into new markets and build out our kitchen leadership team