Kitchen & Production Lead

Position Summary

The Kitchen & Production Lead supports the Food Service Manager in overseeing the store's deli and back-of-house production operations to ensure exceptional customer service, top notch food quality, and a clean, welcoming environment. This role oversees prep production for both the café and deli department, catering, meal prep kits, and ready-to-eat (RTE) items, and helps drive profitability by maintaining production planning standards and monitoring inventory shrinkage while maintaining a full, fresh presentation for customers.

Key Responsibilities

• Support kitchen and production team members by prioritizing and assigning daily tasks
• Work closely with the Food Service Manager to ensure optimal stock levels and minimal inventory shrinkage.
• Ensure shelves, displays, and promotional areas are well-stocked, organized, clean, and visually appealing.
• Assist the Food Service Manager in ensuring compliance with OSHA policies, food safety regulations, and company policies.
• Ensure proper food handling, labeling, dating, and temperature controls are properly followed.
• Address customer concerns and resolve issues professionally and efficiently.
• Ensure the safe operation of ovens, slicers, scales, and other equipment.
• Oversee prep production for café, deli, catering, meal prep kits, and ready-to-eat (RTE) items, including grab-and-go programs, ensuring volume, quality, and timing standards are met.
• Conduct regular ingredient inventories and order replenishment stock as needed.
• Analyze daily and weekly reports to identify opportunities and implement corrective actions.
• Administrative Responsibilities
• Inventory: Conduct regular deli inventory counts and set and maintain par levels for proteins, produce, prepared foods, packaged goods, and disposables (containers, labels, packaging). Rotate stock using FIFO, monitor freshness, and track, log, and investigate waste and shrinkage.
• Ordering & Receiving: Place and track replenishment orders with vendors, receive and verify deliveries against invoices and packing slips, and resolve shortages or discrepancies.
• Cash & POS Administration: Count tills, prepare deposits, reconcile daily sales, run end-of-day POS reports, and document cash over/short.
• Scheduling & Timekeeping: Help build and adjust deli staff schedules to meet coverage and labor targets; review and approve timecards.
• Reporting: Review daily and weekly sales, cost, and waste reports; track deli performance and surface opportunities and corrective actions to the Food Service Manager.
• Compliance & Records: Maintain food-safety and sanitation logs (temperature, cleaning, labeling/dating) and keep team training and certification records current.

Requirements

Qualifications

• 5+ years of retail deli experience
• Basic knowledge of computers and POS system
• Strong understanding of food service production planning and execution
• ServSafe or equivalent food safety certification
• Excellent communication and organizational skills
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays
• High school diploma or equivalent required
• Physical Requirements
• Ability to stand and walk for extended periods of time; bend, and lift up to 40 lbs.
• Comfortable working in varying temperature environments (coolers, freezers, kitchens)