Kitchen Manager
- Date Posted October 16, 2017
- Location Occidental, CA
- Category Culinary / Nonprofit
- Job type Full-Time
Company description
OAEC is an 80-acre research, demonstration, education, advocacy and community-organizing center and organic farm in West Sonoma County, California that develops strategies for regional-scale community resilience and the restoration of biological and cultural diversity.
One of the first farms to be certified organic in California, OAEC has been a vocal advocate for the preservation of biodiversity and ecological agriculture since the early 1970’s. Through a living seed collection of over 3,000 heirloom vegetable, fruit and herb varieties well adapted to the local climate, the OAEC “Mother Garden” continues to feed and inspire activists, biologists, educators and artists seeking innovative and practical approaches to the pressing environmental, cultural and economic crises of our day while celebrating and eating well!
Job description
The Kitchen Manager manages the sourcing, purchasing and preparation of all food served at OAEC, including from OAEC’s gardens and orchards; assures the quality of the OAEC dining experience; hire, trains, schedules and manages all kitchen staff; and manages the annual food and kitchen budgets. The position works with OAEC’s program staff to provide excellent meals for our trainings and retreats, and has a close relationship with the other OAEC operations managers, staff and residential community around our common food systems. The position is 40 hours, five days/week, starting February 1, 2018.
Primary Responsibilities of the Job
- Coordinate meals and all food for OAEC events, workshops, and rental retreats with a focus on local, seasonal, organic and vegetarian cuisine, with produce largely from our gardens and orchards.
- Collaborate and work closely with the Garden and Orchard managers on harvest planning for meals, and with Program and Administrative managers on scheduling meals and managing dietary needs for workshops and retreats.
- Maintain the kitchen as a professional working environment for the safety and enjoyment of guests, community, and staff. Ensure that the facility and staff are in accordance with food safety regulations.
- Hire, train, schedule and supervise all part-time (hourly) cooking and cleaning staff (approximately 20 people).
- Order and purchase bulk foods and wholesale orders from area farms, farm coops and natural food distributors.
- Responsible for managing the OAEC Kitchen budget, and working closely with OAEC’s financial management team around food and kitchen vendor management and bills. Accountable for all kitchen related spending to OAEC’s Finance and Operations Director.
- Responsible for the maintenance of all kitchen equipment working with OAEC’s Facilities Manager.
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- Extensive experience working in a commercial kitchen, ideally in various positions such as chef/head cook, kitchen management and staff management.
- Interest, passion, and commitment toward ecologically appropriate food systems and healthy, tasty, and beautiful vegetarian cuisine.
- Demonstrated exceptional leadership, communication and conflict resolution skills.
- Ability to receive and provide constructive feedback.
- Self-motivated, with the ability to work independently and manage one’s own time.
- Strong organizational skills and ability to juggle competing priorities while collaborating with many other OAEC staff.
- Own a reliable vehicle for shopping and kitchen related errands (mileage reimbursed).
For more background information on OAEC’s kitchen and its central place in the work of OAEC, go to this link: https://www.oaec.org/projects-and-partnerships/cookbook
OAEC is committed to equal employment opportunities. We do not discriminate based on an individual’s race, sex, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or on any other basis prohibited by law.
Compensation
This is full-time, non-residential position, working 40 hours/week. Salary is $41,870 per year (this is non-negotiable – set with all other staff salaries by our staff collective governance process). OAEC aims to increase all staff salaries through increased revenue. OAEC offers a generous vacation plan (5 weeks and 3 days, including flexible holidays), but does not offer paid health insurance. Staff can participate in OAEC courses free of charge, use the OAEC facilities (pond, hot tub, sauna, etc.), harvest produce from our gardens, and eat meals at OAEC when working.
Compensation
this position is: salaried, less than 50kApplication instructions
Deadline
November 10, 2017