Seeking a self-motivated, experienced Production Lead / Manager with high energy, creativity, and a passion for cooking nourishing and delicious food. We are looking for someone who can become a key member of our small team, running production in our shared commercial kitchen space in Austin, TX, as well as assisting the CEO with menu and recipe development. Depending on your skill set and interest, you may be asked to assist with other ad hoc projects across the business as the need arises. The ideal candidate enjoys working as part of a team and wants to learn and grow personally and professionally, as demonstrated by willingness to roll up your sleeves and figure out how to get the job well done, quickly learn and adapt to and support our existing systems, and help improve and build new systems as we grow. A passion or background in women’s wellness and nutrition is definitely a plus. An interest or background in organic and sustainable food practices is a plus.

This is the first and only position on our production team for several months, with room to grow to a management position, as the business grows, which includes hiring, training, running a team, and beyond.

Core Responsibilities

• Fulfill kitchen and production needs including preparation, cooking, dishwashing, packaging, shipping, sanitation, safety, maintenance and repair of kitchen equipment and storage, staffing, training, and cost effectiveness
• Plans weekly menus and develops recipes in partnership with CEO
• Communicates effectively with upper management, peers, and staff
• Manages kitchen supply ordering and inventory
• Represents Ritual Meals through media appearances, cooking demonstrations, participation in events, and community networking
• As the business grows:
  • Aids in interviewing and hiring cook staff; helps conduct performance reviews
  • Effectively trains, manages, and motivates cook staff in food safety and production procedures
  • Creates weekly schedule with attention to business volume, labor percentage, and employee requests
  • Maintains compliance with applicable employment laws

Skills and Requirements

• 4+ years of experience in varied kitchen positions including food preparation, line cook, kitchen management, and chef supervision / development
• Culinary training is a plus but not required if demonstrating excellent knife skills, strong organization, and ability to scale recipes
• 2+ years of people management experience
• Passion for producing high-quality food, and providing excellent customer experiences
• Food safety manager certification
• Strong analytical and decision-making skills
• Able to work independently, efficiently and meet deadlines
• Strong business math and accounting skills, including accuracy with numbers and documentation
• Basic computer skills (specifically spreadsheet skills for inventory and food costing procedures)
• Creative problem solver and team player, filling in for all roles within the kitchen as necessary when other staff are ill, on vacation, or otherwise out
• Able to organize time and tasks efficiently and multitask while maintaining attention to detail; Efficiency and excellent execution is a core value
• MUST love to cook and be willing and excited to learn and develop new recipes
• MUST have a great attitude and love to learn, grow, and improve; Kind with a positive outlook
• Extremely dependable and will make this job your top priority
• Have an eye for presentation; Ensure meals are packaged beautifully and look delicious
• Ability to tie ribbon into nice bows for gift boxes
• Open and honest communicator with strong interpersonal and conflict resolution skills
• Ability to stay calm under pressure
• Willingness to listen to instruction and coaching, as well as ability to coach/mentor others
• Able to provide two references familiar with your cooking and character
• Able to be on your feet most of the day (up to 10 hours a day at times)
• Able to lift up to 50lbs
• Able to get around reliably – having a driver’s license and car is a must. We will need this employee to transport product between production facilities, markets, shipping centers, and other ad hoc projects that may require driving a car.