Kitchen Manager Urbane
- Date Posted October 12, 2021
- Location Brooklyn, NY
- Category Business / Education
- Job type Full-Time
Urbane is a community development venture and certified MBE. Founded in 2008, and with offices in New York and Philadelphia, Urbane builds the infrastructure that catalyzes community wealth. Our approach centers on strengthening community anchors through a multi-disciplinary approach - research and analytics, business and development advisory services, and place-based investing in mixed-use real estate, small businesses, and other non-traditional assets aimed at generating long term prosperity and community wealth creation. We envision neighborhoods that are defined by their strengths and experienced as places of opportunity and innovation, building bridges toward an equitable distribution of wealth and power by fostering community-led solutions and centering the wisdom and local innovation that already exists to facilitate a future of prosperity and shared wealth.
Urbane’s client base includes municipalities, economic development agencies, foundations, financial institutions, real estate developers, community-based organizations, and small businesses throughout the US.
With a brand refresh and new website, along with a forthcoming nonprofit arm and impact investing funds, let alone exciting projects in the pipeline – 2021 and beyond has us excited about the possibilities – and those possibilities necessarily include fresh new, diverse perspectives!
Are you a chef/culinary manager or a hospitality industry veteran looking to make a lasting impact? Urbane's Mangrove Business Incubator is seeking a highly motivated candidate with a background in business development to manage the forthcoming Incubator Kitchen at Flatbush Central. The ideal candidate is a dynamic, detail-oriented manager with a passion for inclusive entrepreneurship and equitable food systems. This role will advance our mission of building a local food economy grounded in racial, social, and economic justice.
The Kitchen Manager will be responsible for operational and strategic functions, ranging from oversight of day-to-day kitchen operations and maintaining excellent facility standards, to leading internal team members and supporting both incubatees and kitchen members.
Job Responsibilities may include but are not limited to:
Program & Operations
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Support recruitment of entrepreneurs launching their companies at the Mangrove, including organizing and leading information sessions and tours (in-person and virtual)
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Cultivate partnerships with community, business groups and industry professionals/experts for lead generation, curriculum facilitation and mentorship, sales pipeline opportunities and wider kitchen programming
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Work with Incubator team to create a seamless incubation and business support experience, including overseeing execution of hands-on incubator curriculum, and supporting incubatees in creating business work plans
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Offer industry expertise and technical assistance to kitchen users and the broader Mangrove community of businesses
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Plan and deliver ServSafe and other food handling trainings
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Facilitate stage and externship opportunities with local food ventures
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Coordinate with events staff to support public programs including culinary classes, demonstrations, product samplings, and industry leader conversations
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Maintain exceptional standards of professionalism and hospitality toward all commercial kitchen users and staff
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Present Mangrove’s work to partners and stakeholders at community events
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Track all inquiries, ensure timely follow-up, and maintain all information in Salesforce database
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Conduct member intake and orientations including appropriate equipment and space usage, kitchen etiquette and protocols compliance
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Facilitate supply chain management, connecting kitchen incubatees and members with appropriate vendors for their operations, including coordinating bulk/cooperative purchasing from local and regional producers
Staff Management
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Manage kitchen team's daily responsibilities, providing clear and effective direction in accordance with all company policies
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Assist in employee hiring, review resumes, interview candidates
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Track performance, conduct evaluations, provide feedback and terminate staff if/when necessary
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Design and execute trainings that educate and empower the team
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Demonstrate positive leadership and build morale by fostering an environment where team input is encouraged
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Train staff on all kitchen and member service needs, revise training procedures as needed
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Manage scheduling to meet operational needs and efficiency
Facility Maintenance
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Maintain a clean and orderly facility, ensuring equipment is properly cleaned by members, create system for accountability
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Take immediate action to resolve member issues, ensuring that Mangrove team is involved as necessary
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Visually inspect property daily, monitoring conditions, cleanliness, and quality of products and services throughout and facilitate repairs through approved vendor channels
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Comply with health department standards including occupancy compliance
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Meet or exceed NYC DOHMH regulations for sanitation by ensuring an “A” letter grade on all inspections
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Ensure members adhere to food safety processes, monitor any issues with pests, equipment, and food borne illnesses and create documentation
The ideal candidate loves to support, mentor, build and grow diverse food businesses. This position requires excellent communication, patience, and problem-solving skills, plus a working knowledge of running a safe and effective professional kitchen. You can manage systems and processes that support businesses from ideation to operation with exceptional attention to detail. You are driven to lead a team with a commitment to mutual respect, achieving goals with high emotional intelligence. You have an entrepreneurial spirit that inspires stakeholders to succeed.
Knowledge, Skills, and Experience:
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Entrepreneur experience strongly desired including direct involvement with any relevant start-ups, brands, or concepts
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Strong knowledge of NYC restaurant and hospitality industries
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3+ years in leadership in the food/hospitality industries
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Experience managing food operations with gross sales of over $1 million and a team of 3+ employees
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Experience managing a budget, and monitoring food costs and profit margins
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Ability to stand for extended periods (8+ hours)
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Ability to work in a highly physical environment and lift 50 pounds
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Ability to obtain and/or maintain any required licenses, certificates or permits
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Working knowledge of MS Office/Teams, POS systems and open to learning new systems as needed
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Highly motivated leader who inspires their team to achieve a high level of performance
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Entrepreneurial self-starter who takes complete ownership of their work performance
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Excellent communication skills, able to explain just about anything to anyone with comfort
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Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, able to manage multiple projects on firm timelines
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Enthusiastic about building relationships and embracing change
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Team player ready to assist in other roles as needed
Compensation, Benefits & Employee Support
Salary ranges between $68,000.00 and $75,000.00, commensurate with experience. Benefits include medical, dental and vision insurance, 401(k), and generous vacation/PTO offerings. Urbane invests up to $1500/employee/year in professional development.