Kitchen Manager - Philadelphia

The Yay Company
Kitchen Manager — Philadelphia, PA
Reports to:
Operations Manager
Location:
Philadelphia, PA
Type:
Full-Time, Hourly $23
Role Overview
The Kitchen Manager runs day-to-day production in the kitchen, supplying cold and hot meals to a number of school partners across the Philadelphia area market. This is a hands-on, working kitchen leadership role — you're on the line with the team, not just supervising from the sidelines.
Core Responsibilities
Runs the kitchen from prep through production and dispatch — schedule, food quality, and on-time execution
Leads both cold batch and hot production runs alongside the kitchen team, setting the pace and standard for output
Manages inventory and pars, keeping waste tracked and trending down through FIFO and portioning discipline
Sets and manages the kitchen schedule within labor budget; tracks actual vs. scheduled hours
Directly supervises kitchen staff — hires, onboards, and coaches Lead Cooks and team members
Handles real-time issues during production: call-outs, equipment problems, timing
Reports daily and weekly on labor, waste, and meal counts to the Operations Manager
What Success Looks Like
The commissary runs smoothly every production day — on time, on standard, no surprises
Labor stays at or below budget every week
Waste is tracked and trending down
All schools served receive food on time, at temperature, and to Yay quality standards
What We're Looking For
2–4 years of kitchen or food production experience — you know how to run a shift and lead a team
Hands-on cook and leader, comfortable working the line
Experience with cold and hot batch production, food safety, and inventory management
Strong people skills and a track record of holding a team accountable
ServSafe certification or willingness to obtain within 30 days of hire
Must be based in Philadelphia or within commuting distance
Must have reliable and insured personal vehicle
What We Offer
$23/hour
A high-growth, mission-driven company where your work directly impacts what kids eat every day
Real career growth as we expand into new markets
The Yay Company · Philadelphia, PA Market · Internal — Confidential · 2026