Kitchen Manager

The Occidental Arts and Ecology Center (OAEC) is an 80-acre demonstration, education and advocacy center, located in Occidental, California. OAEC’s work focuses on cultivating ecological literacy and building the capacity of civic and social movement leaders and organizations to guide their communities toward an ecologically regenerative, economically viable, and socially just future.

OAEC is in an exciting moment as we celebrate our 30th year of change-making and continue to expand our work, including our onsite Retreat Program that serves environmental and social justice organizations. This is a tremendous opportunity for a kitchen systems leader to join OAEC’s passionate staff, building on our decades of impact to collaboratively usher in the next chapter for this organization.

JOB SUMMARY

OAEC seeks a talented kitchen systems professional to manage and oversee the commercial kitchen for OAEC’s land-based retreat center and residential community, coordinating and supervising the presentation of three meals a day for groups ranging from 25 to 60 grateful and hungry people per meal for over 125 calendar days per year.

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; hires, trains, schedules and manages all kitchen staff; and manages the annual food and kitchen budgets. OAEC serves mostly vegetarian meals, with occasional meat options. The position works with OAEC’s program staff to provide excellent meals for our workshops and retreats, and has a close relationship with the other OAEC operations department managers, program staff, and residential community around our common food systems. The Kitchen Manager is supervised by the Site Director.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Hire, train, supervise and schedule an hourly kitchen staff of ~15-20, including cooks, prep cooks and cleaners, as well as the Assistant Kitchen Manager.
• Conduct all menu planning for retreats, courses, and events prioritizing organic and seasonal ingredients, group demographics and cultures, special dietary needs, use of OAEC garden and orchard offerings, and balancing the multi-day menus around nutrition, comfort, diversity and beauty.
• Collaborate with Assistant Kitchen Manager to accomplish all administrative, procurement and physical kitchen management tasks (stocking, deep cleans, etc), shift scheduling and meal service.
• Ensure food safety by maintaining certification as a Foodservice Manager through California Food Safety Program (ServSafe) and pass the renewal exam every five years, and ensure that all kitchen staff maintain their current status (an on-line course). Enforce proper food safety protocols by all kitchen users including safety orientation with each new hire, new set of interns or new residents.
• Maintain the order and safety of the kitchen, including ensuring kitchen equipment is properly functioning.
• Maintain an excellent relationship with the garden and orchard managers to take advantage of opportunities to feature what we grow – both weekly and seasonally.
• Manage kitchen budget, and work with OAEC’s Finance Department to manage invoices, receipts and accounts payable for all food, supplies and equipment. Regularly approve hourly kitchen staff time sheets by due dates provided by bookkeeping.
• Be accessible during events, or have arranged emergency protocol when unavailable, in order to respond to occasional kitchen emergencies, including last minute cancellations.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE JOB

(Please do not apply if you do not meet the following requirements)

• Extensive experience working in a commercial kitchen, in various positions such as chef/head cook, kitchen management and/or staff management
• Interest, passion, and commitment toward ecologically appropriate food systems and healthful, tasty, and beautiful vegetarian cuisine
• Demonstrated exceptional leadership, communication and conflict resolution skills.
• Ability to receive and provide constructive feedback and manage a busy kitchen with a calm and open-door approach
• 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 occasional shopping and kitchen related errands (mileage reimbursed)
• Have enthusiasm for OAEC’s broader mission and programs that work to restore and protect biological and cultural diversity, and to create just and sustainable communities

HOW TO APPLY

• Qualified applicants should email a single PDF that includes a cover letter, resume, and list of three to five references to “Hiring Manager” at jobs@oaec.org with the subject: “Kitchen Manager Position.” Resumes without cover letters will not be considered. Please do not contact OAEC directly with questions or inquiries.
• We are accepting applications until 11:59pm PST, January 5, 2025. Early application is encouraged as applicant screening will begin immediately. The Kitchen Manager start date is flexible, but will ideally start by mid-late February, 2025
• Before applying, please spend some time looking at the OAEC website to better understand our diverse programs and partnerships.
• OAEC actively seeks a diverse applicant pool and encourages candidates of all backgrounds to apply. OAEC does 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.