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