Manager, Food Operations
Location: Dulles, Virginia, United States
Work Setting: On-site
Employment Type: Full-time
Salary: $80,000–$85,000 USD
Function: Food Operations, Food Production, Operations Management, Hospitality
About the Role
A Manager, Food Operations is responsible for overseeing high-volume food production operations in a unionized environment, ensuring consistent quality, food safety, sanitation and regulatory compliance.
The role will lead production teams, manage labor and food costs, monitor productivity and inventory, and ensure meals and products meet customer and airline specifications. The position requires a hands-on operations leader with strong experience in food production, catering, restaurant or manufacturing environments.
Key Responsibilities
- Supervise daily food production operations and ensure quality standards are consistently maintained.
- Lead and manage a large hourly workforce, including scheduling, manpower planning, training and performance management.
- Ensure compliance with HACCP, FDA, food safety, sanitation, ServSafe and company operating procedures.
- Maintain food quality, safety and compliance standards in line with customer and airline specifications.
- Monitor labor costs, food costs, overtime, productivity and meals-per-hour targets.
- Track operational performance and implement process improvements to increase productivity and control costs.
- Ensure airline specifications, production diagrams, recipes and sample meals are accurate and consistently followed.
- Ensure products are correctly coded, dated, stored and handled according to food production procedures.
- Conduct inventory checks, monitor product usage and minimize waste.
- Manage product requisitions and coordinate with storeroom and supply teams to maintain appropriate inventory levels.
- Maintain daily temperature records, production logs and other required operational documentation.
- Conduct employee performance evaluations and provide regular coaching, feedback and development.
- Manage employee attendance, retention and turnover while maintaining a productive workplace.
- Handle employee coaching, counseling and corrective actions in accordance with applicable union and collective bargaining agreements.
- Ensure compliance with wage and hour requirements, including employee meal and rest breaks.
- Verify employee job titles, cost centers, pay rates, wage scales and seniority information.
- Ensure employees complete required training, including ServSafe certification.
- Prepare operational and administrative reports for management.
- Work closely with management and internal departments to resolve operational issues and improve unit performance.
- Communicate effectively with employees, management, customers and suppliers.
- Identify opportunities for operational improvement and implement changes that improve efficiency, quality and the work environment.
Requirements
- Minimum 3 years of supervisory or management experience in a high-volume food production, manufacturing, restaurant, catering or commercial kitchen environment.
- Minimum 5 years of experience in cooking, food production or food preparation.
- High School Diploma or GED required; Associate's or Bachelor's degree preferred.
- Proven ability to lead and manage 100+ hourly employees in a fast-paced operational environment.
- Strong knowledge of food safety, HACCP, sanitation and regulatory compliance.
- ServSafe certification preferred, with the ability to obtain certification if required.
- Experience with labor planning, workforce scheduling, productivity management and cost control.
- Strong understanding of food cost, labor cost, inventory management and waste reduction.
- Experience managing employee performance, coaching, corrective action and retention.
- Labor relations or experience working within a unionized environment is preferred.
- Strong leadership, communication, organizational and analytical skills.
- Ability to train employees, provide constructive feedback and drive operational improvements.
- Strong time management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a high-volume environment.
- Basic computer skills and working knowledge of Microsoft Office.
- Menu design or menu development experience is advantageous.
- Spanish language skills are a plus.
- Ability to work rotating schedules of 55+ hours per week, including shifts of 10+ hours.
- Ability to stand, bend, lift, push and move throughout extended production shifts and handle products, equipment and supplies weighing more than 25 pounds.