Kitchen Manager- King of Prussia, PA

The Yay Company

Kitchen + Market Manager - Philadelphia Market

Reports to: Director of Operations

Location: Hub School, Philadelphia, PA

Type: Full-Time, Salaried $60,000

Role Overview

The Kitchen + Market Manager is the on-the-ground operator for the Philadelphia market. This is a working kitchen leadership role - the Kitchen + Market Manager serves as Lead Cook at the hub school kitchen while also owning oversight of three additional schools in the Philadelphia market. This person is accountable for food quality, kitchen team performance, production execution, and market-wide operational standards across all four Philadelphia schools.

Market Scope

Hub School (Hub Kitchen) - Direct, Hands-On Management

• Serves as Lead Cook, working the line daily and setting the standard through hands-on execution
• Owns production planning and execution at the hub kitchen - cold batch runs, hot prep days, and daily service
• Manages production scheduling, food quality, waste tracking, and inventory at the hub
• Directly supervises hub kitchen staff and holds the team accountable to Yay standards

Three Additional Philadelphia Schools - Market Oversight

• Serves as the primary Yay point of contact for school staff and leadership at each location
• Oversees delivery, service quality, and day-to-day issue resolution across all three schools
• Conducts regular check-ins (in-person and/or remote) to confirm service is on track and standards are being met
• Supports Lead Cooks/onsite staff at each location through coaching and troubleshooting
• Reviews waste, meal counts, and any flagged issues across all three schools

Core Responsibilities

Daily Kitchen & Market Operations

• Runs the hub kitchen from prep through service as working Lead Cook - production schedule, food quality, and on-time execution
• Manages call-out coverage and real-time kitchen decisions during service hours at the hub kitchen
• Checks in daily with all three additional Philadelphia schools to confirm service status and address real-time issues
• Serves as the point of contact for school partners across the market on day-of operational matters

Labor & Scheduling

• Sets the hub kitchen schedule within labor budget provided by the Director of Operations
• Approves schedule changes or additional shifts across the market
• Tracks actual hours versus scheduled hours daily at the hub kitchen; identifies and corrects overages
• Reports labor performance across the full Philadelphia market to the Director of Operations

Food Quality, Waste & Inventory

• Monitors and reduces waste at the hub kitchen - holds team accountable for portioning, FIFO, and end-of-day tracking
• Confirms hub kitchen inventory counts are accurate and pars are correctly set for the week ahead
• Reviews waste and quality reports from the three additional schools and flags concerns to the Director of Operations
• Upholds Yay food quality and safety standards across all four Philadelphia locations

Team Leadership & Development

• Provides direct, hands-on leadership to the hub kitchen team as working Lead Cook
• Supports Lead Cooks/staff at the three additional schools through regular check-ins and coaching
• Leads onboarding for new kitchen hires and sets standards for the Philadelphia market
• Escalates performance or operational issues to the Director of Operations as needed

What Success Looks Like

• The hub kitchen runs smoothly every service day - on time, on standard, no surprises
• All three additional Philadelphia schools are checked in with regularly and any issues are surfaced early
• Labor stays at or below budget at the hub kitchen every week
• Waste is tracked, understood, and trending down across the market
• All four Philadelphia schools receive food on time, at temperature, and to Yay quality standards
• Staff at additional locations are supported, accountable, and growing in their roles

What We're Looking For

• 2-4 years of experience in kitchen or food production operations - you know how to run a shift, lead a team, and keep a kitchen on track
• Hands-on cook and leader - comfortable working the line daily while also managing operations across a broader market
• Experience with batch production, food safety, and inventory management - FIFO, portioning discipline, and waste reduction are second nature
• Strong people skills - has held people accountable, coached other cooks, and built trust with a team across multiple sites
• Organized and dependable - manages multiple moving pieces daily across several locations and nothing gets dropped
• Comfortable traveling between Philadelphia locations as needed; reliable transportation required
• ServSafe certification or willingness to obtain within 30 days of hire
• Must be based in Philadelphia or within commuting distance

What We Offer

• Competitive annual salary (based on experience)
• A high-growth, mission-driven company where your work directly impacts what kids eat every day
• A leadership team that values accountability, transparency, and operators who take pride in their craft
• Real career growth as the Philadelphia market expands, with the role designed to grow alongside it

The Yay Company · Philadelphia Market · Internal - Confidential · 2026