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Provided by the employer
Verified Pay check_circle $50000 - $55000 per year
Hours Full-time
Location Atlanta, Georgia

About this job

Job Description

Job Description

Catering Operation Manager
Company: Social Express Catering & Meal Prep (SECMP)
Location: Metro Atlanta, GA (On-site)
Job Type: Full-Time
Compensation: $50,000–$55,000/year (based on experience) + KPI bonus opportunity
Schedule: Early mornings required; some weekends/evenings depending on business needs
Reports To: COO + CEO/Executive Chef
Direct Reports: Kitchen staff (Catering Specialists/Cooks), Drivers, Shift Leads

Role Summary
Social Express Catering & Meal Prep (SECMP) is hiring a seasoned Operations Manager to run the day-to-day execution of our production kitchen, staffing, and delivery operations.

This role is for a true operator—someone who is organized, disciplined, and can lead people while driving performance through KPIs. You will be responsible for making sure our daily operations run smoothly across:

 ✅ Large-scale daily meal production + packing
 ✅ Delivery logistics and on-time dispatch
 ✅ Inventory readiness and waste control
 ✅ Kitchen structure, cleanliness, and compliance
 ✅ Staff scheduling and accountability
 ✅ Support for catering and event readiness (Chef-led execution)

This is not a desk job. You will be hands-on and fully responsible for keeping the business running without chaos.

Key Responsibilities
1) Own Daily Production & Kitchen Execution
  • Run daily operations including prep, cook, packing, staging, load-out, and reset
  • Lead daily pre-shift huddles and assign stations with deadlines
  • Enforce consistency in portioning, food quality, packaging, and accuracy
  • Prevent “fire drills” by planning ahead and controlling the pace of the kitchen
  • Ensure the kitchen is clean, organized, and production-ready at all times
2) Build the Daily/Weekly Plan (No Guesswork)
  • Create daily production timelines and prep lists
  • Coordinate staffing coverage based on volume and deadlines
  • Ensure all teams know the plan: who is doing what, by what time, and how it must look
  • Control overtime by planning ahead—not reacting late
3) Dispatch & Delivery Accountability
  • Confirm driver coverage daily and ensure smooth route execution
  • Maintain strict dispatch procedures:
    • correct loading order
    • route-ready staging
    • equipment sign-out and return tracking
    • departure time tracking
  • Identify delivery risks early and correct them before they become failures
  • Hold drivers accountable for accuracy, timeliness, and professionalism
4) Inventory, Ordering & Waste Control
  • Maintain par levels for food, packaging, and disposables
  • Track key inventory items that impact daily output (protein, trays, containers, labels, etc.)
  • Reduce waste through better forecasting, FIFO, and prep discipline
  • Communicate shortages immediately to leadership with a solution plan

5) Food Safety, Quality & Compliance
  • Enforce food safety and sanitation requirements daily
  • Ensure all required logs are completed (temps, sanitation, cleaning schedules, etc.)
  • Maintain compliance culture: no shortcuts, no excuses
  • Correct issues fast and prevent repeat mistakes
6) Staff Leadership & Performance Management
  • Train and coach staff to standards (SOPs, station expectations, speed, cleanliness)
  • Hold staff accountable for punctuality, professionalism, and performance
  • Support hiring and onboarding in partnership with CEO/COO
  • Document recurring performance issues and implement corrective actions
7) Catering & Events Support (Executive Chef-Led)

The Executive Chef owns all event strategy, planning, day-of execution, and culinary direction.
 The Operations Manager supports Chef by ensuring readiness.
  • Coordinate staffing support for event prep needs
  • Ensure equipment, supplies, and disposables are staged on time
  • Keep kitchen production protected so events don’t disrupt daily obligations
  • Ensure the kitchen is reset and ready after event prep work

8) Daily Reporting & KPI Management
  • Track performance with clear metrics and trends
  • Provide a daily recap to COO/CEO including:
    • on-time dispatch status
    • packing accuracy/mistakes
    • staffing issues/callouts
    • inventory gaps
    • corrective actions taken
  • Lead weekly KPI review and improvement actions

KPI Scorecard (What Success Looks Like)
Execution & Delivery
  • On-time dispatch: ≥ 98% weekly
  • Missed routes/sites: 0
  • Packing accuracy: ≥ 99%
Quality & Compliance
  • Log completion: ≥ 95% daily
  • Critical food safety incidents: 0
  • Client complaints: decreasing trend
Labor & Efficiency
  • Labor hours within weekly plan
  • Overtime controlled and approved only
  • Reduced waste month-over-month
Team Reliability
  • 100% route/shift coverage
  • Improved punctuality + reduced callouts
  • Training completed within required timelines

Qualifications
Required
  • 3–7+ years leadership in catering, meal prep, high-volume kitchens, or food production
  • Proven ability to manage a team and hit deadlines consistently
  • Strong organization and time management
  • Confident communicator and firm leader 
  • Comfortable being hands-on and moving fast in a production environment
  • ServSafe Manager 
  • Experience with multi-route delivery logistics and packing systems
  • Experience implementing SOPs and KPI tracking

What Success Looks Like (30/60/90 Days)
First 30 Days
  • Kitchen runs with structure (huddles, stations, deadlines, checklists)
  • Dispatch procedure locked in and consistent
Staffing schedule stabilized and reliable
By 60 Days
  • Accuracy improves, fewer mistakes, fewer emergency issues
  • Overtime reduced through planning and control
Inventory is consistent with fewer shortages
By 90 Days
  • Operations runs smoothly without owner micromanagement
  • KPI targets consistently hit
  • Staff culture becomes more accountable and performance-driven
How to Apply
Submit your resume and a short message answering:
  1. What is the largest kitchen/production operation you’ve managed?
  2. What KPIs have you been responsible for?
  3. What is your leadership style—firm, structured, fast-paced?

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Posting ID: 1257688810 Posted: 2026-06-27 Job Title: Catering Operation Manager
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Catering Operation Manager