Assistant Production Manager (Food) at Eden Life Inc

Job Summary

• We are seeking an experienced Assistant Production Manager to oversee large-scale food production, ensuring top quality, minimal waste, and efficient team performance. The ideal candidate will have strong leadership, culinary expertise, and a passion for process improvement and collaboration.

Job Responsibilities

Quality Control

• Responsible for the quality and taste of food; confirms quality of all meals for service
• Confirm and approve quality of meals before passed to FoH; Achieve 0 customer complaints
• Identify gaps; should be able to identify solutions, create processes that solve them, document, and roll out the updated process
• Own and oversee procurement to minimise waste
• Collaborate with the Inventory officer to request procurement
• Ensure minimal waste around procurement, storage, and food production.
• Oversee implementation of FIFO on raw produce
• Review customer feedback data everyday
• Create and implement initiatives that will address customer feedback systematically
• Support development of, and maintain schedule for seasonal produce to influence menu creation
• Should be able to take unforeseen shortages in the market into account
• Collaborate with the Homemade Business Unit Lead to develop new menus based on seasonal changes and customer demands
• Own and oversee menu production (in the Homemade Business Unit Lead's absence)
• Know and approve menu/orders for next day production (in the Homemade Business Unit Lead's absence)
• Adjust and confirm orders for production in collaboration with prep CDP
• Event Supervision and Coordination
• Support with menu planning, event costing, staff management and execution
• Food Product Research and Development
• Recipe development and production.
• Menu costing according to target.
• Train FOH (Front of House) and BOH (Back of House)

Monitoring & Reporting

• Understand, stay updated on, and contribute to monthly reporting around food production (develop report in the Homemade Business Unit Lead's absence)
• Number of meals made, Costs (procurement), overproduction levels
• Observe and report daily team performance: team's adherence to processes, consistency in output, team health
• Own reporting for cook team
• Oversee reporting on prep team
• Create systems that allow visibility into daily food production performance; ensure these are reviewed daily and relevant next steps addressed
• Support efforts to track kitchen capacity; team, equipment, space capacity

Learning

• Must be curious, and have a habit of independently researching and learning
• Be in the know about latest processes, ideas, techniques, in the industry
• Intentional about improving knowledge and skills of the team including new techniques
• Collaborate with Food Producer, the Homemade Business Unit Lead, Happiness Engineering, and Quality Assurance Officer to develop team learning & development plans

Team Management

• Holds team accountable with clear and daily verbal and written feedback
• Lead Chefs, Demi Chef De Parties, and other kitchen staff
• Support and manage team and equipment resource planning (eg schedules, shifts, station assignments, etc)
• Always take growth projections into account and collaborate with the Homemade Business Unit Lead & Food Producer to plan appropriately
• Maintain culture in kitchen that's consistent with Eden's culture
• "No jerk policy"
• Perform weekly 1:1s to maintain team pulse and support team members
• Support hiring and training of new team members
• Collaborate on and own aspects of onboarding new hires
• Manage direct reports appropriately to ensure growth and continued success

Collaboration

• Collaborate well with different teams (Marketing, Finance, Eden Operations, Product, Customer Success & Sales, and Engineering) in the company to achieve team goals
• Collaborate with the Facilities Manager and Operations Lead to ensure all equipment is well-maintained and always functional
• Collaborate with the Quality Assurance team to ensure execution, monitoring, and compliance with proper food handling, stellar hygiene and food safety practices
• Collaborate with the Inventory Manager to understand stock levels, projections, and track price of meals
• Collaborate with the Operations Lead to ensure Procurement is accurate and timely
• Work with Inventory, Eden Operations, Prep and QA teams to expand vendor pool, confirm new vendors as needed, and off board non performing/previous vendors

Job Requirements

• At least 2 years relevant experience in similar role for large scale food production (at least 500 meals daily)
• Proven track record of stellar team leadership
• Relevant certifications:
• Culinary degrees, Food safety & handling, etc.
• Good level of computer literacy and programs
• Excellent knowledge of all sections/stations
• Ability to produce excellent high-quality food
• Good oral communication
• Team management skills: inspiring leadership
• High level of attention to detail
• Good level of numeracy
• Enthusiasm to develop your own skills and knowledge plus those around you
• Adaptability to change and willingness to embrace new ideas and processes
• Ability to work unsupervised and deliver quality work
• Positive and approachable manner
• Team player qualities

Other Requirements

• Ability to work flexible hours, including weekends and holidays.
• Physical stamina to stand for extended periods and perform physically demanding tasks.