Kitchen Administration Manager
3 days ago
Lexington
Kitchen Administration Manager Idle Hour Country Club | Lexington, Kentucky Reports To: Executive Chef Dotted-Line Accountability: Controller & General Manager Classification: Full-Time, Exempt Starting Salary: $55,000 Annually Bonus Eligibility: Annual Performance Incentive Program Position Summary The Kitchen Administration Manager serves as the administrative, purchasing, inventory, receiving, financial, and operational systems leader for the Culinary Department. This position is responsible for creating structure, accountability, and consistency throughout the culinary operation by overseeing inventory management, purchasing, receiving, invoice reconciliation, food cost reporting, sanitation documentation, equipment maintenance tracking, and operational systems. The Kitchen Administration Manager acts as the bridge between Culinary Operations and Accounting, ensuring accurate financial reporting, disciplined purchasing practices, inventory accountability, and operational readiness across all culinary venues. This role allows the Executive Chef and culinary leadership team to focus on food quality, team development, member experience, training, and execution while maintaining strong administrative controls behind the scenes. The successful candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, financially disciplined, systems-minded, and comfortable working in a fast-paced hospitality environment. Leadership Philosophy The Kitchen Administration Manager is not responsible for menu development, culinary creativity, or culinary vision. Instead, this position creates and maintains the systems, reporting structures, purchasing controls, and accountability measures that allow the culinary operation to execute at the highest level. Success is measured by accuracy, organization, timeliness, accountability, communication, and the ability to make excellence repeatable. Essential Responsibilities • Inventory Management & Financial Controls, • Conduct weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual physical inventories., • Coordinate inventory counts with culinary leadership., • Maintain inventory records within ORCA and other club systems., • Reconcile inventory variances and investigate discrepancies., • Monitor inventory turns and product utilization., • Track spoilage, waste, transfers, and inventory adjustments., • Assist with food cost analysis and reporting., • Maintain inventory valuation reports., • Support month-end financial closing processes., • Prepare inventory and purchasing reports for Culinary Leadership, Accounting, and Club Management., • Assist with annual budget development and forecasting., • Key Accountability 100% on-time inventory completion and submission. Purchasing, Ordering & Vendor Management • Prepare and submit daily and weekly food, paper, chemical, and smallware orders., • Maintain all culinary order guides., • Establish and monitor product pars and reorder points., • Review inventory levels and purchasing needs daily., • Monitor vendor pricing and product specifications., • Verify invoice pricing accuracy., • Track vendor shortages and substitutions., • Maintain vendor contact information and ordering schedules., • Monitor purchasing compliance and approved vendor usage., • Assist with vendor negotiations and product evaluations., • Identify cost-saving opportunities and purchasing efficiencies., • Coordinate emergency and special-event purchasing needs., • Key Accountability Protect club resources through disciplined purchasing practices and cost controls. Receiving & Product Control • Receive and inspect all culinary deliveries., • Verify product quality, quantity, count, weight, specifications, and temperatures., • Reject products that fail to meet club standards., • Process credits for shortages, damaged goods, and incorrect deliveries., • Maintain receiving logs and documentation., • Ensure all products are labeled, dated, rotated, and stored properly., • Verify compliance with FIFO procedures., • Coordinate returns and replacement products., • Enter invoices and receiving information into club systems., • Maintain organized storage and receiving areas., • Key Accountability Every product entering the operation meets quality, safety, and specification standards. Administrative & Accounting Support Serve as the primary ORCA administrator for inventory and reporting functions. • Maintain recipe costing databases., • Assist culinary leadership with menu costing., • Review and reconcile invoices prior to submission to Accounting., • Track vendor credits and ensure proper application., • Generate weekly and monthly financial reports., • Maintain purchasing and receiving documentation., • Coordinate month-end inventory and accounting requirements., • Assist with annual budgeting and forecasting processes., • Support audits and financial reviews as needed., • Key Accountability Provide accurate, timely, and actionable information that supports sound financial decisions. Operational Systems & Accountability • Develop and maintain culinary Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)., • Maintain production schedules and accountability systems., • Assist with prep systems and operational workflows., • Track opening, closing, daily, weekly, monthly, and seasonal task completion., • Maintain operational manuals and training resources., • Support implementation of operational improvements and best practices., • Assist with project management initiatives related to culinary operations., • Key Accountability Build systems that reduce dependency on individuals and improve consistency. Food Safety & Sanitation • Serve as the department's food safety administrator., • Maintain HACCP documentation and records., • Manage temperature logs and sanitation logs., • Conduct daily and weekly food safety audits., • Ensure compliance with all local, state, and federal regulations., • Coordinate corrective actions when standards are not met., • Support ServSafe and food safety training initiatives., • Ensure inspection readiness at all times., • Maintain sanitation chemical inventory and compliance records., • Key Accountability Maintain a safe, clean, organized, and inspection-ready operation. Equipment & Facility Management • Maintain preventative maintenance schedules., • Track equipment repairs and service requests., • Coordinate vendor service calls and contractors., • Maintain equipment records and warranty information., • Monitor storage organization and facility readiness., • Identify operational inefficiencies and recommend improvements., • Assist with facility and equipment improvement projects., • Key Accountability Protect and extend the life of club assets through proactive maintenance and organization. Team Support & Training • Assist with onboarding and orientation of culinary employees., • Reinforce operational procedures and standards., • Support accountability initiatives throughout the department., • Assist with training documentation and compliance tracking., • Promote communication between Culinary, Accounting, and Club Leadership., • Support cross-training initiatives., • Assist with development of future culinary leaders., • Key Accountability Create a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement. Working Relationships Reports To: Executive Chef Dotted-Line Accountability: Controller and General Manager/COO Works Closely With • Executive Sous Chef, • Sous Chefs, • Culinary Team, • Accounting Department, • Receiving Vendors, • Purchasing Partners, • Department Managers Qualifications Required • Minimum three years of experience in hospitality operations, inventory management, purchasing, receiving, accounting support, culinary administration, or kitchen management., • Strong understanding of inventory control and food cost management., • Experience with purchasing and receiving procedures., • Strong organizational and analytical skills., • Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Office., • Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines., • Strong communication and problem-solving skills. Preferred • Country club, resort, hotel, restaurant, or hospitality experience., • Experience with ORCA, Jonas, or similar hospitality software., • ServSafe Certification., • Hospitality, Culinary Management, Business Administration, or Accounting education., • Experience working directly with accounting and finance teams., • Performance Metrics The Kitchen Administration Manager will be evaluated on: • Inventory Accuracy, • Inventory Timeliness, • Food Cost Reporting Accuracy, • Purchasing Compliance, • Vendor Credit Recovery, • Invoice Accuracy, • Receiving Accuracy, • Waste Reduction, • Inventory Variance Control, • ORCA Data Integrity, • HACCP Compliance, • Sanitation Compliance, • Audit Readiness, • Storage Organization, • Equipment Maintenance Tracking, • Operational Readiness, • Accountability System Compliance, • Cross-Department Communication Compensation & Benefits Compensation: • Starting Salary: $55,000 annually, • Annual Performance Incentive Program, • Merit-Based Compensation Growth Opportunities Benefits: • Health Insurance, • Paid Time Off, • Holiday Pay, • Employee Meal Program, • Professional Development Opportunities Why Idle Hour Country Club Idle Hour Country Club is committed to delivering exceptional experiences through hospitality, teamwork, accountability, and continuous improvement. The Kitchen Administration Manager plays a critical role in protecting club resources, supporting culinary leadership, strengthening financial accountability, and creating the operational foundation necessary for a best-in-class culinary program. Mission Take care of our members. Take care of each other. Have fun in a safe manner. Core Expectation Create systems that make excellence repeatable. To Apply Interested candidates should submit a résumé and brief cover letter to: Chris Kennedy, CCM General Manager / COO ckennedy@idlehour.cc