Manager of Culinary Instruction

POSITION TITLE: Manager of Culinary Instruction

REPORTS TO: Director of Programs

FLSA STATUS: Exempt, Full-Time

COMPENSATION: $80,000-$90,000

LOCATION: San Diego, CA

Who we are: 

Kitchens for Good transforms lives through culinary arts. Our California State-Certified Apprenticeship programs empower individuals impacted by trauma and barriers to employment by equipping them with technical and life skills for meaningful careers in the hospitality industry.

Position Summary: 

The Manager of Culinary Instruction is responsible for overseeing the culinary instructional team and ensuring the delivery of high-quality, trauma-informed, and industry-aligned culinary education. This role includes supervising Chef Instructors, teaching at least two days per week, managing cohort scheduling, and leading the development and refinement of training curricula and lesson plans. The Manager of Culinary Instruction plays a key leadership role in fostering a learner-centered environment that supports apprentice success.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities:

Instructional Leadership

• Supervise, support, and evaluate Chef Instructors to ensure instructional excellence and consistency. 
• Provide mentorship and professional development opportunities for instructional staff. 
• Foster a collaborative and innovative teaching culture aligned with Kitchens for Good’s mission and values. 
• Implement a training model in which apprentices are given time to practice learned skills with continuous, supportive feedback, and design learning assessments that motivate trainees toward personal and professional progress.  
• Evaluate and support instructional staff to ensure effective teaching practices. 

Teaching Responsibilities 

• Deliver hands-on culinary instruction 
• Model best practices in adult learning and trauma-informed teaching. 
• Provide one-on-one coaching to apprentices to reinforce professional and technical skills. 

Curriculum & Lesson Planning

• Design intentional learning experiences across training programs and social enterprises that increase trainee learning and job readiness outcomes.  
• Develop lesson plans, instructional techniques and course contents that engage trainees in meaningful learning experiences and enhance their pursuit of self-empowerment. 
• Identify opportunities to align programs, operations, and support staff towards the common goal of trainee development through communication of individual apprentice progress and engagement.   
• Ensure curriculum remains current with industry standards and aligned with apprenticeship requirements.
• Integrate feedback from instructors, apprentices, and industry partners into curriculum updates.
• Monitor and integrate evolving culinary trends and educational practices into program delivery  

Scheduling & Program Coordination 

• Develop and manage all cohort schedules, including class rotations, instructor assignments, and guest chef visits. 
• Coordinate with Career Services Manager, Workforce Development Manager, and other departments to align instructional plans with program goals. 
• Ensure timely administration of assessments, certifications, and evaluations. 

Kitchen Operations & Oversight

• Take the lead in organizing kitchen layout, equipment use, and workflow to support instructional and operational efficiency. 
• Oversee and coordinate kitchen maintenance and repairs, ensuring all equipment is functional and safe. 
• Maintain a safe, inclusive, and engaging learning environment. 
• Support kitchen operations in compliance with health, safety, and hygiene standards. 
• Collaborate on cross-functional initiatives such as meal contracts, micro-enterprise projects, and special events. 
• Maintain food purchasing budget in accordance with established budget.   
• Assist with budget planning, inventory management, and procurement of kitchen supplies. 

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Hire, train, and manage instructional staff. 
• Set clear expectations and performance goals aligned with department KPIs. 
• Conduct regular performance evaluations and implement improvement plans as needed.

Competencies:

• Strong leadership and team management skills. 
• Strong collaborator and experience leading collaboration. 
• Excellent communication and presentation abilities. 
• Deep knowledge of culinary techniques and industry trends. 
• Organizational and scheduling expertise. 
• Ability to demonstrate concern and sensitivity toward apprentices’ needs and learning styles   
• Growth mindset and commitment to continuous improvement.
• Results Driven 
• Excellent Organizational Skills 

Work Environment:

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and filing cabinets. This job also operates in a kitchen environment, housed with equipment such as an oven, stove, dishwasher, slicer, coffee machine, steamer, mixer and chef’s knives. The employee is frequently exposed to heat steam, fire and noise.

Physical Demands:

The employee is routinely required to sit, stand, reach, lift, bend, kneel, stoop, climb, push, and pull items weighing 50 pounds or less. The position requires manual dexterity; auditory and visual skills, and the ability to follow written and oral instructions and procedures.  

Position Type & Expected Hours of Work:

This is a full-time non-exempt position with a working schedule of Monday – Friday 8:30am-5:00pm, however occasional evening and/or weekend may be required. The position is not eligible for the organizations remote/hybrid work policy, which means 5 days a week are on site at the designated office.

Travel:

Employee will be expected to travel to as needed, to additional KFG locations and employer partner sites. Employee must have driver’s license, reliable transportation, and ability to work across multiple sites.

Other Duties:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Benefits:

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 403(b) retirement saving 
• Life Insurance Plan 
• Professional development budget 
• 13 paid holiday
• Generous PTO Plan

Acknowledgment 

Qualified individuals must be able to perform the essential duties of the position with or without accommodation. A qualified person with a disability may request a modification or adjustment to the job or work environment in order to meet the physical requirements of the position. Kitchens for Good will attempt to satisfy requests as long as the accommodation needed is reasonable and no undue hardship would result. 

Education and Work Experience:

• Associate’s or bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts, Hospitality, or related field  
• 5+ years of professional culinary experience, including leadership roles.  
• 5+ years in post-secondary culinary instruction and adult education in a vocational training setting (CBO/job training program or college environment) including experience in designing curriculums; developing instructional techniques that engages students in meaningful learning experiences; and creating learning assessments that motivates students towards personal and professional progress   
• Experience in mission-driven, social service organization (preferred) 
• ServSafe Manager certification; ServSafe Proctor and Certified Culinary Instructor (preferred).