Kitchen Supervisor

Position Summary

The AFI Labs Kitchen Supervisor is responsible for the daily operational readiness and coordination of AFI Labs.

This position keeps the environment prepared for product development, culinary innovation, sensory work, pilot activities, customer engagements, and internal collaboration. The Kitchen Supervisor coordinates spaces and schedules, maintains equipment and inventory readiness, supports facility standards, and provides hands-on assistance to Culinary and R&D teams when needed.

This is a highly visible, hands-on position requiring strong attention to detail, sound judgment, flexibility, and personal initiative. Priorities can change quickly. The successful candidate must be comfortable adjusting direction, solving practical problems, and maintaining a professional presence while working with customers, executives, scientists, chefs, vendors, and other partners.

Key Responsibilities

Daily Operations and Space Coordination

- Coordinate daily use of AFI Labs kitchens, R&D areas, sensory spaces, bakery, caf, pilot equipment, and shared resources.

- Maintain awareness of facility calendars, scheduled activities, customer visits, project work, and equipment requirements.

- Prepare spaces and resources before scheduled activities and coordinate timely resets afterward.

- Anticipate scheduling, space, equipment, or resource conflicts and address them before they affect execution.

- Adjust priorities quickly when project needs, customer requirements, schedules, or business priorities change.

- Maintain consistent opening, closing, and operational readiness standards.

- Equipment and Facility Readiness

- Maintain working knowledge of AFI Labs equipment and proper operating procedures.

- Conduct routine equipment checks and perform basic troubleshooting.

- Coordinate preventive maintenance, repairs, service calls, warranties, and outside technical support.

- Maintain equipment manuals, service records, and maintenance schedules.

- Identify equipment or facility concerns early and coordinate appropriate corrective action.

- Assist team members with equipment setup, operation, breakdown, and proper storage.

- Inventory and Materials Management

- Maintain organized inventories of perishable ingredients, nonperishable ingredients, operating supplies, smallwares, and consumable materials.

- Monitor inventory levels and coordinate replenishment based on anticipated facility and project needs.

- Maintain proper receiving, labeling, dating, rotation, storage, and disposition practices.

- Monitor refrigerated and frozen products for quality, organization, and appropriate use.

- Maintain logical and clearly defined storage locations for ingredients, equipment, tools, and supplies.

- Help control unnecessary product loss, duplicate purchasing, expired materials, and excessive inventory.

Facility Standards and Housekeeping

- Maintain AFI Labs at a consistent standard of cleanliness, organization, safety, and professional presentation.

- Ensure work areas and customer-facing spaces remain ready for scheduled use.

- Coordinate cleaning, sanitation, waste removal, and routine facility needs.

- Identify conditions requiring Facilities, Maintenance, Quality, IT, or outside vendor support and coordinate resolution.

- Reinforce proper care and return of shared equipment, smallwares, tools, and supplies.

R&D and Pilot Support

- Provide hands-on operational support to Culinary and R&D teams based on workload and project needs.

- Assist with ingredient staging, weighing, preparation, equipment setup, sample organization, and breakdown.

- Support pilot plant trials, small-scale production, sensory activities, demonstrations, and product preparation.

- Assist with movement and organization of ingredients, samples, equipment, and supplies.

- Support cleanup and operational reset following development or pilot activities.

- Perform assigned R&D support activities under the direction of Culinary, R&D scientists, or project leadership.

The Kitchen Supervisor supports technical execution while Culinary and R&D personnel retain responsibility for technical decisions, product development, and project outcomes.

Customer and Guest Experience

AFI Labs is a customer-facing innovation environment. The Kitchen Supervisor plays an important role in how customers and visitors experience the facility.

- Maintain a professional, approachable, and confident presence when interacting with customers and guests.

- Assist with preparation and execution of customer innovation sessions, demonstrations, tours, tastings, and meetings.

- Communicate professionally with customers, executives, vendors, and internal teams.

- Understand when to engage directly with guests and when to support activities behind the scenes.

- Assist with basic product, equipment, facility, or process discussions when appropriate and within the scope of the position.

- Maintain appropriate personal presentation and professional standards for a customer-facing innovation center.

- Help ensure customer activities feel prepared, organized, and well executed.

Agility and Ownership

- Manage multiple priorities without losing attention to operational details.

- Respond calmly and effectively when schedules or priorities change with limited notice.

- Identify problems early and pursue practical solutions.

- Work independently while knowing when an issue requires escalation.

- Follow tasks through completion rather than relying on others to identify unfinished work.

- Maintain organization during periods of increased R&D, customer, or facility activity.

- Support the broader AFI Labs team when unexpected operational needs arise.

Qualifications

Qualifications

- Experience in a professional kitchen, culinary R&D facility, test kitchen, pilot plant, food manufacturing environment, hospitality operation, or comparable setting.

- Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail.

- Experience coordinating multiple activities, schedules, spaces, or operational priorities.

- Working knowledge of commercial kitchen equipment and basic equipment troubleshooting.

- Knowledge of food storage, sanitation, inventory management, and product rotation.

- Strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills.

- Professional presence appropriate for direct interaction with customers and senior leadership.

- Ability to work independently, take ownership of daily operational responsibilities, and adapt quickly when priorities or schedules change.

- Comfort working with chefs, scientists, technical personnel, customers, vendors, maintenance teams, and leadership.

- Basic computer proficiency and ability to work with shared calendars, scheduling tools, inventory records, and digital documentation.

- Food safety certification preferred or ability to obtain certification within the required period after hire.

- Bilingual English and Spanish communication skills preferred.

- Reliable personal transportation required.

Preferred Experience

- Culinary R&D or food product development.

- Commercial kitchen operations.

- Hospitality or customer-facing foodservice.

- Pilot plant or small-scale food production.

- Sensory or product testing.

- Equipment maintenance coordination.

- Inventory and receiving systems.

- Customer demonstrations or presentations.

- Experience working within a fast-changing development environment.

- English and Spanish bilingual capability.

Physical Requirements

The position includes periods of standing, walking, reaching, bending, carrying, and working in active kitchen, laboratory, storage, and pilot environments.

The employee should be capable of safely lifting and moving items weighing up to approximately 50 pounds when required. Heavy lifting is not expected to be a continuous part of the position, but the ability to assist with equipment, ingredients, deliveries, supplies, and facility setup is important.

Schedule Requirements

AFI Labs operates around project and customer needs rather than a fixed production schedule.

The position will generally follow normal business hours but requires reasonable schedule flexibility. Customer engagements, pilot work, facility preparation, special projects, or business needs can occasionally require early mornings, evenings, extended hours, or weekend support.

The successful candidate must be willing and able to adjust their schedule when operational or customer needs require additional coverage.

Alamance Foods Inc. is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against persons because of age, race, color, creed, religion, disability, gender, ethnic or national origin, or veteran status. Alamance Foods Inc. prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities and will reasonably accommodate applicants with a disability, upon request, and will also ensure reasonable accommodation for employees with a disability.

Employment Eligibility: Alamance Foods Inc. participates in the federal E-Verify program. All employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a Form I-9 and verification of authorization to work in the United States.