Associate Director of CHEFS & Social Enterprise

SALARY:             

External Candidates: $122,492 - $124,329

Internal Candidates: $126,166 - $128,004 Based on Longevity

At Episcopal Community Services (ECS), employees work with participants who may be experiencing homelessness, behavioral health conditions, substance use challenges, and other difficult life circumstances. While this work is meaningful and mission-driven, it can at times be stressful, demanding, or unpredictable. Employees are expected to exercise sound judgment, remain aware of their surroundings, follow established safety, communication, and de-escalation procedures, participate in all required trainings, and promptly report incidents, threats, injuries, or unsafe conditions, in accordance with ECS policies and procedures.

This position is a fully onsite, client-facing role that requires in-person interaction and direct service delivery to participants at ECS program locations. Due to the essential nature of the duties and the need for consistent in-person engagement with clients, remote work or work-from-home arrangements are not available for this position.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Associate Director of CHEFS & Social Enterprise provides strategic culinary and operational leadership for CHEFS’ production kitchens, ensuring government-contracted and private meals are produced to contract specifications, nutritional standards, food-safety requirements, and financial targets. A strategic yet hands-on leader, the Associate Director of CHEFS & Social Enterprise owns financial performance, HACCP and facilities compliance across three commercial kitchens, vendor and community relationships, and the development of a high-performing kitchen team and the integration of student training into daily meal production.

A TEACHING ENVIRONMENT

CHEFS is, first and foremost, a school. Every member of our team — regardless of role or formal training authority — interacts with, guides, and helps develop our students. All staff are expected to approach their daily work as an opportunity to teach: modeling professionalism, sharing knowledge generously, and setting an example through their craft. Whether demonstrating a technique, explaining a process, or simply working alongside a student, everyone at CHEFS contributes to our students’ growth and success.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Government-Contracted Meals & Menu

• In partnership with the Director of Workforce Development, conduct quarterly consultations with city-approved nutritionists and standard-of-care representatives regarding meals delivered to sites.
• Monitor and manage compliance across all CHEFS and ECS government meal contracts, ensuring each meets its specific contract, nutritional, and financial requirements.
• Update government-contract meals semi-annually to ensure product integrity, ingredient utilization, and costing goals are met.
• Ensure all meals across the production kitchen and catering departments meet strict financial guidelines to support profitability.
• Set standards for private and catering meals to meet CHEFS standards of taste, style, quality, and cost.
• Lead thoughtful sourcing of products and ingredients to best serve clients and customers.

Financial Oversight

• Manage unit costs across all revenue verticals to meet aggregated targets per annual budget goals.
• Claim refunds and reimbursements from broadline distributors.
• Oversee inventory management, including monthly inventories of all perishables and single-use service ware.
• Lead monthly meetings with the Finance Department alongside the Director of Workforce Development, including a variance analysis of all production-related costs.
• Ensure the timely submission of all invoices and receivables to Accounts Payable.
• Control labor and operating expenses through effective scheduling, budgeting, purchasing, and inventory control.
• Ensure bi-weekly payroll and tip reporting are submitted in a timely manner in conjunction with the Sous Chef.

Food Safety, HACCP & Facilities Compliance

• Own HACCP execution and compliance across operations.
• Monitor and manage compliance for all CHEFS and ECS government meal contracts, providing required quarterly and annual documentation for each, working alongside the Meals Program Coordinator to ensure full compliance. Includes, but is not limited to, HACCP records, temperature logs, delivery logs, menu substitutions, etc.
• Oversee kitchen facilities compliance and maintenance for three commercial kitchens.
• Ensure proactive maintenance of kitchen equipment and all food-and-beverage areas.

Team Leadership & Development

• Provide supervision of the Sous Chef and production kitchen staff, including hiring, onboarding, performance management, and corrective action.
• Foster a culture of accountability, mentorship, and professional growth, developing team members through cross-training and educational opportunities.
• Build and maintain relationships with vendors, suppliers, distributors, customers, and the community.
• Provide leadership and top-level support for events.
• Report regularly to the Director of Workforce Development on all aspects of the operation, including financials, staffing and team wellness, and customer experience.
• In collaboration with the Sous Chef, lead weekly Kitchen Team meetings and daily line ups.

Business Development & Program Growth

• Proactively seek out and execute new business lines, catering opportunities, and revenue streams as they become available, with the goal of growing the social enterprise.
• Partner with the Director of Workforce Development on strategic planning, pricing, and capacity needs to support sustainable program growth.
• Evaluate the feasibility of new contracts, clients, and offerings, and lead their launch and operational integration.
• Lead marketing initiatives in collaboration with contracted marketing specialists and the ECS development team.
• Lead capital and equipment planning for the kitchens, including new equipment, build-outs, and additional sites.
• Oversee catering client management and the Catering Manager, ensuring strong client relationships and successful event execution.

Training Program Integration

• Set student-training initiatives and goals in collaboration with the Director of Workforce Development and Program Manager.
• Own the technical and culinary components of the training curriculum and oversee the execution of that curriculum.
• Oversee student training in the production kitchen and set the culinary technique standards followed by the Cook Trainer.
• Attend weekly case-management meetings and provide weekly student updates for student success tracking and funder data needs.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Directly supervises the Sous Chef and the Catering Manager.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• 7+ years of progressive culinary leadership experience, including Executive Chef or equivalent leadership in a high-volume or production kitchen environment including financial success oversight. Multi-unit experience a plus.
• ServSafe certification required.
• HACCP certification required.
• Strong financial acumen, including food cost, inventory, purchasing, labor management, and budgeting.
• Proven team leadership and people-development experience.
• Expertise in menu development, food safety, sanitation, and regulatory compliance.

Preferred

• Culinary degree.
• Nonprofit and/or workforce-training experience.
• Experience with government-contracted or institutional meal programs.
• Proficiency with inventory and ordering systems and point-of-sale platforms.

PRE-EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS

Must secure and pass fingerprint image (Live Scan) screening, a background check, and annual TB screenings. The incumbent will honor and abide by Episcopal Community Services’ organizational values and its policies and procedures.

Mission Essential

• Demonstrate behavior that supports the organization’s mission, vision, and values.
• Adhere to all program, funder, and organizational policies, and procedures.
• Communicate effectively and model integrity, fairness, and ethical business practices.

ECS offers industry leading healthcare benefits to support your 

physical and mental well-being.

ECS will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records as consistent with San Francisco's Fair Chance Ordinance.

ECS values a workplace where every individual is respected, supported, and given equal opportunity to thrive. We are an equal opportunity employer dedicated to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all.