Food Service - Kitchen Manager

SSA Group has been a prominent partner to cultural attractions for over 50 years, delivering seamless hospitality experiences that allow its partners to focus on their core missions. As a company, SSA blends admissions, culinary services, and retail operations with innovation and human connection to create special, lasting moments for guests, a philosophy they term 452 Hospitality. This approach emphasizes people, innovation, and operational intelligence as the foundations of exceptional guest service and operational success. The SSA Group operates in multiple locations across the United States, including the Great Plains Zoo, where this role is based.

The Great Plains Zoo is a well-established cultural landmark that prides itself on delivering memorable experiences for visitors and guests. It hosts a variety of attractions and events, requiring coordinated hospitality services including food service operations. Within this setting, the SSA Group provides high-quality culinary management, shaping the guest journey with innovative and warm service.

The role open is for a Kitchen Manager to oversee operations at the Quick Service Cafe and satellite locations on campus. The Kitchen Manager reports to the Food Service Operations Manager(s) and the Executive Chef. This role demands a dynamic, results-driven leader capable of driving operational excellence while fostering a positive and collaborative work environment. The campus operates from 8 am to 5 pm, seven days a week, with occasional evening events requiring open availability including weekends.

Responsibilities for the Kitchen Manager include live out 452 Hospitality by delivering warm, welcoming, and memorable experiences for guests and clients. The manager will ensure the kitchen is adequately prepped and staffed for daily operations, overseeing kitchen duties such as food service, safety, quality control, merchandising, and guest service standards. They must also oversee safety logs including food temperatures, rotation, and waste management. Enforcing compliance with uniform, hygiene, and food safety standards is a critical aspect alongside supporting safety training, particularly knife handling skills.

The Kitchen Manager creates daily prep and item lists while delegating tasks, supports operational coverage as needed to maintain smooth service, maintains cleaning schedules and project lists, and assigns duties and coaching to team members. They actively respond to guest and client feedback to continually improve the service experience. Personnel management duties include training new employees, performance reviews, managing employee documentation, reporting attendance to payroll, and overseeing breaks for back-of-house staff.

Ensuring operational standards are met involves inspection and maintenance of equipment, direct communication with regional executive and operations managers about daily service or quality issues, and compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws. This leadership role also promotes an inclusive and supportive team culture, emphasizing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (IDEA + Belonging). The manager leads by example in sustainability and conservation efforts and actively engages with the community and SSA units in service and giving back.

Candidates are expected to have at least three years of supervisory experience and demonstrate strong interpersonal and communication skills, leadership capabilities, problem-solving skills, and the flexibility to thrive in a fast-paced environment. Physical ability to work on their feet for extended periods and manage tasks involving lifting up to 35 pounds is essential.

This full-time, non-exempt position offers eligibility for overtime pay and a comprehensive benefits package including paid time off up to 144 hours based on tenure, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and other voluntary benefits with employee premiums, a 401(k) program with a 15% company match, paid leave for qualifying reasons including parental leave, paid bereavement, on-demand pay program, meal plans, employee discounts, tuition discounts, holiday pay at 1.5x regular rate for Christmas and Thanksgiving, and paid sick leave in accordance with applicable laws.

SSA Holdings and its affiliates are equal opportunity employers committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce, welcoming applicants from all backgrounds to join their culinary team and contribute to delivering exceptional hospitality experiences at the Great Plains Zoo and beyond. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the position is filled.