Local & Regional Food Systems

Position: School Meal Program Kitchen Manager
Organization: Shuswap Food Action Society (SFAS)
Location: Salmon Arm, BC

• Type: Full-time (35–40 hours/week), year-round with reduced summer/school break schedule (negotiable) and some occasional evening/weekend work
• Compensation: $30/hour
• Vacation: 2 weeks (or 4%) annually
• Start Date: Ideally September 15, 2025 (flexible)
• Interviews: Week of September 8, 2025

About Shuswap Food Action Society

Shuswap Food Action Society is a community-based non-profit committed to building community around local food. We strengthen community resilience by connecting people to local food through our downtown farmers market, education and youth engagement, community events, our teaching and community gardens, food box programming, and inclusive school meal programs that celebrate diversity and food literacy.

Through our School Meal Program, we deliver nourishing, local-food-based meals that are made from scratch to schools and community organizations across the Shuswap and the large area within School District 83 (i.e. Salmon Arm, Sorrento, Sicamous, Enderby, Armstrong, and Falkland). Our work supports child nutrition, local farmers, and a resilient regional food system by prioritizing fresh, seasonal ingredients sourced from local producers wherever possible. Last year we served 94,000 meals!

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Kitchen Manager to lead the day-to-day operations of our well-established School Meal Program, which has experienced tremendous growth since 2020. This role requires being in a fast-paced kitchen Monday through Thursday (roughly 7am to 2:30pm), managing preparation and delivery of hundreds of from-scratch meals, to the expectations of our partners.

The Kitchen Manager will oversee procurement, meal preparation, kitchen staff and volunteer supervision, partner engagement, and program administration - ensuring all meals meet high standards for nutrition, taste, and timely delivery. The ideal candidate brings strong leadership, proven kitchen management skills, creativity, the ability to adapt to partner needs, and a genuine passion for feeding children and community.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead kitchen operations to prepare and deliver meals and snacks for 32 schools and partner organizations.
• Prepare meals based on menu plans, featuring local, seasonal, and minimally processed ingredients.
• Oversee procurement, seasonal food/ingredient preservation, inventory, food production across locations, and equipment purchasing, installation, and maintenance.
• Ensure food safety standards and kitchen sanitation protocols are met.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with local farmers, suppliers, and school partners, including the ability to: attend meetings and present program stats/results, and forecast needs to farmers to support local procurement.
• Support communications and impact storytelling, as well as systems and procedures development.
• Provide change management leadership – analyze our current kitchen operations and present recommendations for more streamlined program delivery and creative opportunities for program change or expansion.
• Maintain accurate program records/data collection, budget tracking, and reports in collaboration with the Executive Director.
• Engage with and present to community organizations interested in supporting or donating to our program.

Qualifications & Skills

• 3–5 years of experience managing a commercial or institutional kitchen.
• Strong organizational, leadership, and time management skills
• Excellent communication skills and a team-oriented mindset needed to supervise, schedule, and support a team of approx. 15 part-time cooks and volunteers.
• Proven ability to plan menus and manage allergens, order supplies, and manage inventory and budgets.
• Proven ability to work efficiently under pressure while maintaining attention to detail.
• Demonstrated understanding of working in an environment with a variety of volunteers, students and vendors from diverse cultural & economic backgrounds.
• Strong passion for and interest in feeding children and supporting local food systems.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends on occasion.
• Tech-savvy with basic computer skills (Excel, email, online platforms).
• Food Safe Level 1 required; Level 2 an asset
• Valid driver’s license and reliable transportation.

Eligibility

• Clean Criminal Record Check for working with vulnerable populations.
• Legally eligible to work in Canada.

How to Apply

Email your resume and cover letter (as one document) to Liz, Executive Director at info@shuswapfood.ca by 12pm noon, September 3, 2025, with the subject line: School Meal Program Kitchen Manager Application + your name.

Please mention you saw this at FoodWork.ca.

Serious questions regarding the position can be directed to schools@shuswapfood.ca before September 3rd.