Production Kitchen Manager

The Role

This is a hands-on role responsible for the day-to-day operation of Butterleaf’s production kitchen.

You’ll lead the production team, plan and coordinate daily and weekly production, maintain exceptionally high standards of food quality and safety, and ensure our stores receive the right products, in the right quantities, at the right standard, every time.

We’re looking for someone who loves an organised kitchen, understands production at scale and knows how to build systems that make a team faster, more consistent and more efficient.

You won't just manage the production schedule — you'll help us continually improve how the kitchen operates as Butterleaf grows.

What You’ll Be Responsible For

• Leading the day-to-day operation of the production kitchen
• Planning daily and weekly production based on store requirements and forecasts
• Managing and coordinating the production kitchen team
• Ensuring production is completed accurately, efficiently and on schedule
• Maintaining consistency across recipes, batches and finished products
• Managing preparation and production of dressings, sauces, marinades, crunches, prepared vegetables and other Butterleaf products
• Monitoring yields, portioning, wastage and production efficiency
• Managing stock levels, ordering and ingredient availability
• Maintaining accurate production, batch, stock and food safety records
• Ensuring strict food safety, hygiene, cleaning and HACCP procedures are followed
• Training, coaching and developing production kitchen team members
• Ensuring recipes, processes and specifications are followed consistently
• Identifying bottlenecks and continuously improving kitchen systems and workflows
• Maintaining kitchen equipment and ensuring the production space is organised and operating effectively
• Coordinating closely with our store teams and management to ensure production meets the needs of the business
• Helping develop systems that can scale as Butterleaf opens additional locations

About You

You may currently be a Production Kitchen Manager, Central Kitchen Manager, Kitchen Manager, Production Supervisor, Sous Chef or experienced hospitality leader ready to take greater ownership.

We’re looking for someone who:

• Has strong experience in a high-volume commercial, central or production kitchen
• Has experience leading and developing a kitchen team
• Is highly organised and comfortable planning production ahead of time
• Understands food safety and the importance of accurate processes and record keeping
• Has a strong eye for quality and consistency
• Understands stock control, yields, wastage and kitchen efficiency
• Is confident working with recipes, batch production and production schedules
• Is calm and effective in a fast-moving environment
• Takes ownership rather than waiting to be told what needs to happen
• Is comfortable being both a manager and hands-on member of the kitchen when required
• Enjoys building better systems and finding more efficient ways of working

Experience in a central kitchen, multi-site hospitality business, catering operation or food production environment will be highly regarded.

Why Butterleaf?

Butterleaf is still at an early stage of its growth.

That means this isn't a role where you're stepping into a huge company and simply maintaining someone else's systems. You'll have the opportunity to help build the production operation with us and have a genuine influence on how Butterleaf scales.

You'll work closely with the owners and broader management team, with the opportunity for the role to grow significantly as the business expands.

And, importantly, you'll be working with food we're genuinely proud of.

If you're an experienced kitchen leader who loves great food, organised production and building high-performing teams, we'd love to hear from you.

Pay: $80,000.00 – $100,000.00 per year

Experience:

• Kitchen management: 1 year (Required)

Work Authorisation:

• Australia (Required)

Work Location: In person