KITCHEN MANAGER - MPA3

Full Job Description

UNCLASSIFIED POSITION IN THE FULTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

KITCHEN MANAGER

Detention Facility Food Services

The Fulton Cunty Sheriff’s Office is seeking a skilled and dedicated Kitchen Manager to oversee food-service operations within our detention facilities.

This role is essential to ensuring that all incarcerated individuals and staff receive safe, nutritious meals prepared in a secure, well-managed environment.

The ideal candidate brings strong leadership, deep knowledge of institutional food service, and the ability to work effectively within a correctional setting.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Operational Leadership

• Manage daily food-service operations, including meal preparation, portioning, and distribution.
• Ensure all meals meet nutritional, medical, and policy requirements.
• Manage inventory, conduct food and supply inventories to ensure proper stock levels and prevent waste.
• Maintain production records, temperature logs, inventory documentation, and other required reports.
• Oversee receiving, storage, and rotation of food and supplies.
• Monitor budget compliance and implement cost-control strategies.

Safety, Sanitation & Compliance

• Enforce food-safety standards, including HACCP, ServSafe, and local health-department regulations.
• Ensure high standards of cleanliness (HACCP) in all food service areas and proper maintenance of kitchen equipment.
• Maintain a sanitary and organized kitchen environment.
• Ensure compliance with detention-facility policies and accreditation standards (ACA, NCCHC, PREA).
• Coordinate with inspectors and regulatory agencies during audits and reviews.

Security & Inmate Worker Supervision

• Maintain a secure kitchen environment in coordination with detention staff.
• Maintain strict adherence to safety and security policies, ensuring all tools and food items are secure and in compliance with correctional standards.
• Direct, instruct, and mentor inmate work crews in cooking, baking, equipment use, tray line, and sanitation procedures.
• Monitor inmate behavior and report rule violations.
• Maintain accurate records for inmate worker assignments.

Staff Management

• Recruit, train, schedule, and supervise civilian kitchen staff.
• Conduct performance evaluations and provide coaching and development.
• Ensure adequate staffing for all shifts and meal periods.
• Foster a professional, safety-focused work culture.

Menu Planning & Nutrition

• Develop menus that meet nutritional guidelines and budget constraints.
• Plan, coordinate, and supervise the preparation of nutritious, cost-effective meals for inmates and staff.
• Coordinate with medical staff to accommodate special diets.
• Adjust menus based on supply availability and seasonal considerations.

Equipment & Facility Oversight

• Ensure proper use, cleaning, and maintenance of kitchen equipment.
• Coordinate repairs and preventive maintenance with facility staff or vendors.
• Support fire-safety and emergency-preparedness procedures.

Administrative Duties

• Prepare operational reports and incident documentation.
• Participate in inspections, audits, and accreditation processes.
• Assist with vendor and contract management when applicable.
• Maintain accurate inventory and purchasing records.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in large-scale corrections institutional food-service operation.
• Strong knowledge of food safety regulations (e.g., ServeSafe), sanitation standards, and kitchen equipment operation.
• Ability to lead and supervise a specialized, often unskilled, inmate workforce in a secure environment.
• Strong communication, organizational, and inventory management skills.
• Certifications in food safety, such as ServeSafe Manager.
• Experience with menu planning, and budgeting.
• Strong background in workplace safety, OSHA compliance, and risk-mitigation practices.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree in culinary arts, nutrition, food-service management, or related field.
• Advanced culinary training, such as a culinary arts diploma, Certified Dietary Manager (CDM), or Certified Food Protection Professional (CFPP).
• Experience supervising inmate labor or working directly with justice-involved populations.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multi-site or high-volume food-service operations.
• Knowledge of ACA, NCCHC, and PREA standards as they relate to food service and inmate supervision.
• Experience with procurement, vendor management, and contract compliance.
• Familiarity with inventory-management software, food-service management systems, or jail management systems.
• Experience with preventive maintenance planning for commercial kitchen equipment.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• High-volume kitchen environment inside a secure detention facility.
• Exposure to heat, cold, cleaning chemicals, and industrial equipment.
• Frequent standing, lifting, bending, and carrying up to 50 lbs.
• Requires flexibility for early mornings, weekends, holidays, and emergency situations.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Interested applicants should submit a completed application and any relevant certifications through the County’s hiring portal. Selected candidates will be required to pass a background investigation, drug screening, and security clearance process.

Requirements

Purpose of Classification:

The purpose of this classification is to coordinate special projects and conduct research and analysis of various departmental functions and operations.

Work at this level is of a responsible, technical or professional level relative to a supporting role in the management of a division, department, or operation, but without supervisory or managerial responsibilities.

Work at this level is of a responsible, technical or professional level relative to a supporting role in the management of the County or a significant department, but without supervisory or managerial responsibilities.

All authority and autonomy inherent in this classification is at the discretion of and delegated by a Department Director or Division Administrator.

Essential Functions:

The following duties are normal for this position. The omission of specific statements of the duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification. Other duties may be required and assigned.

Conducts operational research, productivity analyses and management studies to assist in the management of departmental operations, programs, and services: compiles and/or monitors various administrative and statistical data pertaining to divisional operations; researches information pertinent to task or project; analyzes data and identifies trends; prepares or generates reports; makes recommendations for changes in policies and procedures to improve operations, provide more responsive service, and/or optimize the use of resources; and develops recommendations for changes in departmental policies and procedures; and provides technical assistance and information to management to aide decision making.

Coordinates special projects for the department, including the planning, design, implementation, and evaluation of moderate construction/maintenance projects, management studies, introduction of new programs, and various professional services: assists in defining the scope of the project; identifies and recommends proper allocation of financial, material, and human resources committed to the project; formulates solutions and resolves problems; facilitates implementation of the project; and provides administrative support to the project as needed.

Work at this level is usually relegated to coordination of the department's participation in major, county-wide projects, and serves in a secondary or subordinate role to the designated construction manager for large capital improvement projects.

Oversees professional contractors and/or consultants providing services for projects: participates in the evaluation and selection of contractors/consultants; interfaces with and monitors the contractors/consultants to ensure timely and quality completion of project; facilitates cooperation with the project throughout the organization; and provides information and support as needed.

Assists the department managers with strategic and long-range planning for departmental operations: participates in planning efforts at the local and regional level; keeps Director apprised of developments at the state and federal level that impact the department; monitors pending legislation for impact on operations; oversee compliance with new legislation.

Administers grants for various state and federally funded programs: compiles and submits grant applications; researches funding sources and program opportunities; assists departments with grant activities; monitors and ensures compliance with all requirements for awarded grants.

Responds to complaints and questions related to county or department operations, activities, or other issues: provides information, researches problems, and initiates problem resolution; and works with supervisors and managers to ensure effective coordination and cooperation across units.

Represents the director and department at various meetings, functions, and events: serves as a liaison to various civic or governmental organizations and committees, taskforces, boards, and commissions; confers regularly with officials from the state, authorities, and commissions; provides information about departmental operations; participates in discussions and decisions; and keeps the director apprised of activities.

Additional Functions:

Performs other related duties as required.

Qualifications

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT:*All applicants must agree to and successfully pass a background investigation, drug screening and polygraph to be considered for employment with the Fulton County Sheriff's Office.* EXAMINATION:The examination will consist of an evaluation of education and experience, accomplished by analysis of the application.

Application must document that the applicant possesses the minimum knowledge, skills, education and experience as listed to be rated as qualified.

If selected, an official, accredited college transcript is required, at time of employment, for all degrees/course work used to qualify for this position.ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE COMPLETED IN FULL BEFORE THEY ARE SUBMITTED.

PLEASE REVIEW ALL APPLICATIONS FOR ACCURACY AND MAKE ALL CORRECTIONS BEFORE SUBMITTAL BECAUSE ERRORS CAN RESULT IN NOT MEETING THE MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED AFTER APPLICATIONS ARE RECEIVED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT.

PERFORMANCE APTITUDES:

Data Utilization: Requires the ability to evaluate, audit, deduce, and/or assess data using established criteria. Includes exercising discretion in determining actual or probable consequences and in referencing such evaluation to identify and select alternatives.

Human Interaction: Requires the ability to apply principles of persuasion and/or influence over others in coordinating activities of a project, program, or designated area of responsibility.

Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.

Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a wide variety of reference, descriptive, advisory and/or design data and information.

Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; the ability to calculate decimals and percentages; the ability to utilize principles of fractions; and the ability to interpret graphs.

Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of rational systems; to interpret instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic, or schedule form; and to exercise independent judgment to adopt or modify methods and standards to meet variations in assigned objectives.

Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving evaluation of information against measurable or verifiable criteria.

Additional Information

It is the policy of Fulton County that there will be equal opportunity for every citizen, employee and applicant, based upon merit without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, genetics, age, disability or sexual orientation.