Kitchen Manager

VALERIE CONFECTIONS

Kitchen & Production Manager, Glendale Commissary

Glendale, CA · Full-Time, Salaried, Exempt · Salary DOE, salary range $85,000–$100,000 + PTO + health stipend

Who We Are

Valerie Confections, founded in Los Angeles in 2004, is a family-owned luxury confectionery and bakery. From our Glendale production kitchen, we handcraft the toffees, truffles, cakes, and petits fours that built our reputation. Our products are sold online, in our shops, and through select retail partners locally and nationally. We are seeking candidates who work well as part of a team, pay great attention to detail, and who will be invested in the quality of our products.

Job Summary

Working alongside senior leadership, this role manages bakery and chocolate production end to end — execution, service, and product upkeep — along with the team and administrative work that supports it. The position supervises the production/commissary kitchen team, ensures retail and wholesale orders are fulfilled, and travels to our cafe, Valerie Echo Park, as needed to check quality or help troubleshoot in-store bake-off.

This is a full time, responsibility based position.

Core Responsibilities

• Represent and reinforce the company's mission in daily conduct and decision-making
• Lead hiring for the commissary chocolate and bakery team
• Foster a respectful team culture that gives staff room to learn and grow
• Execute all bakery & chocolate items; hire, train, and manage the pastry/bakery/chocolate team
• Keep inventory levels for all ingredients and supplies at sustainable, well-managed levels
• Build and communicate production schedules and systems with adequate lead time for staff
• Plan for heavier holiday production — trackers, menus, ordering — based on prior-year sales data, coordinating with Fulfillment Manager and Owner.
• Partner with owner, operations, and accounting on COGS monitoring, invoice review, and pricing changes
• Set and maintain a cleaning schedule for kitchen spaces and major equipment with sous chefs
• Oversee the commissary facility itself: organization, inventories, cleanliness, and equipment maintenance, setting and maintaining schedule for all
• Manage product transfer between commissary and Valerie Echo Park — identify needs, schedule production, packaging, paperwork, storage, and arrival quality
• Ensure all production meets company’s high standards
• Manage labor across the culinary team, scaling staffing up or down with demand

Additional Responsibilities

• Authority to make kitchen-related decisions independently
• Maintain quality and execution of core products.
• Work with Executive Chef to Introduce seasonal menu items, after completing tasting and cost analysis
• Track COGS and stay ahead of ingredient price shifts
• Work with Executive Chef on performance improvement and staff development initiatives
• Set performance expectations and monitor staff against them

Please note that this description isn't exhaustive — duties and responsibilities may shift over time, with or without advance notice.

Minimum Qualifications

• High school diploma required; culinary training preferred but not mandatory
• Current Food Handler Manager certification, or ability to attain in 30 days
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the presence to direct kitchen and stewarding staff
• 5+ years of kitchen experience, including at least 2 years in a supervisory role
• English fluency plus working Spanish
• Solid verbal communication and a collaborative, team-first approach
• Professional grooming, hygiene, and proper attire
• Adherence to company ethical and professional standards
• Comfortable with basic math and spreadsheet software
• Able to stand for extended periods (up to 12 hours)
• Able to reach, bend, stoop, and lift up to 50 lbs regularly
• Able to safely carry food trays weighing up to 40 lbs
• Available for a 50+ -hour weekly schedule, including some weekends and holidays