Kitchen Manager

Who We Are

The Northside Economic Opportunity Network's (NEON) mission is to build wealth for low-to-moderate-income entrepreneurs in North Minneapolis and surrounding communities. Our vision is to transform North Minneapolis and the surrounding area into a prosperous, visible, sustainable, and highly diverse multi-cultural community of entrepreneurs. We work with individuals at various stages of entrepreneurship - from "information seekers" to existing business entities, providing a roadmap to start, grow and thrive as scalable businesses.

Why You'll Love Working Here

NEON promotes economic equity by identifying business ownership as a path toward income generation and long-term asset building. NEON will increase work to start, support, sustain, and expand the number of culturally diverse businesses owned and operated in North Minneapolis. We strive for the best customer service in the world, the relentless pursuit of excellence, and respect for the individual. Working with our team provides an opportunity to utilize our collective power to improve and expand programs for the benefit of the North Minneapolis community where entrepreneurs can start, grow and thrive.

Wages & Benefits

$28.84 - $31.25 hourly; NEON is proud to offer an incredibly robust benefits package to employees. Generous Paid Time Off (PTO) starting at 18 days per year, plus ten paid holidays, two floating holidays and a seasonal paid office closure for a week at the end of the year; 100% employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their families; Health Savings Account (HSA) fully-funded by NEON for individual or family coverage. There is employer paid basic life insurance with the option for additional coverage paid by the employee. The employer pays for Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) and long-term disability insurance. NEON sponsors a retirement plan with a 6% employer match and immediate vesting.

What You'll Do

The Kitchen Manager oversees NEON's shared-use commercial kitchen, ensuring it runs safely, efficiently, and in full compliance with health standards. You'll support local food entrepreneurs by providing guidance, mentorship, and technical assistance, helping them grow their businesses and thrive in a collaborative, inclusive environment. Responsibilities include the following:

• Overseeing daily operations of NEON's commissary kitchen, ensuring a clean, safe, efficient, and fully compliant workspace.
• Providing leadership, guidance, and mentorship to kitchen users, fostering a professional, collaborative, and inclusive environment.
• Developing, implementing, and enforcing kitchen policies, procedures, and safety protocols in alignment with State Health Department and City regulations while maintaining industry-best practices.
• Supervising the Assistant Kitchen Manager and any part-time staff, contractors, or volunteers, ensuring accountability and high performance.
• Building and maintaining strong, positive relationships with kitchen members, vendors, and community partners to support a thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.
• Managing kitchen scheduling, membership agreements, and facility usage records.
• Monitoring and managing inventory, equipment maintenance, and supply ordering to ensure smooth operations.
• Tracking kitchen utilization data, member progress, and operational metrics.
• Ensuring compliance with all safety, sanitation, and licensing requirements.
• Collaborating with NEON's Business Development team to support program goals, reporting, and strategic initiatives.
• Conducting onboarding sessions for new kitchen users, covering safety, sanitation, and equipment operation.
• Planning, facilitating, and supporting workshops, training sessions, and events related to food business development.
• Partnering with NEON Business Advisors to connect kitchen users with technical assistance, mentorship, and business development opportunities.
• Assisting with NEON community events, marketing efforts, and special projects as needed.
• Representing NEON at external events or meetings to promote the kitchen and NEON programs.

Who You Are

• You have a high school diploma or equivalent. An associate or bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Culinary Arts, Food Service Management, or a related field is preferred. Equivalent combinations of education and relevant experience will also be considered.
• You have experience managing a commercial kitchen or similar food service operations, ensuring safety, compliance, and efficiency.
• You know food safety, sanitation, and licensing regulations and can develop and enforce policies that keep a kitchen running smoothly.
• You have strong leadership skills and enjoy mentoring, training, and supporting diverse teams and entrepreneurs.
• You are highly organized, able to manage multiple projects, schedules, and operational details with ease.
• You have experience supervising staff, contractors, or volunteers and fostering a collaborative, high-performing environment.
• You are comfortable delivering trainings, workshops, and onboarding sessions to a variety of audiences.
• You are skilled at building relationships with clients, vendors, and community partners to strengthen networks and support business growth.
• You have strong problem-solving skills and can troubleshoot operational or logistical challenges quickly and effectively.
• You are tech-savvy and comfortable using software for scheduling, inventory management, reporting, and data tracking.
• You are passionate about supporting food entrepreneurs and creating an inclusive, thriving kitchen community.
• You are dependable, proactive, and bring a positive, professional attitude to everything you do.
• You have a valid driver's license, access to reliable transportation, and the ability to meet NEON's driving record requirements. Please note that if the license was not issued in the state of Minnesota, you have 60 days after becoming a Minnesota resident in which to apply for your Minnesota driver's license or permit.

Photography and Videography Participation: As a condition of employment or engagement with NEON, staff members may be photographed or recorded in the course of their work. This includes but is not limited to:

• Professional headshots for NEON's website, reports, or internal directories
• Candid or posed images during events, programs, or community engagements
• Interviews or feature segments for media, promotional videos, or social media

These images and recordings will be used solely to support NEON's mission and enhance public awareness of our work.

Diversity and open expression are fundamental to the work of NEON. We are passionate about building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment where everyone can belong. Every member of our team enriches our work by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design, and deliver solutions. We welcome everyone to apply, especially those individuals who are underrepresented in our sector: individuals who identify as BIPOC, Indigenous or people of culture, LGBTQI+ and gender fluid or gender nonconforming, individuals with disabilities (both seen and unseen), veterans, people of any age or family status. We encourage you to apply even if you feel like you don't fit 100% of the technical requirements. Equal Opportunity Employer: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, disability, age, marital status, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, status with regard to public assistance, criminal history (justice-impacted status), housing or homelessness status, height, or weight.

Our organization has a partnership with Metropolitan Alliance of Connected Communities (MACC) to provide administrative services including management of the hiring process. If you apply for this position, you may see references to MACC in some online materials.

NEON participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. See E-Verify's official poster at https://e-verify.uscis.gov/web/media/resourcesContents/E-Verify_Participation_Poster_ES.pdf. See E-Verify's Right to Work poster at https://www.e-verify.gov/sites/default/files/everify/posters/IER_RightToWorkPoster%20Eng_Es.pdf.