Nutritional Service Lead

The Nutritional Services Lead oversees the daily operations of YWCA Calgary's shared kitchen, ensuring the delivery of safe, nutritious and high-quality meals for childcare children and shelter clients. This hands-on role leads the team, coordinates food production, manages inventory and costs, and maintains a clean, efficient kitchen environment. Through clear communication, sound judgement, and a client-centered approach, the Nutritional Services Lead supports service excellence and fosters a respectful, collaborative workplace.

This is a full-time, on-site position working 37.5 hours per week, with a typical schedule of Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Flexibility is required to support a seven-day kitchen operation and respond to staffing needs, emergencies, special events, and operational requirements.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Truly rewarding work; contribute to lasting, positive change for individuals and our community
• A supportive team environment and opportunities for professional development
• Comprehensive benefits including an employee assistance plan
• Paid time off (for eligible roles; prorated based on start date and FTE status) includes:
  • 3 weeks of paid vacation
  • 6 personal days
  • 12 sick days
  • A paid day off to celebrate your birthday

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Lead daily health and safety practices, ensuring safety is integrated into every shift, task, and decision
• Maintain and reinforce food safety, sanitation, allergen management, product storage, temperature control, and safe equipment operation standards
• Accurately complete and review required safety inspections, food safety logs, cleaning records, and incident reports in a timely manner
• Lead the team in preparing and delivering consistent, nutritious, and appealing meals and snacks for Child Care and Shelter Services
• Plan menus and coordinate food production to ensure meals are prepared on time, portions are appropriate, and service commitments are met
• Understand and accommodate the needs of children, shelter clients, and program teams, including allergies, dietary requirements, cultural considerations, texture modifications, and service schedules
• Demonstrate cultural awareness and sensitivity in meal planning and food service, respecting the diverse cultural, spiritual, and dietary needs and preferences of clients
• Seek and respond to feedback from clients, customers, and program partners in a respectful and professional manner, using input to continuously improve meal quality and service delivery
• Provide hands-on support in food preparation, meal service, cleaning, and operational coverage as needed to maintain quality, service continuity, and client satisfaction
• Plan and coordinate food, supply, and small equipment orders based on menus, meal volumes, inventory levels, and approved budgets
• Verify deliveries for quality, quantity, temperature and accuracy, following up promptly to resolve issues related to late, missing, damaged, or unacceptable orders
• Maintain accurate inventory records and ensure products are used in the appropriate order to minimize waste through effective storage, portion control, forecasting and batch-cooking practices
• Monitor food and supply costs regularly, identifying opportunities to improve efficiency while maintaining quality and staying within approved budget targets
• Develop schedules, assign work and coordinate staffing to support efficient service delivery
• Coordinate team coverage for absences, training, and special events while maintaining service standards
• Support the recruitment, onboarding, training, development, and retention of team members

QUALIFICATIONS

• Red Seal Cook certification is required
• Current food-safety certification

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• Minimum three years of experience in a commercial, institutional, community, healthcare, child care, shelter, hospitality or high-volume kitchen environment
• Demonstrated experience leading teams, assigning work, coaching staff and maintaining operational standards
• Experience with menu planning, food production, inventory management, ordering, cost control and waste reduction
• Strong leadership, decision-making and communication skills
• Excellent organizational, planning, and problem-solving abilities
• Proficiency with scheduling, inventory, ordering and administrative software

If you want to change lives, we want to hear from you.
Deadline: until a successful candidate is found
Apply today by submitting your resume, cover letter, and salary expectations.
Check out our website for more information about YWCA Calgary: www.ywcalgary.ca

YWCA Calgary is committed to providing an equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplace where all employees, volunteers and clients feel valued and respected, whatever their race, religious beliefs, colour, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, ancestry, or place of origin.

Privacy statement: Personal information is managed in accordance with Alberta's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) and other applicable laws and we are committed to safeguarding your personal information. During the recruitment process personal information is collected for the purpose of people practice management. Privacy inquiries can be directed to the attention of the Privacy Officer at [email protected].