‘ammatka General Manager

Position Summary

As the home of UC Berkeley’s ‘ottoy Initiative, The Lawrence Hall of Science offers multiple culinary experiences at The Lawrence and across the UC Berkeley campus designed to foster understanding of and respect for Ohlone people and culture. These experiences are all serviced by ‘ammatka Kitchen which will be located in The Lawrence’s existing kitchen and cafe space which has been closed since 2020.

Under the direction of ‘ottoy Initiative leaders (Cafe Ohlone co-founders Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino), The ‘ammatka kitchen will prepare, cook, and serve a combination of made-to-order and grab-and-go food for sale in the onsite cafe and other culinary offerings that will be served in other campus venues.

The ‘ottoy culinary manager will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the ‘ammatka kitchen and related ‘ottoy culinary experiences. This will include supervising all aspects of food service operations, including preparation, serving and presentation of food and beverages; dining and serving area set up; cleaning of the facilities, equipment and tableware; greeting customers, and executing transactions. It will also include working in partnership with the ‘ottoy Initiative leaders and Lawrence Hall of Science staff to ensure that food service operations run smoothly and efficiently while adhering to the goals and budget of this unique operation. Since the clientele served across these experiences varies by venue and season and differs depending on the audience, the Assistant Manager will need to pay particular attention to meeting customer demands while stewarding resources and minimizing waste.

We welcome candidates who have demonstrated capacity to create inclusive work environments, work effectively on diverse teams, and serve the diverse communities with whom we currently work and want to attract. We are committed to hiring and retaining racially and gender diverse, culturally competent leaders at all levels of the organization who reflect the demographics of our community and continually deepen their skills and competencies. Given the particular goals of the ‘ottoy culinary experiences, we seek applicants who are interested in advancing the goals of the ‘ottoy initiative and/or a passion for connecting food and culture.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is: 08/21/2025.

Responsibilities

Food Production

• Spend a portion of time performing individual tasks related to food service operations such as set-up/break-down, cleaning, and serving. 
• Prepare and assist in the production of menu items following department recipes in accordance with departmental policies and procedures. 
• Audit, train, and ensure staff adherence to: quality control; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points principles of food preparation, safety, and sanitation; all food service health, safety, nutritional, recipe policies, and guidelines to ensure the highest quality product is served to the customer.
• Manage the maintenance and cleanliness of the food production areas, including the kitchen, service areas, storage areas, receiving, dock, and trash areas. 
• Identify and resolve a wide range of quality assurance issues in creative and imaginative ways. Merchandise food as required for the location. 
• Practice good stewardship with university and customer resources. 
• Assist functional units as needed; operate a campus vehicle for deliveries or other tasks.

Customer Service

• Maintain exceptional customer service standards; ensure superior service during all on-site and off-site catered events. 
• Meet and exceed customer service expectations by anticipating needs and addressing issues. Participate in ongoing customer service programs, including personal interaction with customers and responding to customer comments. 
• Maintain positive client relationships and exhibit a cheerful and helpful attitude. 
• Plan, organize, and manage a variety of special events from set-up to clean-up, both on-site and off-site as needed. Transport, deliver and serve prepared food to multiple campus locations. 
• Accommodate last-minute requests efficiently and courteously. 
• Ensure deadlines are met for service and event schedules.

Human Resource and Fiscal Management

• Develop schedules and set staffing levels to meet business needs while managing labor costs effectively. 
• Closely oversee the day-to- day activities of employees who operate and maintain food production and service areas; adjust labor schedules and work assignments to match production volume. 
• Train and direct employees in the preparation and service of meals using established food safety guidelines, procedures, and quality control; assign tasks and check work areas at frequent intervals. 
• Ensure staff have knowledge and understanding of event details, specifications, and client expectations. 
• Maintain and follow appropriate personnel actions within the organization. 
• Perform ongoing performance management and staff development, including: timely feedback, setting clear expectations, recognizing outstanding performance, supporting career development, training, and writing annual performance evaluations. 
• Ensure compliance with collective bargaining agreements and personnel policies. 
• Supervise and follow approved cash and payment handling policies and procedures. 
• Purchase food products and supplies as needed for special events and catering. 
• Conduct weekly inventories, making adjustments as necessary to maintain accurate budget information and precise accounting of food and non-food items.
• Maintain and oversee the repair of food production equipment. 
• Keep food, labor, and supply costs within budgetary requirements. 
• Ensure compliance with cash and payment handling policies and procedures.

Other Duties as Assigned and Professional Development

• Perform additional tasks as required, participate in organizational activities that advance the well-being of The Lawrence Hall of Science and the ‘ottoy Initiative, and engage in opportunities for professional growth.

Required Qualifications 

• Lead/supervisory experience.
• Solid knowledge in food service and sanitation regulations.
• Experience ensuring healthy, safe, and sanitary food service environments.
• Strong verbal and written communication in the English language, including active listening and dynamic flexibility.
• Knowledge and experience responding to customer service requests.
• Ability to multitask, ensure effective time management, and delegate.
• Experience coordinating multiple events at one time.
• Strong decision making and reasoning skills, and ability to develop original ideas to solve problems, and perform operations analysis and quality control analysis.
• Solid and effective interpersonal and work supervision skills to provide guidance to other personnel and work effectively with partners on joint projects.
• Experience working with and serving a wide variety of customers and clients from a variety of backgrounds and lived experiences.
• Strong computer application skills to include food service applications such as point of sale and inventory control software.
• Experienced with cash handling and operating point of sales systems in a retail or restaurant environment.
• Experience overseeing procurement of ingredients and supplies needed for food service enterprises.
• Ability to work evenings, weekends and holidays as needed.
• ServSafe Certification or equivalent certification.
• TIPS Training.
• High school diploma and/or equivalent experience/training.

Preferred Qualifications 

• Lead/supervisory experience in the foodservice industry.
• Knowledge and/or experience related to using indigenous ingredients in food preparation.
• Knowledge and/or experience related to cultivating cultural appreciation through culinary experiences.
• Knowledge related to advancing food sustainability and security.
• Experience in a foodservice operation in public-facing, cultural organization.

Salary & Benefits 

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California’s Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience. 

The budgeted annual salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $81,000.00 – $107,100.00.

• This is a 1-year, full-time (40 hours/week), contract appointment that is eligible for UC benefits with the possibility of extension. 
• This is an exempt monthly-paid position.

How to Apply