Food Truck Operator

Job Title: Food Truck Operator

Reports to: Director of Culinary

Type: Full-Time

Category: Culinary

Background on UTEC:

UTEC’s promise is to ignite and nurture the ambition of our most disengaged youth to trade violence and poverty for social and economic success. UTEC’s outcomes-focused model begins with intensive street outreach, reaching proven high-risk youth where they’re at. UTEC engages youth in workforce development and educational programs and provides mental health services and intensive case management. Social justice and civic engagement are embedded in all programming. For more info, please visit www.utecinc.org.

UTEC is committed to its vision for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion which pledges to honor the lived experiences and expertise of individuals; create community and celebration of cultures; challenge all forms of oppression; and embody a culture that leans into discomfort and recognizes it as a growth opportunity. UTEC is dedicated to fair and equitable compensation practice, the health, mental health, and overall well-being of young adults and staff and to creating an environment that supports work-life balance and the individual and professional growth of all.

Job Summary:

The Food Truck Operator is the lead program manager responsible for the day-to-day operations and leadership of UTEC’s food truck initiative, Breaking Barriers Kitchen. Including onboarding and operational strategy of the food truck program. This position is a combination of both strategic program integration (food truck) and day-to-day operations management of Commercial Kitchen. 

Key competencies include support of young adult program participants, and co-leadership of business development and relationship management that will provide training opportunities and generate sustainable revenue for UTEC. The Food Truck Operator will oversee the Food Truck staff, including the Young Adult participants, and will foster meaningful relationships and partnerships with non-profit, corporate, and institutional stakeholders who will ultimately support and fund the enterprise. 

Day to Day cleanliness of the Commercial Kitchen, including Young Adult Programming and Renters upkeep, where all food truck prep will operate from. The Food Truck Operator embraces DEI values and participates in UTEC values, culture, and related activities.

Responsibilities:

• Operational oversight of the food truck and commercial kitchen programs including food truck strategy and implementation, event and food truck catering strategy and implementation, and food truck operations
• Identify and schedule professional development opportunities for Food Truck staff
• Communicate effectively with staff and young adults to ensure all are clear on goals, values, and expectations
• Provide direct supervision to individuals in the following positions: 
• Food Truck Staff
• Young Adult Participants
• Ensure all food truck staff are receiving timely performance feedback and reviews
• Ensure effective time management of all direct reports
• Provide direct reports with ongoing feedback on progress as well as any performance concerns
• Document any exceptional performance as well as any concerning behavior shared with Director of Culinary
• Identify areas for professional growth for all direct reports and align with any available resources at UTEC

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with the Director of Culinary and Chief of Social Enterprises to develop a 3-5 year written strategy for food truck model
• Collaborates Director of Culinary to review performance against budget monthly
• Leadership of the development of food truck operations to include job SOPs, menu design, location logistics management, go-to-market strategy and enterprise culture
• Ensure any regulatory compliance related to enterprises – including but not limited to – City and State Departments of Health, FDA, and other city and state contracting
• Develop, manage, and steward partnerships for business growth and/or operational efficiencies
• Collaborate with programming staff to ensure Food Truck enterprises offer an environment that supports a high level of youth development and outcomes for young adults
• Monitor P&L in relation to budget and collaborate with Director of Culinary to inform quarterly budget forecasts
• Work in close collaboration with the Corporate Relations & Communications Manager to market and manage corporate clients and partnerships, including new business development
• Work in close collaboration with the Corporate Relations & Communications Manager to develop and deploy marketing plans
• Work with Catering and Food Truck Staff to ensure all safety and operational procedures are codified and maintained
• Ensure all receipts and reporting are submitted to finance and/or Enterprise Assistant in a timely manner after the close of a period
• Maintain the cleanliness operation of the commercial kitchen
• Create a Master Cleaning Schedule for Food Truck and Commercial Kitchen

Required Skills/Abilities: 

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent people management and facilitation skills
• Trained and skilled Youth worker
• Exceptional customer service & client management skills
• Able to work non-traditional hours including evenings and weekends as needed
• Excellent organizational skills
• Skilled relationship builder
• Ability to meet deadlines and prioritize tasks
• Ability to work independently, with minimal supervision
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, Google Docs, or similar
• Strategic thinking

Education and Experience:

• Demonstrable experience operating and growing a Food Truck or Culinary related business 
• Demonstrable P&L management or entrepreneurial experience
• Servsafe Manager Certification
• Culinary degree, certifications, Bachelor’s Degree or relevant experience in a growth positive culinary environment required

Physical Requirements: 

• Prolonged periods of sitting and working on a computer
• Prolonged periods of standing for food preparation
• Able to lift 50+ lbs
• Prolonged periods of cleaning

Salary/Benefits: $60,000-$65,000 plus benefits, commensurate with experience. UTEC offers a competitive benefits package that starts with 4 weeks of vacation (3 standard for all new employees and a week of agency-wide wellness closure between the Christmas and New Year holidays), 12 holidays, 10 sick days, 2 personal days, and health, dental and vision insurance. We also offer life insurance, first time homeowners support, an annual cost of living increase, a 401-K retirement plan, a $1,200- $1,800 annual wellness fund, and professional development support. With time, benefits grow to include up to 6 weeks of vacation, 80% coverage of employee health and dental insurance costs and availability for a 3 week sabbatical. 

UTEC also stresses the importance of work-life balance and offers several wellness opportunities including additional time off (i.e. for the past two years we have closed at 3pm on Fridays during the summer months), an employee assistance program, down payment assistance for first time home buyers, parental leave, bereavement supports and unlimited free coffee! See more about our benefits here. 

UTEC provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, UTEC complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.