Culinary Operations Coordinator

Schedule: 40 hours per week, primarily weekdays, with flexibility for occasional early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays based on event needs.

For more than 18 years, Dish Food & Events has created memorable NYC events by pairing delicious food with Heart Hospitality. The Culinary Operations Coordinator provides the administrative coordination that keeps our events organized and production-ready. Working closely with Sales, Culinary, and Operations, this role communicates event details, maintains accurate information in Total Party Planner and Galley, prepares event materials, and helps every team deliver an exceptional guest experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Partner with the Executive Chef to co-lead Dish's weekly production meeting, and additional meetings as needed. Bring together Sales, Culinary, and Operations to align on each event's client experience and execution plan.
• Own event readiness in Total Party Planner (TPP): audit menus, guest counts, quantities, dietary needs, custom items, service style, timing, staffing, labor, rentals, equipment, packing, delivery, and on-site setup before production deadlines.
• Document production-meeting decisions; enter and update TPP and Galley information; confirm required tasks are complete; and follow through with Sales, Culinary, and Operations to resolve open items, data discrepancies, and entry errors.
• Maintain accurate, organized TPP and Galley records, including menu items, recipes, ingredients, yields, allergens, production notes, and custom requests. Confirm approved recipes and required details are entered before production.
• Prepare and distribute TPP reports, event-chef binders, and related event paperwork, including event details, timelines, service notes, recipes, production guidance, and available plating or presentation photos. Ensure materials are complete, current, and sent on time; the Executive Chef remains the culinary point of contact for Event Chefs.
• Communicate approved changes to kitchen, warehouse, and logistics teams; coordinate last-minute updates and escalate issues that could affect cost, quality, timing, or guest experience.
• Create practical checklists and workflows for order processing, recipe setup, custom-item entry, production-meeting follow-up, and final event readiness. Identify ways to reduce errors, waste, rework, and last-minute scrambling.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of administrative coordination experience in catering, food production, event operations, hospitality, or a related environment.
• Practical understanding of food production, catering logistics, and how event details affect kitchen production, warehouse packing, transport, staffing, and on-site service.
• Experience with Total Party Planner (TPP), Galley, or similar catering and recipe-management software preferred; ability to learn systems quickly is essential.
• Experience reading and documenting standardized recipes, including yields, ingredients, allergens, portioning, and production notes.
• Strong data-entry skills, exceptional accuracy, organization, follow-through, and ability to manage multiple events, deadlines, and changing priorities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, sound judgment, and comfort working across Sales, Culinary, and Operations. Professional, collaborative, and service-minded approach.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace and spreadsheets; knowledge of food safety and sanitation practices. ServSafe certification is a plus.
• Calm, practical, solutions-oriented approach in a fast-paced environment.

Culture & Core Values

• Embody Dish's Mission, Core Values, and Heart Hospitality standards in every interaction and event.
• Foster positive, proactive communication across Sales, Culinary, Operations, and the broader Dish team.
• Actively participate in Dish's Culture & Growth Program, including regular 1:1s, check-ins, and annual performance reviews.
• Contribute to a supportive, collaborative, and accountable work environment.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance.
• Paid time off, paid holidays, paid family leave, sick pay, and short- and long-term disability insurance.
• 401(k) plan after 12 months of full-time employment and commuter benefits.
• Paid Volunteer Time Off and daily family meal.

Dish Food & Events provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants and team members without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law.

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