ROLE PURPOSE
The Production Manager, Savoury leads Forno Cultura’s Savoury program and is responsible for protecting the integrity of our food, developing a strong production team, evolving the offering through the seasons, and ensuring the program and department operate responsibly, sustainably and with sound financial discipline.
This is a hands-on leadership role within an artisanal production environment. Success is not measured simply by output. It is measured by the quality of the food, the strength of the team, the consistency of execution, and the manager’s ability to build systems that allow the craft to thrive.
CRAFT
Technique · Quality · Consistency · Detail
· Lead daily Savoury production, ensuring products consistently meet Forno Cultura’s standards for quality, flavour, integrity and presentation.
· Plan production according to forecasted demand, confirmed orders, retail requirements and available production capacity.
· Ensure production is completed accurately, consistently and on schedule.
· Maintain clear recipes, specifications, yields, portioning and production standards.
· Protect artisanal techniques and processes while identifying thoughtful ways to improve workflow and efficiency.
· Establish and maintain strong quality-control practices throughout production.
· Maintain rigorous standards for food safety, sanitation, allergen control, traceability, labelling and proper food handling.
· Ensure production areas, equipment and tools are properly maintained, respected and cared for.
· Monitor finished product and ingredient quality and address issues quickly and thoughtfully.
· Work collaboratively with other production and retail teams to maintain product quality and consistency across the business.
SEASON
Ingredients · Curiosity · R&D · Innovation · Relevance
· Lead the seasonal development of the Savoury program in keeping with Forno Cultura’s food philosophy.
· Build and maintain a thoughtful seasonal product calendar that supports planning, sourcing and production readiness.
· Lead R&D for the Savoury program: research, test and refine new products, techniques and applications with the production team.
· Seek out and work with exceptional seasonal ingredients, allowing the ingredient and season to inform product development.
· Ensure all new products are fully costed and assessed for quality, labour requirements, yield, production feasibility and commercial sustainability before launch.
· Develop and expand prepared-food, catering and related Savoury program offerings where appropriate.
· Encourage curiosity and innovation while respecting the ingredients, techniques and traditions at the foundation of Forno Cultura.
· Ensure new products can move successfully from R&D into consistent everyday production.
· Review existing products seasonally and refine them where quality, technique or execution can be improved.
PEOPLE
Teaching · Development · Collaboration · Pride
· Lead, coach and develop the Savoury team, including chefs, cooks and production assistants.
· Take a senior role in recruitment, interviewing and selection for the department.
· Build thoughtful onboarding and training plans that give team members the knowledge, technique and standards required to succeed.
· Teach technique, product knowledge, food-safety practices and production standards.
· Create and maintain effective departmental schedules based on production requirements and labour targets.
· Establish clear expectations and provide regular feedback, coaching and performance management.
· Identify and develop team members with the potential to take on greater responsibility.
· Build depth within the department so knowledge and standards are held by the team rather than dependent on one individual.
· Create a culture of accountability, collaboration, learning and pride in the work.
· Foster open, fair and respectful communication.
· Hold regular team meetings to communicate priorities, review performance, resolve issues and maintain alignment.
· Work closely with other Production Managers and Front of House leadership to ensure strong coordination across departments.
· Lead by example, consistently demonstrating Forno Cultura’s standards, values and expectations.
STEWARDSHIP
Judgement · Ownership · Resources · Sustainability
· Own the day-to-day management and overall health of the Savoury program and department, balancing product, people, operational and financial performance.
· Manage the department to established financial targets and budgets, with clear accountability for labour, ingredient cost, purchasing, yield, waste and inventory within the scope of the role.
· Review departmental financial performance regularly, understand material variances, and take timely corrective action while protecting product integrity.
· Manage departmental labour responsibly, including scheduling, productivity and overtime, against established targets.
· Maintain accurate inventory counts and appropriate ingredient and finished-goods inventory levels.
· Forecast purchasing and production requirements and ensure ingredients and supplies are available when required.
· Maintain strong supplier relationships and support competitive, quality-driven purchasing decisions.
· Provide accurate and timely reporting on the Savoury program’s operational and financial performance to senior management.
· Review production performance and identify opportunities to improve productivity, yield, workflow and cost.
· Develop, maintain and continuously improve departmental SOPs and production systems.
· Maintain appropriate production-planning, inventory and reporting tools to improve visibility and decision-making.
· Support the continued transition of production planning and reporting into effective digital systems.
· Identify operational issues early, resolve those within the scope of the role, and escalate material risks appropriately.
· Use ingredients, labour, equipment and financial resources with care and good judgement.
· Balance quality, people and financial responsibility when making decisions for the program and department.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES
· Product quality, integrity and consistency
· Reliable and well-planned production
· Food safety and sanitation
· Team training, development and performance
· Labour performance against budget
· Ingredient cost, purchasing, yield and waste
· Inventory accuracy
· Seasonal R&D, product development and successful launches
· Savoury program and departmental financial performance against established targets
· Effective production systems and SOPs
· Responsible management of departmental resources
· Strong communication and collaboration across departments
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
The Savoury program consistently produces exceptional food that reflects Forno Cultura’s standards and philosophy. Production is well planned, organized and reliable. Quality and food safety are uncompromising. Seasonal development and R&D are thoughtful and ingredient-led. The team understands what is expected of them, continues to develop its skills, and takes pride in the work.
The program is also managed with financial clarity: labour, ingredients, purchasing, yield, waste and inventory are understood, monitored and actively managed against established targets.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
- 5 years of progressive professional culinary experience, including at least 2 years supervising or managing a kitchen or food-production team.
- Demonstrated experience in a quality-driven restaurant, bakery, prepared-food or artisanal production environment.
- Strong savoury cooking knowledge, including production techniques, recipe standardization, batch consistency, yields and quality control.
- Experience planning production against forecast demand, confirmed orders, labour availability and capacity.
- Staff scheduling and labour management
- Ingredient cost, purchasing, inventory and waste
- Training, coaching and performance management
- Seasonal menu development and culinary R&D
- Recipe costing and production implementation
- Valid, recognized Food Handler Certificate.
- Working knowledge of HACCP principles, allergen controls, traceability, labelling and food-safety documentation.
- Ability to use production-planning, inventory, costing and scheduling software or spreadsheets.
- Availability appropriate to a production operation, potentially including early mornings, weekends and seasonal peaks.
- Legal authorization to work in Canada.
Pay: $65,000.00-$80,000.00 per year
Experience:
- progressive professional culinary: 5 years (required)
- kitchen management : 2 years (required)
Licence/Certification:
- Food Handler Certification (required)
Work Location: In person
