| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Restaurants and Food Service |
| Level | Mid level |
| Reports to | Sous Chef |
| Direct reports | Cook, Kitchen Helper, Kitchen Steward |
| Experience | 3 to 6 years in kitchen operations |
Kitchen Supervisor job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: Kitchen Supervisor
Department: Restaurants and Food Service
Reports to: Sous Chef
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A Kitchen Supervisor oversees the kitchen staff and stations during service. They make sure prep is ready, stations are set, dishes go out on time, and the kitchen stays clean and disciplined. The role sits between the cooks and the kitchen or sous chef. A good Kitchen Supervisor keeps the kitchen running smoothly through service, checks quality and readiness, keeps helpers and cooks on task, and flags problems to the chef before they slow service.
Key responsibilities
- Make sure prep and mise en place are ready before each service.
- Supervise cooks, helpers and stewards through the whole service.
- Check dishes for quality and portion before they leave the kitchen.
- Keep stations, floors and equipment clean during the service.
- Coordinate order flow between the kitchen and the service team.
- Monitor stock at stations and arrange timely top ups.
- Keep cooks and helpers on task and on time.
- Flag quality, stock or equipment problems to the chef.
- Support closing, cleaning and handover of the kitchen daily.
Requirements
- Diploma or certificate in culinary arts or catering
- Kitchen experience across sections
- Food safety awareness
- 3 to 6 years in kitchen operations
KRAs and KPIs for a Kitchen Supervisor
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Service readiness | Prep and stations ready before every service |
| Quality checks | Dishes checked for quality and portion before leaving |
| Cleanliness | Kitchen kept clean and food safe through service |
| Order flow | Orders sent out within kitchen ticket times |
| Staff discipline | Cooks and helpers on task with no station left short |
| Handover | Kitchen closed, cleaned and handed over correctly |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: KOT and kitchen display, Recipe and prep sheets, Temperature logs, Cleaning checklists, Weighing scale.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Kitchen Manager, Sous Chef, Chef de Partie
Interview questions for a Kitchen Supervisor
- How do you make sure the kitchen is ready before service?
- How do you keep dishes to standard and portion during a rush?
- How do you coordinate order flow with the service team?
- How do you keep helpers and cooks on task through a long service?
- How do you keep the kitchen clean while it is busy?
- What do you check at closing and handover?
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What does a Kitchen Supervisor do?
A Kitchen Supervisor oversees the kitchen staff and stations during service. They make sure prep is ready, stations are set, dishes go out on time to quality, and the kitchen stays clean. They coordinate order flow with service and flag problems to the chef. Their job is a smooth, clean, disciplined kitchen through service.
What is the difference between a Kitchen Supervisor and a Sous Chef?
A Sous Chef is a senior chef who runs the line, expedites at the pass and deputises for the head chef. A Kitchen Supervisor oversees staff, readiness and cleanliness during service, often with less culinary authority. The sous chef leads the cooking; the supervisor keeps the operation on track.
How do you become a Kitchen Supervisor?
Work as a cook or senior commis across sections, learn the flow of a kitchen, and show you can keep others on task and the kitchen clean under pressure. Employers look for readiness discipline, quality checking, order coordination and the ability to handle a team during a busy service.