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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Kitchen Logistics Coordinator

💰 $ - $

OperationsSupply ChainFood Service

🎯 Role Definition

The Kitchen Logistics Coordinator is responsible for end-to-end coordination of kitchen supply chain and logistics for restaurants, catering operations or centralized food production facilities. This role focuses on inventory control, procurement, inbound/outbound logistics, vendor performance, cold chain integrity, cost control, and cross-functional communication with culinary, operations and purchasing teams. The Kitchen Logistics Coordinator ensures that the right products are delivered at the right time, in the right condition, while complying with food safety (HACCP, FSMA) and company SOPs.

Keywords: kitchen logistics coordinator, inventory management, foodservice logistics, vendor management, cold chain, HACCP, FIFO, ERP, purchasing, supply chain.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Inventory Clerk / Receiving Clerk (Food Service)
  • Junior Purchasing Associate or Procurement Assistant (Hospitality)
  • Line Cook or Kitchen Supervisor moving into operations/logistics

Advancement To:

  • Senior Logistics Coordinator / Supply Chain Lead (Food Service)
  • Procurement Manager / Purchasing Manager (Restaurant Group)
  • Operations Manager / Kitchen Operations Director

Lateral Moves:

  • Facilities & Maintenance Coordinator (Kitchens)
  • Quality Assurance Specialist (Food Safety & Compliance)
  • Central Production Planner / Demand Planner

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Manage daily inventory levels across multiple kitchen locations and/or central production facilities using ERP/WMS and POS data to ensure product availability while minimizing waste and spoilage.
  • Own the procurement lifecycle for food, beverage and packaging items: create purchase orders, track confirmations, negotiate prices, manage lead times, and reconcile deliveries against purchase orders and invoices.
  • Maintain cold chain integrity and temperature control protocols for refrigerated and frozen products, coordinating with carriers, drivers, and receiving teams to minimize temperature excursions.
  • Implement and enforce FIFO (first-in, first-out) and FEFO (first-expiry, first-out) stocking practices in storerooms and walk-in coolers to reduce waste and maintain product freshness.
  • Coordinate inbound logistics and receiving schedules, including appointment setting, unloading supervision, quality checks, count verification and variance resolution with suppliers and on-site kitchen teams.
  • Monitor vendor performance and service-level agreements (SLAs): measure OTIF (On Time In Full), quality issues, pricing adherence, and corrective action plans; escalate persistent issues to Purchasing or Operations leadership.
  • Conduct regular cycle counts, full physical inventories and inventory reconciliations; investigate shrinkage, identify root causes, and implement corrective controls to improve inventory accuracy.
  • Forecast demand and plan orders in collaboration with culinary, menu planning and operations teams to support new menu launches, promotions, and seasonal menu changes while avoiding stockouts and overstock.
  • Manage receiving documentation, traceability records and lot codes for regulatory compliance and product recall readiness; maintain accessible logs for audits.
  • Execute invoice verification, purchase order matching and basic AP reconciliation to support timely payments and dispute management with vendors.
  • Coordinate route and delivery optimization for inter-kitchen transfers, catering deliveries and supplier drop-offs to reduce freight spend and ensure timely product flow.
  • Configure and maintain item master data, par levels, lead times, vendor assignments and pack sizes in inventory systems (ERP/WMS/POS) to reflect real-world usage and prevent ordering errors.
  • Lead continuous improvement initiatives to streamline ordering workflows, reduce lead times, lower food costs, and improve operational efficiency using data-driven analysis.
  • Maintain and review inventory and logistics KPIs (cost of goods sold, inventory turns, days on hand, waste %, order accuracy, receiving cycle time) and prepare weekly/monthly reports for operations and finance stakeholders.
  • Coordinate equipment logistics related to kitchen operations including racks, totes, temperature monitoring devices, forklifts, and vendor-supplied crates; manage maintenance schedules and asset tracking.
  • Develop and maintain standard operating procedures (SOPs) and training materials for receiving, storing, labeling, and handling food products to ensure compliance with HACCP and internal policies.
  • Act as primary point of contact for third-party logistics providers, carriers, and local distributors to arrange expedited deliveries, manage claims for damaged goods, and troubleshoot delivery exceptions.
  • Support menu engineers and culinary leadership with cost modeling, yield calculations, and par-setting recommendations to optimize procurement decisions and margin performance.
  • Coordinate waste reduction programs including food donation logistics, composting partnership management, and first/last-mile recovery to improve sustainability metrics and reduce disposal costs.
  • Manage emergency sourcing and contingency plans during supply disruptions, natural disasters, or supplier shortages; source alternative suppliers while maintaining product quality and food safety standards.
  • Train and mentor receiving and kitchen staff in proper handling, documentation and inventory controls; lead onboarding sessions for new kitchen locations or central production expansions.
  • Maintain compliance with federal, state and local food safety regulations, support internal/external audits, and address corrective actions related to logistics and storage practices.
  • Analyze logistics spend, carrier contracts and delivery patterns to identify opportunities for consolidation, route rationalization, and freight savings.
  • Collaborate with IT and systems teams to implement integrations between POS, ERP and supplier portals for automated ordering, EDI/CSV transmission and real-time inventory visibility.

Secondary Functions

  • Support cross-functional projects such as new site openings, kitchen remodels or equipment installations with logistics planning and supplier coordination.
  • Participate in sustainability and packaging initiatives to evaluate reusable packaging, supplier take-back programs and single-use reduction strategies.
  • Assist in ad hoc reporting and data pulls to support financial close activities, month-end inventory adjustments and supply chain audits.
  • Collaborate with culinary and marketing on promotional forecasting, inventory staging, and special event logistics planning.
  • Facilitate supplier scorecards and quarterly business reviews, preparing trend analysis and improvement plans.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Inventory management systems (experience with ERP/WMS such as Oracle NetSuite, SAP Business One, BlueCart, Fishbowl, xtraCHEF).
  • Point-of-Sale (POS) data reconciliation and integration knowledge (e.g., Toast, Square, POSitouch).
  • Advanced Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, macros) and intermediate experience with BI tools (Power BI, Tableau) for KPI reporting.
  • Procurement and purchase order management, including EDI or supplier portal experience.
  • Cold chain management and temperature monitoring systems familiarity (digital loggers, remote sensors).
  • Knowledge of HACCP, FSMA, and local food safety regulations; ability to maintain traceability and recall readiness.
  • Experience with route planning and carrier coordination; understanding of freight terms and claims processing.
  • Basic accounting skills for PO-to-invoice reconciliation and inventory valuation adjustments.
  • Familiarity with inventory counting methodologies: cycle counts, blind counts, variance analysis.
  • Experience with vendor management, contract reviews, and negotiating pricing/terms.

Soft Skills

  • Strong communication and stakeholder management: concise reporting to operations, culinary, finance and suppliers.
  • Analytical problem-solving with data-driven decision-making and attention to detail.
  • Time management and ability to prioritize under fast-paced, multi-site conditions.
  • Leadership and coaching to train receiving and kitchen staff on SOPs and compliance.
  • Adaptability and resourcefulness during supply disruptions or urgent operational requests.
  • Customer-service orientation with the ability to balance kitchen needs and cost controls.
  • Collaborative mindset: works well with culinary, operations, procurement and IT teams.
  • Continuous improvement mindset: identifies inefficiencies and leads process enhancements.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent; relevant industry certifications acceptable.

Preferred Education:

  • Associate or Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Hospitality Management, Business Administration, or Culinary Arts with operations focus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Supply Chain Management
  • Hospitality or Restaurant Management
  • Business Administration
  • Culinary Arts / Food Production Management
  • Logistics / Operations Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 2–5 years in foodservice logistics, inventory control, procurement, or kitchen operations.

Preferred:

  • 3–5+ years experience specifically in restaurant group, catering or central kitchen logistics with hands-on receiving and vendor management experience.
  • Prior exposure to ERP/WMS implementations, food safety audits (HACCP), and multi-site inventory coordination.
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