JOB DESCRIPTION

Store Assistant Manager cum Kitchen Operations – Hospital Canteen

Department: Canteen / Food & Beverage Services | Applicable to: Hospital Canteen Operations

1. Job Details

Job Title

Store Assistant Manager cum Kitchen Operations

Department

Administration / Canteen Services

Reports To

Administration Manager / Facility Manager

Supervises

Kitchen staff, cooks, helpers, store assistants, and canteen service personnel, as assigned

Qualification

Diploma or degree in Hotel Management, Catering Technology, Food Production, Hospitality Management, or a relevant field

Experience

3–5 years of experience in kitchen operations, stores, catering, or institutional food services; hospital canteen experience preferred

Employment Type

Full-time2. Job Purpose

To manage the hospital canteen's day-to-day store activities and kitchen operations efficiently, ensuring uninterrupted availability of raw materials, proper inventory control, hygienic food preparation, quality service, cost control, and compliance with applicable food safety requirements.

The role combines store management, kitchen supervision, food safety, staff coordination, and operational reporting to provide safe, nutritious, hygienic, and timely food services to hospital employees, consultants, visitors, and other authorized customers.

3. Key Roles and ResponsibilitiesA. Store Management and Inventory Control

- Maintain accurate stock records for groceries, vegetables, fruits, dairy products, meat, cooking oil, spices, beverages, cleaning materials, and other canteen supplies.
- Monitor daily stock consumption, minimum stock levels, reorder levels, and expiry dates to prevent shortages and wastage.
- Prepare purchase requisitions based on consumption patterns, menu requirements, and approved budgets.
- Receive incoming materials and verify quantity, quality, weight, specifications, expiry dates, and delivery documents against purchase orders.
- Ensure proper storage, labelling, segregation, and stock rotation using FIFO (First In, First Out) and FEFO (First Expiry, First Out), as applicable.
- Maintain separate and appropriate storage arrangements for dry goods, refrigerated products, frozen items, chemicals, and cleaning materials.
- Conduct daily checks of critical or perishable stock and periodic physical stock verification.
- Investigate stock discrepancies, shortages, damages, pilferage, and unusual consumption, and report them to the reporting manager.
- Coordinate with approved vendors and the purchase department for timely deliveries, quality issues, returns, and replacements.
- Maintain records of goods received, goods issued, stock transfers, wastage, returns, and closing balances.

B. Kitchen Operations Management

- Supervise daily kitchen activities, including preparation, cooking, portioning, plating, packing, and distribution of food.
- Coordinate with cooks and kitchen staff to ensure meals are prepared according to the approved menu and required service timings.
- Estimate daily food requirements based on expected demand from hospital employees, consultants, patients' attendants, and visitors.
- Ensure timely preparation of breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, beverages, and special meal requirements, wherever applicable.
- Monitor food quality, taste, freshness, portion size, presentation, and consistency.
- Ensure appropriate segregation of raw and cooked food and prevent cross-contamination.
- Monitor food preparation practices, holding temperatures, refrigeration, reheating, and serving conditions in accordance with applicable food safety procedures.
- Ensure that kitchen equipment, cooking ranges, refrigerators, freezers, exhaust systems, utensils, and work surfaces are maintained in safe and hygienic condition.
- Coordinate preventive maintenance and report equipment breakdowns promptly.
- Monitor daily food wastage and implement corrective measures to improve yield, portion control, and cost efficiency.

C. Food Safety, Hygiene and Regulatory Compliance

- Ensure compliance with applicable Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) requirements, licence conditions, and hospital food safety policies.




- Enforce personal hygiene requirements, including clean uniforms, head coverings, hand hygiene, and appropriate protective equipment.
- Ensure routine cleaning and sanitization of kitchen areas, food-contact surfaces, storage areas, utensils, and equipment.
- Monitor pest-control measures, waste segregation, garbage disposal, and drainage cleanliness.
- Ensure safe potable water availability and appropriate food handling practices.
- Check the condition of incoming raw materials and reject or report spoiled, contaminated, damaged, or unsuitable supplies.
- Maintain food safety records, including temperature logs, cleaning checklists, stock inspection records, and other applicable monitoring documents.
- Support food safety inspections, internal audits, corrective actions, and regulatory inspections.
- Ensure staff understand procedures for reporting suspected food contamination, foodborne illness concerns, and kitchen accidents.
- Coordinate with the hospital's infection control, housekeeping, engineering, and administration teams on relevant hygiene and safety matters.

D. Staff Supervision and Coordination

- Allocate duties and responsibilities to kitchen, store, and service staff.
- Prepare or coordinate duty rosters in line with canteen operating hours and workload requirements.
- Monitor attendance, punctuality, grooming, discipline, productivity, and adherence to work instructions.
- Train employees on safe food handling, stock management, cleaning procedures, waste reduction, and equipment use.
- Identify staffing shortages and arrange replacements or escalation through the appropriate reporting channel.
- Coordinate with the HR department regarding staff attendance, training, competency, and performance-related matters.
- Promote teamwork, qualified conduct, and responsive service to hospital staff and visitors.

E. Purchase Coordination and Cost Control

- Monitor daily and monthly expenditure on food materials, consumables, and kitchen supplies.
- Compare consumption against meal volumes, approved budgets, and standard recipes where available.
- Coordinate with the purchase and accounts departments regarding purchase orders, supplier invoices, delivery discrepancies, and payments.
- Monitor food cost per meal and identify opportunities to reduce unnecessary expenditure without compromising quality.
- Prevent over-purchasing, overproduction, avoidable spoilage, and unauthorized stock issues.
- Maintain records of vendor performance, material quality, price variations, and supply delays.
- Submit purchase requirements and stock reports within the prescribed timelines.
- Ensure that all purchases and stock issues follow the hospital's approved authorization procedures.

F. Hospital Canteen Service and Customer Satisfaction

- Ensure timely and uninterrupted canteen services during designated operating hours.
- Maintain cleanliness, orderly food display, and hygienic serving practices.
- Respond to complaints concerning food quality, portion size, availability, service delays, or cleanliness.
- Record complaints and coordinate corrective action with the appropriate staff or manager.
- Obtain feedback from hospital employees and other authorized users to improve service quality.
- Coordinate special catering requirements for hospital meetings, training programmes, events, and official gatherings.
- Ensure that special dietary requests are handled only in accordance with approved instructions and the hospital's applicable dietary procedures.

G. Documentation and Reporting

Maintain and submit the following records, as applicable:

- Daily opening and closing stock reports.
- Goods receipt and material issue registers.
- Purchase requisitions and vendor delivery records.
- Expiry, damage, wastage, and stock discrepancy reports.




- Daily meal production and consumption reports.
- Kitchen cleaning and sanitation checklists.
- Food storage and temperature monitoring logs.
- Staff attendance and duty rosters.
- Equipment maintenance and breakdown records.
- Food safety inspection and corrective action reports.
- Monthly inventory, food cost, and canteen performance reports.

4. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

The following indicators may be used for monthly performance evaluation. Targets should be finalized by management based on the canteen's size, meal volume, baseline performance, and approved policies.

KPI

Suggested performance measure

Stock accuracy

Physical stock compared with recorded stock

Stock availability

Frequency of avoidable stock-outs

Expiry and spoilage control

Value or quantity of expired and spoiled materials

Food wastage

Wastage as a percentage of food prepared or issued

Food cost control

Actual food cost versus approved budget

Timely meal service

Percentage of meals served within scheduled timings

Food safety compliance

Audit score and closure of corrective actions

Kitchen hygiene

Compliance with cleaning and sanitation checklists

Documentation

Completeness and timely submission of records

Customer satisfaction

Feedback ratings and complaint resolution

Staff management

Duty coverage, training completion, and adherence to procedures

Equipment maintenance

Completion of scheduled checks and timely reporting of breakdowns

5. Authority and Accountability

The position is authorized to:

- Monitor stock levels and initiate purchase requisitions within approved procedures.
- Allocate daily duties to assigned kitchen and store personnel.
- Inspect incoming materials and report or initiate rejection of non-conforming supplies in accordance with procurement policy.
- Recommend corrective actions for food quality, hygiene, stock discrepancies, and operational inefficiencies.
- Escalate equipment failures, food safety risks, staffing shortages, and budget deviations to the reporting manager.

The position is accountable for accurate inventory records, proper storage, kitchen coordination, food safety compliance, cost-conscious operations, staff supervision, and timely reporting. Financial approvals, vendor appointments, and major expenditure decisions remain subject to the hospital's delegation of authority.

6. Required Skills and Competencies

- Storekeeping and inventory management.
- Kitchen production planning and supervision.
- Knowledge of food hygiene and food safety practices.
- Understanding of FIFO and FEFO stock rotation.
- Basic costing, stock reconciliation, and budget monitoring.
- Vendor coordination and purchase documentation.
- Staff supervision, communication, and teamwork.
- Complaint handling and problem-solving.
- Computer literacy, including MS Excel and inventory or billing software.
- Attention to detail, integrity, discipline, and accountability.
- Ability to work in shifts, manage peak service periods, and respond to urgent operational requirements.

7. Working Conditions

- Work location: Hospital canteen, kitchen, and designated store areas.
- Working hours: As per hospital shift requirements, including weekends and holidays where applicable.
- The role involves standing for extended periods, inspecting storage and kitchen areas, handling operational records, and coordinating with multiple departments.
- Compliance with occupational safety, fire safety, food hygiene, and personal protective equipment requirements is mandatory.

8. Minimum Compliance Requirements

The employee must ensure that activities under their control comply with applicable FSSAI requirements, hospital policies, approved procurement procedures, occupational safety requirements, and relevant NABH standards where applicable to the hospital's food and support services.

The employee must immediately escalate any suspected food contamination, unsafe storage condition, major stock discrepancy, pest infestation, equipment safety concern, or other risk that could affect the health and safety of patients, staff, or visitors.

Pay: ₹25,000.00 - ₹35,000.00 per month

Benefits:

- Provident Fund

Work Location: In person

📌 Store Assistant Manager cum Kitchen Operations – Hospital Canteen (Ramanathapuram)
🏢 Gem Hospital & Research Centre
📍 Ramanathapuram