Kitchen Manager
You run everything around the food at YOYA. Ordering, stock, cost, rotas, equipment and compliance. The Chef sets the standard on the plate. You make it possible to hit it, every service.
About Casa Palestina
Casa Palestina is the first permanent Palestinian cultural institution in Portugal, based in Alcântara, Lisbon. Women-led and rooted in bringing Palestinian culture to life through food, live music, art and film screenings. The house exists to protect memory, deepen public literacy, and sustain Palestinian presence.
The role
This is an operational and legal role as much as a hospitality one. The kitchen's HACCP system, its records and its inspection readiness sit with you. The Palestinian Chef decides what the food is and how it is cooked. You make it possible to cook it, every service, at the right cost, in a kitchen that would pass an inspection on any given Tuesday.
What you will do
Purchasing and stock. Ordering, deliveries and supplier relationships, working to the Chef's ingredient specifications. Source Palestinian and Levantine products, including Palestinian producers wherever possible, and flag early when something cannot be sourced. Stock control, rotation and storage discipline. Check deliveries for quantity, quality, temperature and paperwork.
Cost and reporting. Own food cost and margin against target. Track waste, yields and portion control, and bring the numbers back to the Chef when a dish is not working commercially. Cost new dishes and event menus before they go live. Keep invoices and kitchen paperwork in order.
Team and rotas. Build rotas inside the labour budget and compliant with Portuguese labour law. Manage holiday, absence, timekeeping and shift cover. Recruit and onboard alongside the Chef, who assesses cooking ability.
Food safety and compliance. Operate and maintain the HACCP system under Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004: hazard analysis, critical control points, temperature logs, monitoring and corrective actions. Keep the kitchen ASAE inspection-ready at all times. Ensure every team member holds valid formação em higiene e segurança alimentar, with certificates on file. Maintain allergen records. Cleaning schedules, pest control, waste and fire safety.
Equipment and events. Keep equipment maintained and flag replacements before they become emergencies. Run opening and closing checks. Staff and resource the kitchen for event nights from the Events Coordinator's run sheets.
Who we are looking for
- Experience managing kitchen operations, or a senior kitchen role with real ownership of ordering, costing, rotas and compliance.
- Valid HACCP or equivalent certification, at supervisory level where possible.
- Working knowledge of Portuguese food service regulation and ASAE requirements.
- Confidence with spreadsheets, stock systems and POS or ordering software.
- Working Portuguese and English. Arabic an advantage.
- Right to work in Portugal.
- Availability across evenings and weekends, including event nights.
Organised on paper, not just in your head. You would rather do the temperature check than explain to an inspector why it is missing.
Working arrangement
Operating week is Tuesday to Sunday, closed Mondays. Full-time, shift patterns agreed in advance. Staff meal on every shift. You report to the Board of Directors and work in close partnership with the Palestinian Chef and the Restaurant Manager.
How to apply
Send a short note about your experience and your CV to careers@casapalestina.pt, with the role in the subject line. We would rather read a few honest paragraphs about why this house than a formal cover letter.