Community Kitchen Coordinator

Under WFP’s School Meals Programme, DCL is looking for Full Time “Community Kitchen Coordinators” in North Lebanon and Akkar governorates with backgrounds in food safety, nutrition, hospitality, culinary arts, etc.

DCL is a leading Lebanese NGO committed to fostering development, culture, and leadership across various sectors, while empowering youth through education.

We are currently a partner of the United Nations World Food Program, supporting critical initiatives aimed at addressing food security and sustainable development.

We believe in the power of diversity and strive to maintain an inclusive work environment that fosters equal opportunities for all.

The Community Kitchen Coordinator plays a vital role in overseeing kitchen operations under the WFP-funded School Feeding Programme. This position requires a proactive individual to oversee food orders (raw material), receiving, storage, preparation and distribution, ensure food safety, quality and hygiene standards, and coordination with shelters, kitchen staff, and project stakeholders.

Key responsibilities:

The Community Kitchen Coordinator will be responsible of the below activities:

• Kitchen Presence: Be present in the kitchen from receipt of food items to delivery and oversee the meal preparation process, ensuring compliance with hygiene and safety standards.
• Kitchen Operations: Oversee the daily operations inside the kitchen, ensuring adherence to recipes and quality standards.
• Shelter Visits: After meal preparation and dispatch, visit the nearby shelters to monitor how meals are received, scooped, served, and consumed.
• Food Orders and Stock Keeping: Prepare in coordination with the Project coordinator the daily food orders and quantities, in addition to non-food Items, and needed equipment and utensils (water, gas, PPE, detergents, etc.)
• Facilitate supplier payments by confirming receipt of delivered items in the system, ensuring accuracy of items received and quality prior to payment release.
• Food Quality:  Conduct regularly and continuously inspections to guarantee the quality of the meals served to beneficiaries, making recommendations for improvements when necessary.
• Conduct regular inspections of storage facilities to ensure proper handling, hygiene, and preservation of food items.
• Hygiene, Food Safety and Quality Compliance: Ensure the kitchen and food preparation areas maintain high levels of cleanliness and adhere to hygiene standards set by relevant authorities in coordination with the food safety and quality officer.
• Data Collection: Maintain accurate records of received items, food preparation, quality checks, meal distribution, quantities, and compliance requirements for reporting purposes.
• Reporting: Prepare and submit regular weekly, daily, and monthly reports on kitchen activities, food safety and quality, and meal distribution to the Project Coordinator, and identify operational challenges, propose practical solutions, and ensure timely submission of incident reports.
• Coordination with Shelters: Ensure that kitchen operations align with the guidelines and schedules of participating shelters, maintaining positive relationships with focal points.
• Communication: Establish and maintain effective communication with TVET focal points, kitchen staff, shelter focal points, and partnering organizations, to address concerns, coordinate meal schedules, and foster a collaborative environment.
• Safeguarding & Accountability: Report and address any protection, or other cross-cutting themes’ concerns, fraud, or misuse of resources in a timely and appropriate manner.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in food safety, nutrition, hospitality, culinary arts or a related field.
• A minimum of 3 years of proven experience in food-related roles, preferably within the nonprofit sector.
• Strong knowledge of hygiene and food safety protocols.
• MS Office Proficiency (word, excel, power point).
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team, with leadership skills.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and reporting skills.
• Fluency in English and Arabic.
• A valid driving license.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

• DCL is committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all employees, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, or background, feel valued and respected. We strongly encourage individuals from diverse communities and underrepresented groups to apply. We believe diversity strengthens our ability to deliver innovative solutions and serve our mission more effectively.