What are the responsibilities and job description for the Administrative Assistant - Culinary Operations position at Palmer's Market?
Company Description
Palmer's Market, a family-owned business in Darien, CT, has been a beloved community destination since 1921. Now led by the 4th and 5th generations, Palmer’s is known for its outstanding food, fresh local produce, beautiful floral arrangements, scratch bakery, and unique gift offerings. With over a century of dedication to quality and service, Palmer’s continues to be a cornerstone of the community, where food and family take center stage. It is a trusted one-stop shop committed to excellence and tradition.
Title: Assistant to Director of Culinary Operations
Reports To: Director of Culinary Operations
Job Summary:
We’re looking for a bilingual (English and Spanish), organized and detail-oriented Assistant to support our Director of Culinary Operations and the culinary team. This is a great entry-level role for someone who wants to learn the ins and outs of culinary operations in a busy, hands-on environment. You’ll help keep things running smoothly by handling data entry, organizing recipes and documents, supporting inventory, and making sure the kitchen team has what they need each day. If you’re comfortable with spreadsheets, love staying organized, and want to be part of a team that brings great food to life, this could be the perfect fit!
Key Responsibilities:
- Data Entry & Culinary Production Support: Enter information about ingredients, schedules, and kitchen work into our system. Make sure the numbers are correct and everything is kept up to date.
- Content & Database Management: Keep our Google Drive and other files organized so recipes, documents, and kitchen info are easy to find.
- Inventory Control & Updates: Help track kitchen supplies and ingredients. Update inventory lists, reorder items when we’re running low, and double-check counts.
- ChefTec Recipe Documentation & Entry: Use our kitchen software (ChefTec) to enter recipes with the right ingredients, steps, and costs. Work with the team to keep everything organized.
- Prep Sheets & Order Preparation: Prepare and print prep sheets for the culinary team to ensure they have accurate and timely information for daily production. Organize orders for kitchen supplies, ingredients, and other materials required for daily operations and special events.
- Team Member Project Coordination: Help support various team member projects by tracking timelines, deliverables, and progress ensuring all deadlines are met and documentation is up-to-date. Organize documentation and provide support to ensure smooth progress.
- Attention to Detail: Maintain a high level of accuracy and attention to detail in all areas of responsibility, including data entry, inventory management, prep sheets and production orders, purchasing, ChefTec recipe documentation, and project coordination.
- Support Culinary Operations: Provide administrative and operational support as needed to the Director of Culinary Operations, assisting with tasks such as report preparation, inventory and order accuracy, and database management.
Requirements:
- Experience: Minimum of 1-2 years of experience in a culinary, hospitality, or administrative role; experience with data entry, inventory control, and formula based spreadsheets is preferred.
- Office Systems: Strong proficiency in Google Drive and Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook).
- Familiarity with inventory control systems and data management.
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple tasks with a focus on accuracy.
- Operations Experience: Basic knowledge of culinary operations, including recipe creation and food production processes. Previous experience working either FOH or BOH with desire to engage in backend refinement.
- Ability to handle confidential information and sensitive data with discretion.
- Ability to sit or stand for extended periods of time while working on a computer.
- Occasional light lifting (up to 20 lbs) when assisting with inventory updates.
Special Considerations:
This is a great chance to start your career in culinary operations. You’ll get hands-on experience working closely with leadership, learn how food production and cost management work, and build skills that can grow into a long-term career in culinary management.
Employee Classification: Exempt, Full Time
Effective Date: November 2025