H

Home Chef

Subscription-based meal kit delivery service

Shift Manager

Full-TimeUpdated on 10/23/2026
$83k - $93k+ 401(k) match
Mid
Bachelor's
Bedford Park, IL, USA
In Person1st shift, 6:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday off. 0% travel.
Manufacturing & Production Operations

About the job

Requirements
  • Completion of a four-year degree program in a related field such as Business Administration, or equivalent level of experience in operations.
  • A minimum of 3 years of successful managerial leadership experience in a fast-paced environment.
  • A track record of driving key performance indicators and meeting or exceeding goals.
  • Experience developing team members through both leading and managing.
  • A strong track record of people leadership experience and positive culture management or improvement.
  • Proficiency with Excel, enterprise resource planning systems, and mobile technology such as tablets and cell phones.
  • Ability to lift up to 50 pounds with or without reasonable accommodation.
  • Ability to stand and walk for up to 12 hours in a cold environment up to 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Availability to respond to work-related inquiries during off hours, including nights and weekends.
  • Flexibility to change processes quickly and adhere to day-end goals.
  • Ability to communicate and lead safety above all else and create a culture around it.
  • Full knowledge of Safe Quality Food, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, and Good Manufacturing Practices programs.
Responsibilities
  • Create an effective shift-level production plan for the incoming shift based on the weekly production plan and targets, including activities not completed by the prior shift due to attendance, quality, or shortages; conduct a daily handoff with the incoming Shift Manager to prevent production gaps or miscommunications.
  • Communicate the shift production plan and set clear goals for supervisors.
  • Adjust the shift production plan in response to product quality issues, shortages, or staffing levels.
  • Minimize downtime by monitoring production activities, proactively identifying issues, problem-solving before shutdowns, and holding supervisors accountable for documenting downtime and reviewing actions taken.
  • Track progress against the production plan during the shift and work with supervisors to ensure production targets are met.
  • Assign tasks to Gatekeepers to drive data accuracy for production and inventory counts and maintain organized coolers and freezers.
  • Attend daily cross-department huddles to relay goals and significant messages to the team.
  • Share the production plan with managers and supervisors from Food Safety and Quality Assurance and Warehouse so they can support production activities.
  • Work with Food Safety and Quality Assurance and/or Warehouse to resolve cross-functional issues according to standard processes for shortage callouts, shortage investigations, and rejections.
  • Own safety, on-time and in-full shipments, and meals per hour.
  • Ensure performance reviews for the team are completed on time and appropriately documented.
  • Hold team members to consistent expectations, ensure people are in appropriate roles, and partner with Human Resources to address underperformers in a timely manner.
  • Solicit feedback from other site leaders about team performance.
  • Conduct quarterly performance reviews for production supervisors at minimum and provide prompt feedback.
  • Model people leadership and develop supervisors’ people leadership skills.
  • Recognize strong team performance and positive behaviors through NTF submissions, verbal affirmations, and stand-up recognition.
  • Maintain team structure, ensure supervisors conduct routine team check-ins and huddles, and step in when a supervisor is absent.
  • Develop a coaching culture by providing positive and developmental feedback to supervisors and working through them to provide feedback to leads and associates.
  • Partner with Human Resources and/or temporary agency representatives to manage shift staffing and daily time-and-attendance issues.
  • Manage supervisors’ time-off requests and act as an escalation point for associate and lead time-off requests.
  • Work with supervisors and Human Resources to provide disciplinary actions for hourly employees as needed.
  • Communicate temporary employees’ performance issues to temporary agency representatives and Home Chef Human Resources.
  • Make shift-level decisions for all functions based on department standard operating procedures and management guidance, including responses to adverse events, warehouse roadblocks, and material shortages.
  • Ensure Home Chef Good Manufacturing Practices and operational guidelines are followed and enforced.
  • Ensure the plant is clean and free of known safety issues, including blocked egress doors, trays stacked too high, and slip, trip, or fall risks.
  • Coach supervisors on thorough safety investigations and escalation of plant structural issues; hold supervisors accountable for completing incident reports accurately and on time.
  • Support the company’s food safety system (Safe Quality Food) and quality programs.
  • Understand and support Home Chef’s Cardinal Rules of Safety and Food Safety.
  • Keep safety central to business decisions and hold direct reports accountable for safe execution of daily activities; lead safety meetings for the entire shift.
  • Hold self and supervisors accountable for completing Behavioral Safety Observations, Near Misses, and Food Safety Call It Outs.
  • Participate in Incident Review Board meetings and follow up on corrective actions to ensure completion on the shift; assist with root-cause analysis reports as needed.
  • Support Home Chef’s safety goals and be directly accountable for the shift’s injury rates.
  • Complete required training on time and enforce timely completion of compliance and leadership training for the team.
  • Support and participate in company-mandated emergency activities.
  • Maintain a strong safety record, error rate, and on-time-and-in-full rate for the shift; cascade metrics to the broader team.
  • Partner with the Continuous Improvement team to identify non-value-added work and implement process changes to improve efficiency.
  • Maintain deep knowledge of production standard operating procedures and cross-department coordination procedures at the shift level.
  • Set expectations for strict adherence to standard operating procedures among production supervisors and leads.
  • Create a culture of standard operating procedure feedback and work with the Continuous Improvement team to revise and improve procedures.
  • Drive process changes on the floor during rollout of standard operating procedure modifications.
  • Participate in the standard operating procedure audit program as defined and conducted by the Continuous Improvement team.
Desired Qualifications
  • Cross-functional experience in two or more departments, such as Warehouse, Production, Quality, or Procurement.

About the company

Home Chef delivers meal kits with pre-portioned ingredients and step-by-step recipes to subscribers’ homes, saving time for busy households. Subscribers sign up for a plan, choose how many meals per week, and receive a box with ingredients and instructions; one-time purchases and gift cards offer flexible options, and grocery retailer partnerships broaden reach. The service differentiates itself through time-saving convenience, a broad, diverse menu that covers different dietary needs, and flexible purchasing plus retail partnerships. The goal is to help modern households enjoy home-cooked meals with fresh ingredients without the planning and shopping burden.

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

Acquired

Total Funding

$57M

Headquarters

Chicago, Illinois

Founded

2013

Get referred to Home Chef

See people who can refer or advise you

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Home Chef's February-April 2026 Giada menu drove promotional traffic and new-customer discounts.
  • Wishbone Kitchen launched January 2026, proving celebrity collaborations remain active acquisition channels.
  • Kroger still lists Home Chef products online in September 2026, preserving national shelf and digital access.

What critics are saying

  • Kroger cut roughly 1,000 corporate jobs in August 2025, signaling relentless cost pressure.
  • NLRB election at Bedford Park covered 457 workers, exposing labor organizing risk.
  • Grubhub defeated Home Chef's trademark injunction in 2023, weakening brand-protection leverage.

What makes Home Chef unique

  • Home Chef pairs Kroger retail reach with e-commerce, expanding distribution beyond pure-play meal kits.
  • Giada De Laurentiis partnership launched February 23, 2026, reinforcing chef-led premium meal storytelling.
  • Home Chef's recyclable packaging and food-rescue program reduce waste across four facilities.

Help us improve and share your feedback! Did you find this helpful?

Benefits

  • Vision insurance
  • Dental insurance
  • Health insurance
  • 401(k) match
  • Casual wear
  • Weekly credit toward lunch provided
  • Produce and snacks
  • Employee discount
  • Life insurance
  • Disability insurance
  • Fun workspace
  • FSA

Growth & Insights and Company News

6 month growth

22%

1 year growth

23%

2 year growth

23%
Den of Geek
Mar 5th, 2025
Link Tank: New Wave of Roboforce: The Animated Series Figures Revealed

Home Chef is partnering with SpongeBob SquarePants to create Bikini Bottom-inspired meals, including a Krusty Krab Pizza and more.

Blavity
Mar 3rd, 2025
Ayesha Curry On Infusing Her Jamaican Heritage Into Everything She Does: 'It's Just Such A Pillar For Me'

On the heels of opening her newest Sweet July Cafe location in Santa Monica, Curry has teamed up with Home Chef for a four-week partnership designed for those learning their way around the kitchen, seeking health-conscious meal options, or short on time to cook.

Phoenix Media Network, Inc.
Feb 25th, 2025
Home Chef Partners with SpongeBob SquarePants to Bring Bikini Bottom's Iconic Flavors to Kitchens on Land Nationwide

Home Chef partners with SpongeBob SquarePants to bring Bikini Bottom's iconic flavors to kitchens on land nationwide.

The Tidewater News
Feb 18th, 2025
Home Chef is Spicing Up the Kitchen Through A New Partnership With Ayesha Curry

Home Chef is spicing up the kitchen through A new partnership with Ayesha Curry.

Guilty Eats
Jan 15th, 2025
Home Chef has partnered with Feel Good Foodie to give us Mediterranean inspired meals

Home Chef has partnered with Feel Good Foodie to give us Mediterranean inspired meals.