Northgate Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Job Category: Operations

Requisition Number: CULIN027121

• Posted : August 27, 2026
• Full-Time

Showing 1 location

Stanton, CA 90680, USA

About Us:

Northgate Gonzalez Market has grown from one store in Anaheim in 1980 to over 40 locations across Southern California, and we're looking for passionate, customer-focused team members to join our family. We offer flexible schedules, opportunities for growth, and an associate discount of up to 20% for you and your household—all in a positive and fun work environment where you'll feel valued and appreciated. If you're enthusiastic, team-oriented, and ready to build a career with us, we'd love to meet you.

JOB SUMMARY:
The Culinary Operations Puesto Team Leader position is responsible for managing all day-to-day Puesto operations within the Store. Plans, directs & organizes all Puesto activities, optimizing and ensuring that all food offerings are served to our guests with the highest degree of quality and excellence in execution. Ensures conformance with service and hospitality standards, food safety standards, quality requirement standards, nutrition standards, and labor/productivity standards.

This position is accountable for the day-to-day management of the Puesto’s food production activities across multiple shifts and departments to produce products that meet established quality requirement standards, guest service standards, food safety standards, sanitation standards, and operational performance standards consistent with labor/productive standards and policies and procedure standards that are in line with Northgate work and behavioral standards. This position requires continuous improvement in operations, discipline and rigor, quality oversight and guest satisfaction. This leader must effectively work with other store departments to manage cost and labor through planning, organization, and scheduling to maximize efficiency and work within the budget to optimize Puesto profitability.

Manages and supervises the Puesto’s staff, and Leadership team. Embodies and cares for the Northgate culture and ensures the highest possible Guest satisfaction. Oversees the daily operations and performance of assigned production and prepared foods departments, ensuring excellence in quality, service, and execution.

This Leader must be cordial, respectful and cooperative with outside Prepared Foods Partners. Works closely and diligently with them to help resolve any challenges within the store that may disrupt Guest satisfaction. This position reports directly to the Store Team Leader and will work under limited supervision.

This Leader must maintain a positive work environment and ensures fair and consistent treatment of all associates. Demonstrates care and compassion for people; shows empathy and concern. Set a positive example of the company values and excellent guest service and hospitality. Exemplifies the desired culture, values and philosophies of Northgate: Servant Leadership, Hard Work, Respect, Loyalty, Unity, Innovation, Communication, Openness, Objectivity, Education, Humility, Trust & Honesty.

• ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES :
• Manage day-to-day operation of all puestos. Plans and approves all production prep lists of each department and ensures that are rigorously executed.
• Ensures production plans are being followed throughout the day and week.
• Ensure that each Puesto’s efficiencies and productivity are achieved at the highest levels for both products and people (shrink, gross profit, and earned hours).
• Executes pre-operational inspections prior to shift on all puestos and ensures that each area is in optimum operational condition. Records daily inspections.
• Rigorously maintains integrity on all recipes and ensures execution as per written procedures. Works closely with Category Management and the Culinary Team on any changes.
• Oversees budget, sales expectations, financial sales, and sales goals.
• Create a guest obsessed culture of service and hospitality in each Puesto.
• Upholds company’s core values, enforces company policies, and ensures compliance with all local, state, and federal laws.
• Establishes service and food safety processes and acts as the process authority in all Puestos.
• Creates, maintains & executes associates shift scheduling for Each Puesto.
• Collaborate and communicate with Mercado support staff.
• Ensures all processes meet company’s specification requirements and minimizes risk to the company.
• Responsible for executing the Food Safety-Quality Assurance programs and meeting or exceeding Industry Standards.
• Awareness of and interaction with puesto partners – excellent communication between puesto partners and Northgate
• Provide an engaging, issue-free work environment for associates
• Oversight of Northgate proprietary products and recipes.
• Oversee Food safety compliance and regulatory standards.
• Responsible for maintaining a qualified and productive staff to meet demands of the guests.
• Participates in the store management team meetings.
• Develop and monitor a continuous improvement methodology directed at improving performance in the Puesto’s, including guest experience, speed of service, productivity, quality, safety, attendance, sanitation, yields and cost reduction/control.
• Responsible for overseeing the development, implementation, and maintenance of Standard Operating Procedures within the Puestos. (SOP’s) .
• Communicates / coordinates staffing and training requirements with Human Resources for labor scheduling, forecasting, and reduction in force requirements, ensuring operating requirements are met effectively and efficiently promotes and maintains positive relationships among all levels of management and employees.
• Responsible for the safety and well-being of Puesto associates.
• Responsible to keep all puestos in optimum sanitary conditions and ensures that all SOP’s are executed as planned.
• C ooperate with the Category Teams and the R &D department to execute all new products and ensure clear communication with associates and guests when appropriate.
• Performs other duties as required.

• Drives Engagement - Creating a climate where people are motivated to do their best to help the organization achieve its objectives.
• Collaborates - Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Drives Results - Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances.
• Decision Quality - Making good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward.
• Courage - Stepping up to address difficult issues, saying what needs to be said.
• College degree or diploma
• Working proficiency in computer skills and Microsoft products
• 8+ years of relevant experience in a management position
• Manager’s food safety certification
• Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment.

• In depth knowledge on Food and beverage and Hospitality.
• Strong guest service experience
• Builds effective teams and drives engagement
• Communicates clearly and concisely
• Strong critical thinking
• Must have strong leadership skills.
• Must have good mentoring skills.
• Strong preference is given to applicants who have completed the WAFC Retail Management Certificate Program (RMCP).

The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Some requirements may be modified to accommodate individuals with disabilities:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; stand; and use the hands to handle, finger, or feel objects, tools or controls;
• The employee must frequently walk, talk or hear, and reach with the hands and arms; occasionally, the employee must crouch or kneel;
• The employee must occasionally exert or lift up to _25_ pounds carrying boxes of records and forms and frequently exert or lift moderate amounts of weight;
• Successful performance requires specific vision abilities that include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
• The job requires the ability to travel.

The job duties, elements, responsibilities, skills, functions, experience, educational factors, and the requirements and conditions listed in this job description are representative only and not exhaustive of the tasks that an employee may be required to perform. The Employer reserves the right to revise this job description at any time and to require employees to perform other tasks as circumstances or conditions of its business or the work environment change.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification document form upon hire.

Northgate Markets will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (Ban the Box Law).

Pay rate: $80K - 100K

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.