Executive Steward

Job Responsibilities
Stewarding Operations

Lead daily stewarding operations in alignment with company standards, client expectations, food safety requirements, and operational needs.

Supervise and direct utility, porter, dishwashing, stewarding, and assigned sanitation support team members.

Schedule and allocate coverage across shifts, service periods, catering events, and operational peaks in accordance with company policy and applicable labor agreements.

Manage warewashing, pot washing, dish room flow, smallwares availability, and service readiness.

Ensure back-of-house areas, dish rooms, kitchens, docks, trash rooms, storage areas, service corridors, and support areas remain clean, organized, safe, and inspection-ready.

Sanitation and Food Safety

Establish, execute, and verify a Master Sanitation Schedule for daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly cleaning.

Ensure deep cleaning is completed for heavy kitchen equipment, floors, drains, walls, dish machines, ice machines, service areas, and related equipment.

Support food safety and sanitation programs, including HACCP-based practices where applicable.

Conduct routine inspections of sanitation, equipment, chemical, waste, and facility conditions.

Chemical, PPE, and Waste Management

Monitor chemical inventory, storage, labeling, SDS access, dispensing systems, dilution ratios, PPE use, and safe handling practices.

Partner with approved chemical vendors to support compliance, training, cost control, and proper product use.

Direct waste, recycling, composting, dock cleanliness, trash room standards, and disposal area readiness.

Monitor par levels for smallwares, cleaning tools, PPE, chemicals, trash liners, and stewarding supplies; communicate shortages, breakage, or replacement needs.

Documentation, Audits, and Equipment

Maintain documentation for sanitation schedules, chemical checks, dish machine logs, ice machine cleani ng, training, inspections, corrective actions, and equipment concerns.

Support health department inspections, client inspections, third-party audits, internal audits, and corrective action follow-up.

Submit and follow up on work orders for equipment or facility issues impacting sanitation, safety, or service readiness.

People Leadership and Partnership

Monitor labor productivity, attendance, timekeeping, staffing levels, and schedule adherence; escalate concerns as needed.

Train, coach, document performance concerns, support performance evaluations, and recommend corrective action in partnership with management, HR, and Labor Relations where applicable.

Partner with Culinary, Operations, Facilities, HR, Safety/Risk, Labor Relations, vendors, and client-facing leaders to resolve issues and improve service readiness.

Promote accountability, urgency, teamwork, safety, sanitation discipline, and operational pride within the stewarding team.

Performance Expectations
Success in this role may be measured by sanitation readiness, completion of the Master Sanitation Schedule, audit and inspection outcomes, dish room efficiency, equipment readiness, labor productivity, overtime control, chemical compliance, PPE compliance, supply and par control, waste management execution, timely issue escalation, and reduction of repeat sanitation or service-readiness concerns.

Qualifications
Experience in stewarding, sanitation, hospitality, or related operations preferred.
Minimum 5 years of prior supervisory experience preferred.
Knowledge of sanitation, chemical handling, PPE, and back-of-house operations.
Strong communication, organization, and follow-up skills.
Ability to work in a fast-paced, team environment.
Food safety certification or ability to obtain one.

Education and Experience

High school diploma or GED required.
Associate’s degree or coursework in Hospitality, Culinary Arts, Food Service Management, Facilities Management, Safety, Sanitation, or a related field preferred.
Equivalent experience in stewarding, sanitation, food service operations, hospitality, facilities, or related operational leadership may be considered.
Prior experience supervising or directing stewarding, utility, porter, sanitation, dish room, or back-of-house support teams preferred.
Experience working in a union property or labor-managed environment preferred.
Certifications and Training
NYC Food Protection Certificate, ServSafe Manager Certification, or equivalent food safety certification required or must be obtained within the company-designated timeframe.
Chemical safety, Hazard Communication, PPE, sanitation, and company-required safety training must be completed as required by company, client, or regulatory standards.
Additional certifications or training may be required based on accounts, client, regulatory, or company requirements.
Required Competencies
Operational leadership and daily execution
Strong sanitation and food safety discipline
Sense of urgency and service readiness
Team supervision, coaching, and accountability
Clear communication and professional follow-up
Documentation accuracy and attention to detail
Labor awareness and ability to operate within applicable collective bargaining agreements
Problem-solving and issue escalation
Vendor coordination and service follow-up
Safety mindset and PPE compliance
Inventory, par control, and cost awareness
Ability to remain calm, organized, and effective in a fast-paced, high-volume environment
Physical Requirements and Work Environment
Ability to stand, walk, lift, and move throughout the shift.
Work in kitchen, dish room, dock, and other demanding environments.
Use PPE and follow safe work practices.
Flexible schedule, including mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Technology and Systems
Ability to use company systems and workplace technology to support scheduling, timekeeping, communication, documentation, task tracking, operational follow-up, and reporting. Systems may include MyWorkLife, Kronos, Microsoft Outlook 365, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Office, Smartsheet, Copilot, and other company-approved tools used for scheduling, timekeeping review, work orders, sanitation documentation, training records, audit follow-up, inventory tracking, and operational communication.

Reasonable Accommodations
Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the role, in accordance with applicable law and company policy.

Decision Making Authority
The Executive Steward may provide daily directions, assign work within operational needs, monitor productivity, inspect work areas, document concerns, escalate issues, support performance evaluations, and recommend corrective action in partnership with management, HR, and Labor Relations where applicable.

The role does not independently approve terminations, final corrective actions, wage changes, job classifications, permanent schedule changes, overtime outside established approval processes, or actions requiring HR/Labor Relations review.