Ground-Floor Leadership Opportunity | General Manager Development Path CERA is looking for an experienced culinary leader who is ready to grow beyond managing a kitchen and learn how to lead an entire restaurant business. This is not an Executive Chef role, a menu-development position, or a traditional Assistant Manager job. It is an opportunity to work directly alongside CERA's founder, help strengthen our Portland operation, and develop toward a General Manager position as the company grows. Who We're Looking For You have a strong culinary foundation and meaningful experience leading people in a quality-driven kitchen. You may currently be a Kitchen Manager, Sous Chef, Production Manager, Kitchen Supervisor, or another talented culinary operator who is ready for a broader leadership path.

You understand:

Scratch production and disciplined execution Kitchen organization, cleanliness, and urgency Coaching, accountability, and leading by example The importance of consistency and established standards How to earn trust while working alongside a team You do not need to be an Executive Chef, but you must have enough culinary depth and leadership experience to credibly guide a sophisticated production operation. The Opportunity You will begin by learning CERA through the kitchen—mastering our food, production systems, recipes, quality standards, and operating philosophy. That is not because this is ultimately a kitchen-management position. It is because we believe every CERA General Manager must deeply understand the food and product they are responsible for protecting. As you become aligned with the founders and demonstrate command of the operation, your responsibilities will expand into: Hiring, training, and developing people Coaching and performance accountability Scheduling and labor management Inventory, purchasing, and food-cost control Guest experience and service leadership Financial performance Daily restaurant operations Building systems that support future locations Our intention is to develop the right person into a General Manager on a relatively short-term path as CERA expands. What This Role Is—and Is Not CERA's menus, recipes, and culinary philosophy are already established. This is not a culinary creative role built around developing your own menu or imposing a personal cooking style. We are looking for someone who wants to master and protect an existing brand, improve how its standards are executed, develop exceptional teams, and learn how to run the business behind the food. Ideas are encouraged. Continuous improvement is expected. Changes are evaluated transparently and adopted as shared CERA standards—not made independently according to individual preference. The right person has learned how to lead a kitchen and are now ready to learn how to lead a company. How We Lead CERA is building a flat, high-accountability organization. Leadership here is not about status, titles, or unnecessary layers of management. Our leaders are business operators, coaches, mentors, problem-solvers, and protectors of the food, the guest experience, the team, the culture, and the brand. People may have different roles and levels of responsibility, but everyone is treated as an equal member of the team.

We value:

High standards without ego Leadership through service and example Genuine hospitality toward guests and teammates Clear accountability Curiosity and continuous improvement Commitment to the brand over personal preference Compensation and Benefits Competitive hourly pay based on experience Participation in the shared tip pool Paid time off Employee discount Free gym membership Predictable scheduling Paid training Direct development and mentorship from CERA's founder Defined General Manager development path If you have proven that you can lead a strong kitchen and are ready to grow into a broader business leader, we would like to meet you.

Pay:

$60,000.00 - $67,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Employee discount Paid time off

Work Location:

In person