Cluster Manager

Cluster Manager – Cloud Kitchen Operations
Oct 21, 2026 · @Dilfoods
The Cluster Manager runs day-to-day operations for a group of Dil Foods cloud kitchens and owns their food quality, hygiene, cost and on-time delivery.
Role
Cluster Manager – Cloud Kitchen Operations
Reports to
City Head
Location
[City] – field role, daily kitchen visits
Cluster size
[5–8] cloud kitchens
Direct reports
Kitchen Managers; indirectly all kitchen staff, including KSTs, in the cluster
Employment
Full-time
About the role
Dil Foods runs a multi-brand cloud kitchen network across Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Mumbai and Delhi, including brands such as Bhole Ke Chole, Bihari Bowl, Dil Daily, House of Andhra, Khichdi Bar and Thali Culture, plus FreshMenu.
As Cluster Manager, you are the single point of ownership for every kitchen in your cluster. You make sure each kitchen opens on time, cooks to SOP, passes hygiene checks, controls food cost and wastage, and keeps delivery-platform ratings high. You spend most of your day on the kitchen floor, not at a desk.
Key responsibilities
Kitchen operations
Visit every kitchen in the cluster on a set schedule, and run opening and closing checks.
Make sure kitchens are live on Swiggy and Zomato through all operating hours, with no unplanned downtime or item switch-offs.
Plan manpower and shifts for lunch and dinner peaks, including second-shift cleaning cover.
Fix equipment, gas, power and water issues quickly, working with maintenance vendors.
Food quality and SOP compliance
Make sure every brand's recipes, portion sizes and plating SOPs are followed.
Run regular taste and portion audits, and close gaps with retraining.
Track customer complaints and low ratings by item, and fix the root cause.
Hygiene and food safety
Hold kitchens to FSSAI and Dil Foods hygiene standards every day: stations, floors, drains, wash area, cold storage and waste.
Run unannounced hygiene audits, and check closing photos every day.
Keep FSSAI licences, pest-control records and medical certificates up to date.
Inventory and cost control
Own food cost, wastage and stock accuracy for each kitchen.
Review daily indents, FIFO, expiry and storage.
Run weekly stock counts and explain any variance.
People
Hire, onboard and train Kitchen Managers, chefs, helpers and KSTs, working with HR.
Manage rosters, attendance, leave and staff-room provisions.
Coach Kitchen Managers, review their performance, and build a bench for new kitchens.
Reporting and launches
Send daily and weekly reports to the City Head on sales, ratings, food cost, hygiene and manpower.
Support new kitchen and brand launches in the cluster, from setup and trials to go-live.
How success is measured
KPI
What it covers
Platform ratings
Average Swiggy and Zomato rating per brand and kitchen
Kitchen uptime
Share of operating hours each kitchen is live, with no item switch-offs
Food cost and wastage
Actual vs. standard food cost %, and wastage % of sales
Hygiene audit score
Monthly audit score, and the number of failed checks
Complaints
Order complaints per 1,000 orders: quality, missing items, delays
Kitchen prep time
Average time from order acceptance to handover
People
Attendance, attrition and open positions filled on time
Targets for each KPI are set with the City Head at joining.
What we're looking for
Must have
4–7 years in QSR, cloud kitchen or restaurant operations, with at least 2 years managing several outlets.
Hands-on knowledge of kitchen SOPs, FSSAI hygiene norms, and inventory and food-cost control.
Experience running kitchens on Swiggy and Zomato, including ratings, menu availability and complaint handling.
A track record of leading teams of 30+ staff, including hiring and training.
Comfortable with Excel or Google Sheets and daily reporting.
Willing to be on the floor during peak hours, and to work weekends and festivals when needed.
Has a two-wheeler and can travel across the city every day.
Speaks Hindi and English; the local language is a plus.
Good to have
Experience with multi-brand or central-kitchen models.
Experience opening new kitchens or outlets.
A degree or diploma in Hotel Management.
What we offer
Ownership of a multi-brand cluster in one of India's fastest-growing cloud kitchen networks.
Competitive salary , plus a performance incentive linked to the cluster's KPIs.
A travel allowance for daily kitchen visits.
A clear path to City Head as the network expands into new cities and brands.

Work arrangement
No