Fish Cutter Specialist

Fish Cutter Specialist

Location: Chicago, IL

Employment Type: Full-Time (35-40 hours)

About OMAKAI

OMAKAI is a traditional sushi restaurant with one aim: to be known for blowing people's minds. Everything we do rests on three guarantees: warm rice for contrast, crispy nori for texture, and kind service. Every guest, every visit.

We serve high-quality traditional sushi at an accessible price, and we are growing across South Florida and expanding to other cities nationally with our full-service restaurants and hand roll bars. We aim to hold ourselves to a five-star hotel standard in a casual dining room, which means the details matter here more than they do in most restaurants.

We treat every guest with genuine kindness and focus heavily on execution. Our team runs on accountability, reliability, and doing what we say we will do.

Position Overview

We are looking for a Fish Cutter to join our commissary. Knife experience and fish handling experience are preferred, and we will train you on our cut specifications and our standards. Japanese or sushi restaurant experience is a plus but not required.

This seat owns two things: processing fish and packaging it for distribution. You break down, clean, and portion fish to our cut specifications with proper handling, temperature control, and hygiene, then package every portion accurately with correct labeling, sealing, and storage so each restaurant receives exactly what it ordered. Nothing you cut is served where you can see it, which is the hardest part of the job and the reason it matters: every piece you portion ends up on a guest's plate at one of our locations. We are looking for someone with precise, consistent knife work who takes pride in a clean cut and a well packed order, and who brings high standards to every batch.

Responsibilities

Process Fish

• Break down, clean, and portion fish in accordance with OMAKAI's cut specifications and quality standards
• Hold proper handling, temperature control, and hygiene throughout the process
• Portion to exact specification so every piece is consistent from the first batch to the last
• Work efficiently when volume spikes without cutting corners on specification or hygiene
• Flag fish that is past its window immediately rather than letting it move down the line

Package Fish

• Package portioned fish accurately for distribution to our restaurant locations
• Label every package correctly, and seal and store it to standard
• Maintain output quality and consistency across every batch
• Check each order against what the location requested before it ships
• Flag a labeling error right away rather than letting it ship

Every Shift

• Show up ready and keep cutting and packaging on schedule so locations get what they need on time
• Follow our cut specifications and standard operating procedures exactly, on every batch, every shift
• Communicate a shortfall to the Warehouse Manager early rather than at the end of the run
• Complete opening, running, and closing cleaning, and store product properly
• Minimize waste of product and supplies
• Handle food safely and follow all company, federal, state, and local health and safety requirements
• Help a teammate on the line when your own work is caught up

Qualifications

• Knife and fish handling experience preferred, and we will train you on our cut specifications
• SafeServe, allergy compliance, and sexual harassment prevention certifications required, and all can be obtained during training. We cover the cost of the sexual harassment prevention certificate
• Able to learn and memorize our cut specifications in detail, including portion sizes and handling requirements for each species
• Comfortable following a specification and a process exactly, every time
• Able to maintain both quality and speed through a heavy production run
• Strong attention to detail, particularly with labeling, dating, and rotation
• Communicates well with teammates and the Warehouse Manager
• Available for early mornings and weekends as production requires
• Reliable transportation to and from the commissary
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States

Working Conditions

• Indoor commissary and warehouse environment that handles fish, seafood, vegetables, fruits, wheat products, rice, dry seaweed, sauces, and many other food and beverage products
• This role involves regular contact with fish, shellfish, wheat, sesame, and other allergens in an enclosed space. All candidates must be able to perform the essential functions of the role, with or without a reasonable accommodation
• Work in a cold environment for extended periods, including walk-in and cold storage access
• Constant work around sharp knives and raw seafood, including cold and wet product
• Standing for long periods, with some bending and kneeling to reach product, containers, and supplies
• Moderate lifting, up to 50 pounds
• Maneuvering between workstations, production equipment, and corners

Characteristics We Value

• Precise, and your cuts hold to specification batch after batch
• Reliable, and your production stays on schedule so locations get what they need on time
• Detail-oriented, and you catch a labeling or dating error before it ships
• Disciplined with temperature, hygiene, and handling, even when volume climbs
• Calm, and you keep a focused station through a heavy production run
• Genuinely kind, and you help a teammate when your own work is caught up
• Honest, and you flag product that is past its window instead of letting it move
• Team first, and you understand that every piece you cut ends up on a guest's plate

Core Values

• You cut every order as if it were going to someone you care about. You help a teammate on the line when your own work is caught up.
• Be Reliable. You show up ready and keep cutting and packaging on schedule so every location gets what it needs on time.
• Blowing Minds. You break down and portion fish to exact specification with proper handling and temperature, and you package and label every order accurately.
• Make It Happen. When volume spikes, you work efficiently without cutting corners, and you communicate a shortfall to the Warehouse Manager early.
• No Drama. You keep a calm, focused station even during heavy production runs. Gossip has no place at OMAKAI, and the best idea wins no matter who it comes from.
• Build Trust. You flag fish that is past its window or a labeling error immediately rather than letting it ship.

This May Not Be the Right Fit If

• You think this is just cutting fish and does not affect the restaurants
• You do not want to own cut specifications, hygiene, and temperature control
• You do not want to own accurate packaging and labeling
• You take no pride in a clean cut or a well packed order, and you are looking to get through the shift
• Your specification, hygiene, or packaging slips once volume climbs
• You would let a questionable piece or a mislabeled package ship rather than flag it
• You bring negativity, gossip, or dark energy into the commissary

Compensation & Benefits

• $20 to $25 per hour, determined by a skill test
• All benefits mandated by the City of Chicago, including paid sick leave under the Chicago Paid Leave and Paid Sick and Safe Leave Ordinance
• 50% meal discount while working
• 25% meal discount when dining with us as a guest on your own time
• Medical benefits
• A dedicated onboarding and training program

Equal Opportunity Employer

OMAKAI is an equal opportunity employer. This employer must notify all applicants of their rights under federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.