Ray Oropeza

Ray Oropeza

Commis de cuisine, Guarniciones y pre-cocina

Followers of Ray Oropeza240 followers
location of Ray OropezaArvada, Colorado, United States

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  • Timeline

  • About me

    Director of Operations

  • Education

    • Le Cordon Bleu Peru

      2010 - 2012
      Cuisine / Molecular Gastronomy Classic French technique with a secondary emphasis on Peruvian cuisine

      Activities and Societies: Class elected representative, main coordinator for various events, independent consultant for commercial food packaging and restaurants, and event catering. Primary diploma: CuisineLearned and applied new culinary techniques currently in use.In depth study of French, Peruvian and International cuisine.Instruction and operation of all machines and serving utensils in the kitchen.Planned, organized and directed the operation of a kitchen, production facilities, and hotels.Learned to determine the cost of raw materials and their impact on the price of the finished products.Ensured safety of the food chain.Refined and… Show more Primary diploma: CuisineLearned and applied new culinary techniques currently in use.In depth study of French, Peruvian and International cuisine.Instruction and operation of all machines and serving utensils in the kitchen.Planned, organized and directed the operation of a kitchen, production facilities, and hotels.Learned to determine the cost of raw materials and their impact on the price of the finished products.Ensured safety of the food chain.Refined and optimized the use of raw materials.Studied G,M.P. (Good Manufacturing Practices).Studied and implemented HACCP programs.Secondary diploma: Molecular GastronomyTechniques studied:Sous Vide Deconstruction Spherification and GelificationInternships:6 months at Restaurante Central (Ranked in Worlds 50 Best)4 months at Restaurante Wallqa (completion of which was part of diploma)Stage at Cyrus (2 Michelin stars) Show less

  • Experience

    • Restaurante Central

      Oct 2010 - Apr 2011
      Commis de cuisine, Guarniciones y pre-cocina

      Rated #50 in the World's 50 Best restaurants.Worked and studied under Chef Virgilio MartinezAssisted each station Mise en place for dinner service and events

    • Restaurante Wallqa

      Aug 2011 - Dec 2011
      Chef de Partie

      Worked and studied under Chef Marc Dallard.Chef de partie for each station: saucier, rotisseur entremetier, patissier, garde manger on a rotational basis.Mise en place for lunch and dinner service Preparation for events.

    • One Market Restaurant

      Feb 2012 - Mar 2012
      Line Cook

      1 Michelin starred restaurant.Mise en place for banquets of up to 500 people.Assisted Sous Chef for events.Assisted various line cooks for dinner service.

    • Alive & Radiant Foods

      May 2012 - Sept 2013
      Production Manager

      Production Management: Hired and trained 35 + staff.Improved and simplified production by quantifying methods.Increased efficiency by identifying and implementing new machinery and protocols. Increased yields by 38% production while maintaining minimum increase in labor hours. Improved products aspects by working with head Chef.Quality Control Supervision:Contributed to new product development process of healthy, organic, vegetable-based snacks by improving flavor, texture, color, aroma, and packaging.Maintained organic and gluten free certifications.Facilities Management:Upgraded facility with contractors. Show less

    • Project Juice

      Oct 2013 - Aug 2014
      Production Manager

      Hiring, training and scheduling staff.Involved in monitoring and improving quality control.Quadrupled production while decreasing labor hours. Modifying existing while creating new methods of production. Identified and implemented new machinery. Created new and improved existing flavor profiles.Assisted in daily production.Quantified data and processes for increased production. Trained and scheduled staff.Improved flavor profiles by maintaining consistency.

    • Naked Edge Snacks

      Dec 2014 - Jun 2020
      Production Manager

      Helped create and maintain entire production process.Facilitated production from co-packer to independent facility. Created and implemented programs for safety, quality and efficiency. (HACCP, GMPs, SOPs, SSOPs)Maintained entire staff. Hiring, training, onboarding new personnel via electronic HR/Payroll services. Worked with CEO with to maintain raw materials to maintain consistent production. Scaled daily production from 9600 units to 34,560 units.Participated in food safety audits, local and national inspections. Maintained compliance for national distributors and grocers. Scaled product from initial concept to 30K + units. Worked in shared facility building community with other growing food production companies. Proficient with Dryer Mackenzie commercial dehydrator. Proficient with dehydrating multiple food profiles. Show less

    • Natural Food Works, LLC

      Jun 2020 - May 2021
      Quality Assurance Manager

      Naked Edge Snacks vertically integrated with Natural Food Works, LLC.Assumed new role overseeing the QMS system with emphasis on Organic, Gluten Free, Kosher and Non-GMO compliance at a facility and individual client level. Continuous process of identifying, updating and fixing outdated QMS system.Prepared for annual SQF audit. Achieved a 6% higher SQF audit score than previous year.Maintained compliance through various portals for certifications, distributors, grocery chains. Worked on implementing Naked Edge Snacks dryer line into existing facility. Show less

    • MenuTrinfo

      May 2021 - Feb 2022
      Senior Manager of Quality Assurance

      Maintained and updated standards and certification schemes.Developed new schemes and standards, such as Vegan and Paleo, and coordinated their implementation.Coordinated, recruited and maintained the Impartiality Board.Coordinated, recruited and maintained the Standards Committee.Worked with ANAB on maintenance of ISO 17065 accreditation.Developed and maintain auditor training.Maintained logs on client questions, complaints and concerns.Worked with accreditation team on regular internal audits.Researched and reviewed available test kits and maintain our approved list.Acted as the reviewer and/or decision maker for all external audits.Conducted onsite and virtual audits with university and CPG clients.Developed and maintain procedural documentation for certification activities.Assisted clients with any technical questions.Maintained and update criteria for the internal database.Worked with fulfillment and/or development teams on ongoing QA efforts.Maintained corrective and preventive action log for all projects.Created and implemented workflow boards to collaborate and keep open lines of communication with within different departments.Worked on creating a national network of independent auditors. Show less

    • Lord Jameson

      Mar 2022 - May 2024
      Director of Operations

      Planning and analyticsAssist with forecasting Reducing stagnant inventory from 3-6 months down to 2-3 weeks Streamlining operational schedule based on forecasting Plant design, equipment and layoutProduction Procurement and FulfillmentEnsure food safetyEnsure employee safety & OSHAWrite and train SOPsCreating structure and system for SQF compliance.Restructuring and streamlining of production team, process flow Reorganizing and streamlining Fishbowl inventory softwareResearch and developmentStaffingHiring, building and empowering staff to take ownership of not only their roles, but of the entire facilityBuild inbound and outbound customer relationsInventoryEnsure raw material goods inventory meets forecastsReduction of finished goods carrying costs by 75%Financial Budget development and reportingCOGs reduction and reportingRegulatoryEnsure compliance and building relations with all regulatory groupsAdministrationKPI ReportingAnalyzing current data to forecast potential products Show less

  • Licenses & Certifications

    • Komatsu Forklift Operator certification

      Alive & Radiant Foods
      Jul 2013
    • HACCP (Food Safety) Auditor

      International HACCP Alliance
    • ServSafe food handlers certification

      Premier Food Safety
      Jan 2014