Chef - Franklin Square

Chef – Hourly (K-12 & Residential Food Service)

Fuel Young Minds with Every Meal!

Are you passionate about cooking and looking for a job that aligns with your life? Join our school nutrition team as a Chef and help prepare fresh, nutritious meals that give students the energy to learn and thrive!

Position Summary:

The Chef supports daily kitchen operations for K-12 school and residential dining accounts by preparing high-quality meals, following standardized recipes, and maintaining strict food safety and sanitation standards. This role works under the direction of the Chef Manager or General Manager in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.

Key Responsibilities:

• Prepare and cook menu items according to standardized recipes and production schedules
• Ensure compliance with USDA school nutrition guidelines (K-12 accounts) and client standards (residential accounts)
• Maintain proper food temperatures, labeling, dating, and storage
• Assist with meal service, serving lines, and special events
• Follow HACCP, food safety, and sanitation procedures at all times
• Maintain clean, organized workstations and kitchen equipment
• Support inventory control, product rotation (FIFO), and waste reduction
• Work collaboratively to ensure timely, efficient meal service

Work Environment:

• Commercial kitchen setting
• Fast-paced, team-oriented environment
• May include early mornings, evenings, weekends, or school-year schedules (for K-12 accounts)

Why Join Us?

• Competitive pay + opportunities for growth

About Us:

At Whitsons, we believe food has the power to transform a school day. Our cooks are everyday heroes who prepare meals that nourish bodies and minds. Join us and bring your heart to the kitchen where it matters most.

Apply today and help cook up a brighter future—at Whitsons our mission is Enhancing Life One Meal at a Time™.

$22 per hour

Required Qualifications and

Competencies:

Qualifications:

• Prior cooking experience required; institutional or high-volume food service preferred
• Knowledge of food safety, sanitation, and basic culinary techniques
• Ability to follow recipes, portion standards, and production records

Education:

• High school graduate or equivalent.
• Must complete all Whitsons and government required training as necessary
• Certifications:
• Serv Safe certification
• Local food safety certification, if required in jurisdiction of employment.

Other Qualifications, Experience and

Competencies:

• Ability to speak and read English in order to understand and perform job assignments.
• Must be proficient in recipe procedures and cooking techniques.
• 1 year professional culinary experience required
• Always present a positive and professional image.

Physical Demands of the Job:

• Sit, walk, talk and hear
• Use hands and fingers to feel, handle, or operate objects, tools, or controls and reach with hands and arms.
• Be standing on feet majority of the workday in addition to walking back and forth.
• Lift and/or move up to 40 pounds. Lifting while turning side to side is sometimes necessary.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment:

• The work is performed primarily in the kitchen and on the serving line
• Standing most of the work day is required.
• Work requires movement in and out of store rooms, near ovens and freezers
• Exposure to extreme temperatures (hot and cold) due to cooking and refrigeration equipment.
• The noise level in the work environment is moderate to loud.

The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work and duties that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position, and Whitsons reserves the right to add additional duties or modify existing duties.

The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between Whitsons and team member and is subject to change by Whitsons as the needs of Whitsons and requirements of the job change.