Basecamp Cook

Position Summary

This is a seasonal position that begins in late spring and typically ends in late summer or mid‑fall, as determined by the needs of our programs. A kitchen position at Homeplace, our basecamp just outside of Ely, MN, offers opportunities for culinary adventures paired with summer at the lake. Kitchen staff are responsible for daily food‑related planning and preparation, supply management, and kitchen cleanliness.

The kitchen is the heart of the basecamp and strives to support a positive and collaborative environment for this Outward Bound site.

On‑the‑job training early in the season encompasses instruction and skills assessment by the Kitchen Manager to ensure kitchen staff are able to adequately fulfill duties and meet volume needs. Working as a team, the kitchen staff are then expected to execute food service and support related sanitation functions while adhering to a strong foundation of safety guidelines and community values to provide nutritious and satisfying meals to our staff and students.

The MN basecamp kitchen is a fully functioning commercial kitchen and supports a wide range of dietary options. We accommodate core meat, vegetarian, and vegan diets, as well as many food allergies and intolerances, through ingenuity and home‑style cooking. Our kitchen operates in compliance with Lake County Public Health and the Minnesota Department of Health.

• Plan and execute homemade, creative, practical, and nutritious lunches and dinners.
• Plan and execute meals for special events and student course needs.
• Accommodate food allergies and special needs safely, reasonably and economically.

Management

• Oversee equipment functionality and request repair as needed.
• Oversee potentially unskilled support staff.
• Regularly support supply orders and oversee deliveries.
• Submit all financial documents to ensure prompt payment of vendors.

Cleanliness and Sanitation

• Support and enforce cooking‑ and dining‑related chore functions.
• Clean kitchen components as per a weekly cleaning schedule.
• Restock cleaning supplies and related items.
• Perform with high standards of personal hygiene and health code compliance.

Other Duties as Assigned

• Knowledge of cooking for large groups, nutrition, alternative diets, and food safety preferred.
• Strong mathematical abilities, particularly in multiplication, volume conversions and percentages.
• Strong organizational abilities, particularly in terms of timing and prioritizing.
• Strong personal motivation, initiative, efficiency and commitment.
• Flexibility and ability to follow directions in an often fast‑paced environment.

• Problem Solving – The ability to identify problems and use sound judgment to generate and evaluate and implement effective solutions.
• Communication – The ability to clearly convey ideas, facts, and information in a variety of settings (1:1, small groups, large groups) using different mediums (written vs. verbal) effectively taking into account the makeup of the audience while encouraging the open expression of ideas and opinions.
• Collaboration – The ability to work with people from different backgrounds, communities, lived experiences and cultures to effectively meet shared goals.
• Accountability – The ability to hold self and others accountable; meets commitments consistently.
• Conflict Management – The ability to manage and resolve conflict productively and with minimal negative impact by integrating a diversity of viewpoints, find compromise, or identify acceptable alternatives.
• Continual Learning – Openness to feedback and ability to deliver constructive feedback to self and others.
• Self Management – The ability to set well‑defined and realistic personal goals, take on and complete assignments in a timely manner, and complete work with minimal supervision.

• Must be able to participate in all kitchen functions and maintain ample energy, strength and focus to tasks at hand, with or without reasonable accommodations.
• Standing for the majority of eight‑to‑ten‑hour days on a hard surface.
• Tolerating long days in a hot kitchen.

• Ability to lift and carry a…