Instructor - Culinary Arts

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Regular Full-Time Service Montclair, CA, US

Salary Range: $24.00 To $25.44 Hourly

The OPARC Mission

OPARC believes that all individuals deserve the human right to be valued members of society regardless of their intelligence or physical capabilities. OPARC exists to make training, employment, and social opportunities available and to be the champion for thousands of people with disabilities in Southern California.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Title: INSTRUCTOR- CULINARY ARTS

General Statement of Function:

The Instructor of Culinary Arts will oversee the design, implementation, and delivery of culinary arts programming while providing operational oversight across two distinct kitchen environments: the facility kitchen, which prepares breakfast and lunch orders through a Supported Employment Group, and the Creative Arts instructional kitchen, which focuses on culinary education and skill development. The role combines adaptive culinary instruction, person-centered support, food service operations, safety, quality, and workforce readiness to promote participant independence, confidence, creativity, and employment-related skills.

Essential Functions:

The Instructor will use adaptive teaching methodologies to provide inclusive, hands-on culinary instruction aligned with person-centered goals and diverse learning needs. The role includes curriculum development, mentorship, staff training, direct instruction, and operational leadership across both kitchen environments. The Instructor will provide overall direct care and participant engagement while ensuring safe, efficient, and high-quality culinary operations.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop and implement adaptable culinary arts curricula for varied skill levels, learning styles, communication needs, and culinary interests, including cooking, baking, nutrition, food presentation, kitchen safety, and employment-readiness skills.
• Align culinary instruction with person-centered plans and provide individualized teaching, feedback, and support that promotes independence, confidence, creativity, vocational growth, and safe culinary practices.
• Lead culinary classes, demonstrations, workshops, and hands-on learning experiences using adaptive teaching methods; provide 75% or more overall direct care through instruction, coaching, engagement, and participant support.
• Maintain schedules for classes, kitchen activities, production needs, and special events, using sound judgment to support participant engagement, health, and safety.
• Contribute to person-centered planning and participant progress reviews in collaboration with the Program Manager, Case Manager, interdisciplinary team, and other appropriate staff.
• Oversee the Creative Arts kitchen as an instructional environment focused on culinary knowledge, practical skills, creativity, independence, and employment readiness.
• Oversee facility-kitchen food service operations, including menu planning, workflow, food preparation and production standards, quality, sanitation, inventory, cost control, and order fulfillment.
• Coordinate with the assigned Job Coach in the facility kitchen; the Job Coach retains direct supervision and support of Supported Employment Group participants, while the Culinary Arts Instructor remains responsible for culinary operations, production standards, food quality, and kitchen requirements.
• Develop and maintain menus, standardized recipes, recipe cards, training guides, and visual or adaptive instructional materials; organize realistic workstations that reflect industry standards and individual strengths and abilities.
• Train participants and assigned staff in food handling, sanitation, kitchen safety, and proper use and care of equipment.
• Ensure compliance with County Department of Public Health requirements and standards necessary to support an 'A' grade; provide food safety training to Culinary Arts participants and prepare/support eligible participants in obtaining required Food Handler's Cards.
• Monitor culinary activities and food production for safe work practices, consistent quality, appropriate portion control, and adherence to established recipes and standards.
• Manage inventory and timely ordering of food, supplies, equipment, and cleaning products while implementing waste-reduction and cost-control strategies; operate and/or oversee the Point-of-Sale…