Chef Lead - Harvest Farm

Description

The Chef Lead is responsible for all kitchen operations, activities, and volunteer services. Each shift will be staffed with a Chef who will focus on food production as well as focus on the volunteer experience through engagement and mobilization. Each facility offers buffet style serving individuals utilizing services in each specific location. During a shift, all chefs will work as a team and help one another as needed.

All chefs must fulfill the respective focus areas based on each shift's needs. The result of all chefs’ efforts should be fulfilling all duties expressed below.

• Plans and executes daily menu in coordination with other chefs, Food Services leadership positions and the Food Distribution Coordinator using donated food from the Ministry Outreach Center while maintaining high quality balanced meals.
• Organizes and monitors buffet style meal service.
• Oversees the preparation of meals by preparing a food prep list that can be executed by all kitchen help including volunteers and program participants.
• Creates a professional, respectful, and teamwork-driven environment where team members and volunteers work together in unison.
• Records numbers of meals served by scanning every meal into Denver Rescue Mission’s database. Reviews meal totals at the end of every shift to ensure accuracy and reports any issues to the Food Services leader.
• Trains program participants in appropriate food handling, preparation, and cooking practices. These practices include appropriate personal hygiene, food preparation, and maintaining working relations with all kitchen help.
• Supervises program participants assigned to the kitchen as part of their Work Readiness, ensuring they are performing tasks determined by the chef on duty.

• Works in cooperation with the Volunteer Services department to host and mobilize volunteers from the community who are onsite for kitchen prep and meal service shifts each day, resulting in an excellent volunteer experience.
• Anticipates and prepares for the volunteers before each volunteer shift by providing a written list of tasks related to meal planning and overseeing the tasks performed by volunteers.
• Provides welcome and orientation for the volunteers at the beginning of each volunteer shift.
• Continuously mobilizes volunteers during their entire shift so that volunteers are engaged and productive.
• Thanks, debriefs, and dismisses volunteers at the end of each volunteer shift.

• Maintains and rotates food storage areas in an organized way, maintains par level and keeps areas free of clutter.
• Accurately records donations that stay at the kitchen facility for use in meal production, which includes weighing all donated items and recording on provided sheets.
• Sends all excess food donations to Denver Rescue Mission’s warehouse daily per health department standards.
• Food is to be served during designated mealtimes at the buffet area only.

• Follows practices of personal hygiene, food handling practices, and proper cleaning and sanitizing methods.
• Maintains daily Denver Rescue Mission’s food safety policies, procedures, and required department logs.
• Maintains proper food rotation and discard any unusable or unwholesome items immediately.
• Ensures that all cleaning schedules are updated daily.

• Standard uniform is a chef coat, long pants, and appropriate non-slip shoes.
• As assigned, participates in weekly staff meetings and other staff related activities.
• Follows all accepted and normal staff practices regarding sicknesses, reports, job-related problems, and supervision.
• Participates in continuous improvement projects and trainings and promoting departmental values.
• Displays characteristics “humble, hungry and smart” as portrayed in Patrick Lencioni’s book, The Ideal Team Player.
• Willingness to engage in projects to promote a culture of continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Previous cooking and commercial kitchen experience required.
• Must be able to lift and move at least 50 pounds.
• Knowledge of food industry procedures and sanitation codes related to buffet type…