Part-Time Cooking Instructor (Adults + Kids)

Sticky Fingers Cooking® is a national cooking enrichment program that has brought hands-on cooking education to over one million students across 10 states since 2011. We are hiring part-time Chef Instructors across Central New Jersey to lead after-school cooking classes for kids and to support our growing seniors programming.

About the role

This role is built for someone with genuine schedule flexibility, a love of food, and the energy to run an engaging room. No professional cooking experience required.

Responsibilities

• Lead 60-minute hands-on cooking classes for kids ages 3 to 18 at schools, libraries, and community venues
• Shop for fresh ingredients before each class (all food costs reimbursed)
• Set up and break down using our fully portable cooking kit; we supply all equipment and ingredients
• Teach cooking technique, nutrition, food history, and kitchen safety in an engaging, structured format
• Occasionally lead seniors cooking sessions (Silver Spatulas by Sticky Fingers Cooking®), ideal for instructors with morning or midday availability

Requirements

• Experience working with children in a teaching, camp, childcare, coaching, or similar setting
• Weekday afternoon availability at least 2 days per week between 2:00 and 5:00 PM; morning availability is a plus for adult programming
• Reliable transportation and willingness to travel up to one hour within Central NJ
• Organized and punctual; classes require arriving 15 to 20 minutes before start time
• Able to lift and carry up to 30 lbs
• ServSafe Food Handler Certification required; we will guide you through the process if you do not have one yet
• Must pass state and FBI background checks as a condition of employment

Backgrounds that tend to thrive here: substitute teachers, former classroom teachers, camp counselors, early childhood educators, and stay-at-home parents with weekday availability who are looking for meaningful part-time work.

Pay

• $60 per 60-minute class. Pay covers your shopping trip, setup, instruction, and cleanup. Total time per class is typically about two hours.
• Adult and senior sessions (75 minutes) pay at the same adjusted hourly rate

Schedule

• Choose which days work for you; no mandatory schedule
• Class assignments as close to your home as possible

Benefits

• All equipment, recipes, and lesson plans provided
• Paid hands-on training and ongoing support

About Sticky Fingers Cooking®

Our Central New Jersey operation is locally owned and operated with deep roots in the communities we serve. Instructors are the foundation of everything we do. We keep groups small, curriculum proven, and support consistent.

A Day in the Life: You pick up fresh ingredients. You arrive early, set up the portable cooking kit, and review the week's recipe. For 60 minutes, you run the class: guiding kids through each step, managing the group, and keeping it hands-on and fun. You clean up and you're done. Every week is a new recipe, a new ingredient, and a new story to tell.