Ponderosa Kitchen Manager/Chef

About the role

The Ponderosa Lodge (“PL”) Kitchen Manager/Chef is a Ministerial position responsible for overseeing all PL food operations, recruiting, training, scheduling, supervising, and monitoring food service staff. This role also involves creating recipes, reviewing menus, and managing kitchen staff.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all PL food operations including preparing meals, food and supply ordering and inventory, personnel management, and equipment upkeep.
• Recruit, train, schedule, supervise and continually monitor food service staff.
• Reports and works closely with direct supervisor and MHA management in support of the Food Service Department vision.
• Create recipes & review menus and group information to provide production sheets for all areas and communicate order needs in a timely and accurate manner.
• Maintain cost per meal, supplies, and labor within budget.
• Ensure the dining room is clean and sanitary for each meal.
• Coordinate with hosts and custodial department for clean up duties.
• Communicate with department supervisors & MHA management supporting the Food Service Department vision by achieving operational, financial & guest experience goals.
• Enforce and ensure service staff are appropriately dressed and prepared.
• Train staff in injury and illness prevention plans per standards.
• Respond to emergencies as needed and report suspected food borne illness to Health Services.
• Coordinate maintenance, repair, and deep cleaning with maintenance and custodial.
• Document food consumption and leftovers and donations; direct utilization of food surpluses and leftovers.
• Manage kitchen staff by communicating expectations, providing training, team meetings, staff coaching, staff reviews and evaluating performance goals.
• Enforce & train health and safety codes and procedures as well as building security, and proper care and treatment of facilities.
• Other duties as assigned by management.

Requirements

• Minimum 3 years’ experience supervising food service staff.
• Minimum 3 years of culinary or cooking experience.
• Minimum 1 year of Kitchen Management preferred.
• Christian Ministry or Volunteer experience preferred.

Qualifications

• Culinary education preferred or comparable work experience.
• Serve Safe Certified.

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent communication, problem solving and organizational skills.
• Able to cook and prepare a variety of foods in a timely, clean and sanitary manner.
• Demonstrated ability to produce delicious and appetizing meals in large quantities.
• Excellent knife skills required.
• Able to use and supervise dishwashing & kitchen cleaning tasks.
• Ability to be pleasant and courteous with people while under stress.
• Professional demeanor, sense of humor, adaptable, flexible, self-motivated.
• Ability to take directions and follow procedures.
• Demonstrated competence in making judgments concerning food taste, palatability, and aesthetics of food quality.
• Working knowledge of menu and recipe development, presentation, portion control and costing.
• Ability to effectively manage a dynamic, part-time, entry-level work force.
• Cooperative spirit and desire to learn and improve.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to use MS Excel and Word, skilled in food service math.
• Bilingual skills a plus; fluency in English (reading, writing, and speaking) a must.

Physical Demands

• Ability to lift and carry at least 50 lbs.
• Ability to stand and move around most of the workday.
• Ability to work in hot and cold environments.
• Requires standing, sitting, squatting, stooping, twisting, seeing, grasping, among other physical labor tasks.
• Ability to safely use a variety of kitchen tools, chemicals, equipment, and utensils, including sharp objects.

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work a flexible schedule including early mornings, late nights and weekends and most major holidays with a flexible schedule.
• Must have a clean driving record of at least three years and agree to and comply with MHA’s employee driving guidelines for MHA-owned vehicles and use of personal vehicles for business purposes.
• Adherence to the basic principles as expressed in MHA’s Mission, Vision, Culture Code and Standards of Conduct.
• Adherence to company dress code and professional standards for personal grooming and appearance.
• Satisfactory completion of background investigation, or valid work permit, as well as ability to provide proof of eligibility to work in the United States.