Recreational Lead Chef Instructor & Operations Manager

About the role

The Institute of Culinary Education runs the largest and broadest hands-on recreational cooking program in America. Founded in 1975, this program has helped define what a modern cooking school could and should be. The program draws customers from around the nation and world and has won IACP awards for excellence. Reporting directly to the Senior Vice President, the Recreational Lead Chef will manage the other Chefs within the division. The Recreational Lead Chef will work an average of 45 hours per week including teaching a minimum of 300 recreational classes per year.

Key job responsibilities

• Program Administration (for those programs under your supervision)
• Set and maintain overall standards
• Instructor recruitment, interview and recommendation process
• Administer all instructor evaluations
• Oversee the Bi-weekly Payroll and adjust related grievances
• Daily Monitoring/supervision of Culinary Operations Assistants
• Manage the divisions overall food costing
• Content/Recipe Development (for those programs under your supervision)
• Stay current on trends and determine new classes to be provided at ICE
• Execute all R+D for these classes and develop the overall curriculum using independent judgment
• Engage instructors for R+D as needed
• Scheduling (for those programs under your supervision)
• Ensure all events are staffed properly
• Responsible for booking and scheduling instructors for recreational classes
• Maintain working relationships with NYC chefs and restaurants for recreational class scheduling (hiring the chef or engaging the restaurant as needed)
• Source new instructors as needed – recruitment, interviews and recommendations
• Recreational Division & School Representative
• Periodic weekend responsibility, serve as ambassador for VIP chefs / special events
• Ongoing general role as an ICE “ambassador” within the larger metro NYC culinary community
• Act as Operations Manager, tasked with Manager on Duty shifts twice weekly
• Calendar Upkeep
• Management of internal calendar
• Teaching responsibilities
• Teach a minimum of 300 recreational classes/events per year, including night and weekends.
• Lead recreational classes in conformity with ICE lesson plans.
• Deliver clear, concise and organized lectures as required by the curriculum.
• Maintain a positive, focused learning environment during class.
• Ensure that recreational classes are conducted in a manner that complies with principles of food safety and sanitation.
• Provide the Senior Vice President with weekly reports on classes with suggestions and plans for improvements.
• Oversee Culinary Operations Assistant staff during class times and assist in recruitment, interview and recommendation process
• Set standards for kitchen cleanliness and organization and oversee kitchen management according to ICE’s Official Kitchen Standards using independent judgement.
• Ensure proper ingredients and appropriate quantities are ordered in a timely manner in the appropriate format through the Stewarding department.
• Obtain license to teach and trail our Culinary Career Program.
• Additonal duties/responsibilities assigned by ICE.

Experience and skills

• Culinary/Pastry diploma and/or some form of formal Culinary Education
• Minimum of 7 years of culinary experience, with management experience.
• Previous teaching experience preferred
• Excellent communication skills both written and verbal; strong presentation and interpersonal skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft suite of products including Outlook, PowerPoint, Word and Excel
• Demonstrated ability to interact in a collaborative manner with other departments and teams.
• Hightly organized, detail oriented and proficient at multi-tasking
• True and demonstrated passion for multiple dimensions of the culinary universe.
• Flexible to work weekends
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills required
• Experience writing, editing or testing recipes
• Experience in service business operations
• Existing contacts in the NYC culinary community

What we offer

• SALARY: $65,000 to $72,000
• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Disability Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Paid Time Off
• Free Tuition in ICE’s Career Training programs
• Flexible Spending Account
• Commuter Benefits
• Referral Program
• 401(k)
• Shift:
• Day shift
• Evening shift
• Morning shift
• Work Location: In person

About ICE

The award-winning Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) was established in 1975 and has since grown to be one of America’s leading centers for culinary education and the largest culinary institute in New York City and Los Angeles. In 2015, ICE built and moved to a new flagship location in lower Manhattan, NY. In 2019, USAToday ranked ICE the “#1 culinary school in America”. The foundation of ICE is its programs in Culinary Arts, Pastry & Baking Arts, Restaurant & Culinary Management, Hotel & Hospitality Management and Health-Supportive Culinary Arts. ICE’s programs are intensive, sophisticated and can be completed in 6-13 months. In addition to career programs, ICE offers a vast menu of recreational courses for the public, and a highly developed special events division. ICE continues to grow and evolve with the launch of its LA campus in 2018, the acquisition of the Natural Gourmet Institute in 2019 and the acquisition of the French Culinary Institute (ie International Culinary Center) in 2020. For more information about ICE, please visit our website at ice.edu or connect with us @iceculinary on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Watch our videos on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/iceculinary

The Institute of Culinary Education is an equal opportunity employer.