RANCHO SAN MIGUEL #29 HAMMER LANE STOCKTON - Kitchen Lead

Job Title: Kitchen Lead

Location: PAQ, Inc, Store Location, On-Site

Reports To: Store Director

Employee Type: Regular, Full-Time

Exemption Type:Non-Exempt

Travel Required: No

Updated:07/28/2024

Job Summary:

The Kitchen Lead is responsible for preparing and cooking high-quality dishes, overseeing kitchen staff, and ensuring efficient kitchen operations. This role requires advanced culinary skills, menu planning, and maintaining exceptional food standards.

Essential Functions of the Position:

• Oversee the preparation and cooking of various complex and high-quality dishes.
• Plan, innovate, implement, and oversee menu development, considering guest numbers, market conditions, dish popularity, and menu recency.
• Estimate food needs, procure supplies, and manage kitchen inventory.
• Analyze recipes and review menus to assign prices and control food, labor, and overhead costs.
• Implement food apportionment policies for cost control.
• Manage and coach kitchen staff, ensuring high standards of performance and professionalism.
• Ensure efficient and timely food production by monitoring food preparation methods, portion sizes, and garnishing for adherence to standards.
• Conduct tastings and smell tests to ensure food quality.
• Ensure quality standards by following the FIFO (First In, First Out) methodology.
• Enforce high nutrition standards and strict sanitation and food safety guidelines to maintain a clean and hygienic cooking and eating environment.
• Guide new cooks and oversee apprenticeship training.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge:

• Extensive knowledge of advanced cooking techniques, kitchen operations, food safety standards, and menu planning.
• Knowledge of proper food handling, storage, and sanitation procedures to ensure food safety.
• Familiarity with different types of cooking products, ingredients, and recipes.

Skills:

• Advanced culinary skills, leadership, team management, inventory management, and effective communication.
• Precision in measuring ingredients, following recipes, and ensuring the quality and appearance of the dish.
• Efficiently managing time to complete cooking tasks and meet production schedules.

Abilities:

• Ability to lead and inspire a team, create innovative dishes, manage kitchen operations efficiently, and maintain high standards under pressure.
• Ability to adapt to changing situations, manage multiple demands, and work effectively with diverse personalities.
• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously, such as cooking, customer service, and cleaning.
• Flexibility to adjust to changes in the cooking environment, such as new recipes, equipment, or customer demands.

Physical Requirements:

• Stand and walk for extended periods, typically 8-hour shifts.
• Lift and carry items up to 25 pounds frequently and up to 50 pounds occasionally.
• Performing repetitive motions, such as preparing food, mixing ingredients, and operating equipment.
• Regular bending, stooping, and reaching to access ingredients and place items on stoves and ovens.
• Good hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity for tasks that require precise movements, such as slicing vegetables, plating dishes, and packaging products.
• Working in a hot environment due to stoves, ovens, and other cooking equipment. Ability to tolerate variations in temperature and handle hot items safely.
• Good vision to ensure the quality and appearance of dishes, read labels and recipes, and operate equipment safely.
• Maintain clear communication with customers and team members.
• Move quickly and efficiently to assist customers and manage workload.
• Maintain physical stamina to work in a fast-paced environment.

Work Conditions:

• Work Hours: Vary, with availability required on weekends, evenings, and holidays; typically, 8-hour shifts for full-time employees.
• Environment:
  • Indoor, climate-controlled with adequate lighting and ventilation.
  • Exposure to hot temperatures from stoves and warmers and cooler temperatures in refrigerated areas and freezers.
• Food Handling: Regularly handling various food products may involve exposure to allergens.
• Dress Code: Professional and presentable attire as determined by store management, including a name tag, company-issued shirts, hats, jackets, or personal shirts that are black, burgundy, or blue, in good repair, and not faded.
  • Use approved hats or hair nets.
  • Wear safety toes and non-slip shoes.
• Exposure: May be exposed to moving mechanical parts. Exposure to hot, wet, damp, and slippery conditions. Exposure to cleaning chemicals.
• Noise Level: Working in an environment with moderate to high noise levels from mixers, ovens, and other cooking equipment.
• Interaction: Constant interaction with customers and team members in a fast-paced retail environment.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education: High school diploma or equivalent. A culinary school diploma is a plus.
• Experience: Over two years of experience as an Assistant Kitchen Lead is preferred. Supervisory experience is required.
• Must be 18 years of age or older

Company Employment Policies:

• PAQ, Inc is an “At-Will” employer.
• PAQ, Inc is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).

PAQ, Inc./Food 4 Less/Rancho San Miguel offers excellent health benefits, enrollment in our ESOP after 1 year, career advancement opportunities, paid vacation and sick leave, competitive wages, tuition reimbursement, and an employee assistance program.

We look forward to the possibility of you joining our team!

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature of work performed by the employees assigned to this job. All employees must comply with Company policies and applicable laws. The responsibilities, duties and qualifications required of personnel so classified may vary.

EEO/Inclusivity - As PAQ, Inc. continues to grow, our diversity—from our variety of perspectives and wide range of experiences—is essential to our strategy and success. We are committed to continue to cultivate and celebrate an inclusive environment in which all employees are valued and respected regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran, or disability status.