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).