Lead Cook Full Time Breakfast AM Shift

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains Ridgecrest Conference Centers mission is impacting lives for Gods glory through purposeful hospitality. Ridgecrest offers everything needed for meaningful gatherings including comfortable guest rooms versatile meeting spaces and both indoor and outdoor activities surrounded by stunning mountain views.

Each year our team is excited to serve over 50000 guests. We are driven by our core values of serving one making it better cultivating relationships and creating purposeful experiences that matter.

If you have a servant heart and a passion for hospitality joining the Ridgecrest team could be your opportunity to make a difference.

Job Summary:
The Lead Cook supports Ridgecrest Conference Center by overseeing the preparation and production of high-quality meals for conferences meetings and special events. This role leads breakfast and AM shift kitchen operations ensuring meals are prepared on time presented well and served according to food safety standards and guest needs. The Lead Cook supervises and guides kitchen staff assists with menu planning and workflow and supports inventory control to help maintain efficient cost-conscious food service operations. This position plays an important role in Ridgecrests mission of impacting lives for Gods glory through purposeful hospitality.

Job specific highlights:

Job Type: Full-Time

Pay Range: Starting pay $20.00 per hour (dependent up on experience)

Schedule: Early mornings working the Breakfast / AM shift. Typical start time is 5:30 AM. Must be able to work early mornings weekends and holidays based on event and business needs.

Essential Job Duties:

• Lead the preparation and cooking of large quantities of meals for events conferences and meetings while ensuring quality consistency and presentation standards are met.
• Follow recipes adjust portions and ensure meals are prepared according to specifications dietary requirements and service expectations.
• Ensure food is prepared held and served at the correct temperature and delivered promptly to front-of-house or event staff.
• Oversee the food line and presentation of dishes to ensure they meet standards for each service.
• Supervise guide and assign tasks to kitchen staff during food production to support an efficient workflow.
• Train coach and provide feedback to kitchen staff to build skill consistency and knowledge in food preparation and safety practices.
• Ensure kitchen staff follow food safety sanitation proper food handling cleanliness kitchen safety standards and applicable health code requirements.
• Assist the Executive Chef or Kitchen Manager with menu planning workflow and suggestions for dishes or variations based on client needs and dietary requirements.
• Monitor inventory manage portions communicate supply needs and help minimize food waste to support cost control.
• Perform additional tasks and responsibilities as required to support the overall operations of food service during events.

Consistently exemplify Ridgecrests Core Values:

• Serve One
• Cultivate Relationships
• Create Purposeful Experiences
• Make It Better

• Minimum Education Requirements: High school diploma or GED.
• Minimum Experience Requirements: Minimum of four years of advanced commercial cooking and food preparation experience in a fast-paced kitchen environment.
• Knowledge Requirements: Strong knowledge of cooking techniques recipe execution presentation standards kitchen safety standards local health codes food safety regulations sanitation practices and proper kitchen equipment handling.
• Skills Required: Advanced cooking and food preparation skills; ability to work efficiently under time-sensitive conditions; strong interpersonal communication organizational and task-prioritization skills.
• Abilities Required: Ability to supervise and support kitchen staff manage multiple tasks simultaneously maintain cleanliness and efficiency communicate inventory needs and remain reliable punctual and accurate in completing work.
• Education Preferred: Additional culinary food service or hospitality-related training preferred.
• Experience Preferred: Minimum of one year of supervisory or leadership experience in the food service industry; intermediate inventory management experience preferred.

Required Certifications (if any):

• Food safety or SERV safe certification preferred
• Must be able to work early mornings weekends and holidays as required by event schedules.
• Must demonstrate a commitment to Ridgecrests mission and core values through purposeful hospitality.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to carry or deliver items around various areas of campus with varying degrees of steepness.
• Must be physically able to lift up to 50 pounds.
• Must have manual dexterity sufficient to use kitchen utensils and equipment.
• Ability to stand for long periods and stoop squat and climb as necessary.
• Ability to walk and stand on hard floors for extended periods of time.
• Ability to work in environments with varying temperatures including hot kitchen conditions and cold conditions in refrigeration units freezers or cold storage areas.
  

Hiring Guidelines:

An offer of employment is conditional upon the result of a background check reference checks and a drug screen for certain positions a physical examination credit report and/or driving record report prior to the commencement of employment.

Key words: Lead Cook Breakfast Cook AM Cook Kitchen Lead Food Service Commercial Cooking Conference Center Hospitality Menu Planning Inventory Management Food Safety Sanitation Kitchen Supervisor Banquet Cook