Cook

Summary 

The Kitchen Chef will plan, direct, participate and supervise food service activities at the galley. This includes preparation and delivery of four daily meals for all employees. The Kitchen Chef will plan and develop recipes considering the food budget requirements while maintaining overall food quality & consistency. 

The plant operates 24 hours/day 7 days a week during the processing season. This position requires being actively involved in food preparation while directing the activities of a prep cook and kitchen helpers. The Chef will oversee overall kitchen organization, sanitation, and safety. The Kitchen Chef sets an example for the department staff in work ethic, safety protocol, and attitude. 

Essential Functions/Qualifications 

The responsibilities of the position include the following: 

• Oversee calculating food costs and staff requirements.  
• Supervise cooking activities of line cooks. 
• Ensure kitchen staff follow food recipes and portion servings. 
• Manage inventory levels of food supplies, determine amounts of required supplies, and supervise storage and use of leftover uncooked products. 
• Oversee the proper rotation of food to ensure quality and freshness. 
• Conduct on-going inspection of kitchen equipment and oversee proper use of major kitchen equipment to and ensure employees follow industry safety and sanitation requirements. 
• Negotiate cost of supplies, equipment purchases, repairs, and maintenance with vendors. 
• Manage kitchen staff by orienting, training, assigning, scheduling, supervising, evaluating, and carrying out disciplinary action as necessary in accordance with SBS policies and applicable laws. 
• Maintain a clean and safe environment by adhering to all federal, state, and local sanitation and safety requirements; instructing staff in proper food preparation, food storage, use of kitchen equipment and utensils, sanitation, and safety issues; ensuring clean and orderly refrigerators and kitchen area. 
• Performs other similar or related duties as requested or assigned. 

Competencies

To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following functional and interpersonal competencies: 

Functional 

• Strong verbal and written communication skills to help staff and management perform essential duties. 
• Adhere to health and safety regulations. 
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide into all units of measure using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. 
• Understands averages, ratios, and percentages to effectively manage galley needs. 
• Proficient computer knowledge of Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel & Word) programs and the ability to build reports and calculate figures. 
• Knowledge of inventory control and experience in supply chain system. 
• Demonstrating a passion for the type of food being cooked and a willingness to continuously stay up to date on trends in the kitchen industry. 
• Attention to detail to ensure specifications are being met and quality of food is up to standard. 
• Ability to maintain a high level of accuracy in preparing and entering information. 
• Maintain professional relationships while exhibiting good interpersonal skills to get along with co-workers and outside vendors. 

Interpersonal 

• Honest, trustworthy, respectful, and flexible. Sound work ethics. 
• Demonstrates ownership, accuracy, and attention to detail for all assigned responsibilities. 
• Decision-making, problem-solving, and analytical skills with organizational, multi-tasking, and prioritizing skills. Well defined organization and time management system. 
• Ability to recognize and resolve problems quickly while attempting to minimize the impact to 
• Flexible, organized, and able to handle competing priorities. Ability to manage and consistently meet reasonable deadlines. 
• Ability to adapt and contribute to organizational change in a dynamic environment. 
• Interact professionally to stressful situations and communicate with coworkers to problem solve 

Education and Experience 

• High school diploma or equivalent. 
• Minimum of 2-5 years culinary experience. 
• Proven work as a Chef or Cook. 
• Hands-on experience with various kitchen equipment. 
• Up to date knowledge of cooking techniques and recipes. 
• Some formal education such as culinary degree and management programs preferred but not required. 
• Previous experience in seafood industry not required but admired. 

Work Environment and Schedule