Chef, Promise Academy Kitchen

Harlem Children’s Zone (HCZ) — a world-renowned education and poverty-fighting organization based in New York — seeks an enthusiastic, dedicated, and mission-aligned Chef with the Promise Academy Kitchen Department.

The Culinary Team at HCZ works to transform how the community engages with food—by improving our nutrition environment and thinking more sustainably about what we eat through hands-on nutrition education in the garden and the kitchen, in the classroom, and in the boardroom.

The Chef at the Harlem Children’s Zone is responsible for cooking and preparing food for scholars and staff according to established recipes and production guidelines while ensuring compliance with food safety, handling, and sanitation procedures. The ideal candidate should have a strong culinary background and be proficient in the knowledge and use of kitchen equipment. In addition, the Chef oversees prep cooks while collaborating closely with the Kitchen Manager and Server to ensure a smooth and efficient kitchen operation.

For more information, check out Want to Work at Harlem Children’s Zone? Here’s 7 Things You Need to Know.

Minimum Qualifications

• Proof of GED or High School diploma
• Valid NYC DOH Food Protection Certificate (must be willing to obtain within the first thirty days of employment)
• A minimum of 3 years of experience in the food service industry as a Cook

Who You Are

• Culinary training or a degree in Culinary Arts is preferred
• Must have extensive knowledge of food preparation and production for high-volume production. including restaurants and banquet facilities 
• Must be knowledgeable of Health Department and other governmental agency regulation
• Must have proven ability to lead and support the kitchen staff
• Ability to work in a team environment and demonstrate excellent customer service
• Must have good interpersonal and communication skills
• Must be able to understand verbal and written instructions

What You'll Do

• • Follow menus, cooking instructions, and safety standards.
  • Execute daily menu preparation ensuring quality and quantity.
  • Ensure menu items are prepared and displayed in an attractive way
  • Consistently show knowledge of cooking equipment, food products, preparation methods, and portion sizes.
  • Stand for long periods of time, bend, kneel, and reach to store/retrieve supplies
  • Lift carry, and push supplies and boxes up to 50 pound
  • Evaluate food quality by tasting and ensuring compliance with standards.
  • Support standards for the team.
  • Communicate with management to uphold food quality standards.
  • Serve as a liaison between the culinary team and management.
  • Ensure communication between cooks and servers about menu changes and allergens.
  • Address potential service issues before meal periods.
  • Communicate food product needs to management for ordering.
  • Complete tasks as assigned by management.
  • Provide outstanding customer service and foster positive relationships with coworkers and the community.
  • Receive and properly store deliveries.
  • Clean, sanitize, and maintain the kitchen.
  • Ensure proper storage of food and adherence to safety standards.
  • Record and maintain logs for food production, usage, and temperatures.
  • Ensure food is stored at the appropriate temperature for the appropriate length of time.
  • Report safety hazards to management immediately.
  • Attend on-site and off-site training sessions.

Schedule

• Monday-Friday 
• 6:30 AM- 2:30 PM

Benefits

As a member of the Harlem Children's Zone team, you will join a supportive and inclusive community dedicated to helping children, families — and our staff — thrive. We offer highly competitive salaries, a comprehensive benefits package, and opportunities for growth.

Our exceptional full-time benefits include: 

• Highly competitive base salaries
• Paid time off 
• Employee referral bonus 
• Career Advancement
• No-cost health insurance
• Life Insurance
• Short-and long-term disability
• Additional voluntary benefits
• Wellness discounts
• Commu