Position Title:
Culinary Lead
Work Type:
Full time
Location:
Swarthmore College
Approved Location Type:
On Campus
Department:
Work Shift:
Day Shift (United States of America)
The Opportunity:
As a member of the Dining Services department, the Culinary Lead will oversee the day to day operations for a specific function within dining services. Working in a fast-paced and dynamic environment, having a passion for food, enjoying being part of an energetic team and the opportunity to make a difference in the student’s dining experience on Swarthmore’s campus.
Lead Cook Ensuring the timely meal production for a college dining program under the direction of the Executive Chef, Sous Chef or Production Manager. Prepares recipes and ensures food production meets the departmental standards of quality, taste, creativity, presentation, and variety. Responsibilities include assisting with execution of menu plan, customer relations, safety and sanitation, and the maintenance of equipment. Assists in the training and development of employees. The Lead Cook if the Culinary leader and point of contact in the absence of the Executive Chef, Sous Chef, and Production Manager.
Essential Responsibilities:
- Assigns tasks and menu production to each cook or baking assistant on shift and direct cooks on shift
- Communicate procedures when required in order to produce menu items according to recipe
- Reads recipes and produces product consistent with recipes and production
- Maintains departmental standards for all menu items
- Place finished products on the line in a timely manner.
- Ensures faculty, students and staff receive safe food products of the highest quality, freshness, and consistency, according to department standards
- Stores all food products properly. Wrap tightly, date and label all food items. Transport food to the appropriate walk-in refrigerator or freezer.
- Clean as you go and sanitize the cook line as well as equipment, walls, floors, hoods, walk-ins, and line coolers.
- Adheres to Pennsylvania Department of Health and Serv Safe food safety standards.
- Promotes teamwork by assisting in cleaning areas of the kitchen, sweeping and mopping, cleaning the coolers, organizing dry storage etc.
- Observes the basic rules of kitchen safety, sanitation and back door safety.
- Uses First in First Out (FIFO) rule to ensure proper rotation.
- Utilizes various cleaning chemicals in accordance with Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).
- Completes all running, opening and closing side work. Get checked out by management before leaving at the end of your shift.
- Providing friendly and competent customer service.
- Record food temp logs of hot and cold food items.
- Ensure proper cooling down of all hot food items before placing them in the refrigerator.
- Prepare all foods at the correct temperature according to the HACCP Guidelines.
- Make suggestions to sous chef for menu items and recipe adjustments
- Communicate clearly with front of house about menu items and portion sizes
- Record production clearly, and make adjustments as needed
- Monitor and communicate with the line server/food runner about menu items and portion control.
- Maintain a visual contact with the front of the house and customers.
- Assists Sous chef with performance reviews
Additional Responsibilities
- Assist with occasional outdoor service and production for catering events as required.
- Performs other job-related duties as assigned
Supervisory Responsibilities
- Assist the executive chef and sous chef with menu planning and maintaining a high level of quality and profitability in all Food production on a daily basis.
- Prioritize and delegate tasks for daily menu and prep.
- Ensure all menu items are produced in a timely manner for prompt delivery to our customers
- Provide input into catering menus and develop new menu items
- Trains team on how to clean kitchen equipment carefully to prevent damage or injury.
- Responsible for recipe adjustments and execution of production
- Give feedback to chef for performance reviews
Qualifications
Required
- 3 years of experience in high volume food establishment or completion of a culinary vocational training program.
- Excellent culinary knife skills
- Recipe scaling for various batch sizes
- Good interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a team environment
- Excellent customer service
- Ability to read and follow recipes
- Ability to communicate clearly
- Serve-safe certification
- Previous supervisory experience
- Ability to communicate with co-workers and management with professionalism and respect.
- Ability to read, write, comprehend, and follow verbal and written instructions to interact with students, faculty, and staff.
Preferred
- Culinary program certificate
- 4-5 years in a high volume food establishment
- Food Allergen knowledge/certification
- Valid PA driver's license
Physical Demands
- Ability to carry and lift objects weighing up 25-40 lbs.
- Ability to carry heavy objects in close quarters. Ability to carry objects for a long period of time.
- Ability to perform kneeling, bending, squatting and reaching motions for extended times.
- Standing on a hard surface for extended periods of time.
- Involves repetitive motion.
Working Conditions
- Fast paced, high volume environment.
- Seven day operation, including nights and weekends.
- Must be able to adapt to ever-changing demands of college dining services.
- Must work in inclement and severe weather conditions.
- Could be a noisy environment.
- Floors could be wet, non-slip shoes required.
- Temperature changes: variations in temperature, which are sufficiently marked and abrupt to cause noticeable bodily reactions.
- Interact with heated equipment, steam, and other at risk conditions.
PA Criminal Clearance Required
Swarthmore College requires a PA Criminal background check for all staff positions prior to the start of employment.
MVR Clearance Required by Position
Due to operating a College owned motor vehicle while performing essential job responsibilities for this position, a motor vehicle report (MVR) clearance is required prior to the start of employment.
Preview our Benefits Flyer. We offer benefit plans starting at zero cost! Upon benefit eligibility, the College contributes 10% of an employee’s salary to their retirement account. Employees are 100% vested in their accounts on the date participation begins.
2026 Swarthmore Benefits Guidebook
Retirement Plans
Tuition Grant Program
Tuition Reimbursement Program
Paid Time Off (Staff)
Holiday Schedule
Applications received are reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. An optional cover letter indicating how your qualifications and experience have prepared you for this position is preferred. If you have experience that meets any of the preferred qualifications, please include a detailed explanation of any such experience in your cover letter and how it meets the preferred qualification(s).
We offer benefit plans starting at zero cost! Upon benefit eligibility, the College contributes 10% of an employee’s salary to their retirement account. Employees are 100% vested in their accounts on the date participation begins.
Swarthmore Benefits and Programs
Retirement Plans
Tuition Grant Program
Tuition Reimbursement Program
Paid Time Off (Staff)
Holiday Schedule
Swarthmore College is committed to creating a culture of respect and inclusion so that every member of our community feels a sense of belonging. We actively seek and welcome candidates with diverse perspectives and experiences, exceptional qualifications, and a demonstrable commitment to a more inclusive society and world. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on any identity or characteristic protected by law or College Policy.
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