Kitchens for Good

POSITION TITLE: Lead Cook

REPORTS TO: Food Service Manager

FLSA STATUS: Non-Exempt

COMPENSATION: $25.00-$27.00 

LOCATION: Youth Transition Campus (YTC) San Diego, CA

Who we are:

Kitchens for Good transforms lives through culinary arts.

Position Summary

The Lead Cook serves as an experienced culinary team member responsible for advanced food preparation, coordination of daily production, and frontline leadership within a high-volume institutional kitchen environment. This role supports the Food Service Manager by directing daily workflow, ensuring production goals are met, and maintaining compliance with food safety, sanitation, and meal contract requirements.

In the absence of the Food Service Manager or Sous Chef, the Lead Cook serves as the on-site kitchen lead, providing work direction to staff, maintaining service standards, and ensuring continuity of operations. This role also contributes to Kitchens for Good's workforce development mission by mentoring apprentices and program participants while fostering a safe, structured, and professional learning environment.

Essential Functions & Responsibilities

Kitchen Operations & Production Leadership

• Oversee daily food preparation and production to ensure efficiency, quality, and consistency.
• Prepare sauces, sides, entrées, and other menu items in accordance with standardized recipes, production schedules, and dietary requirements.
• Operate commercial kitchen equipment safely and effectively, including ovens, grills, tilt skillets, and other production equipment.
• Ensure adherence to portion control, presentation standards, and food quality expectations.
• Monitor and maintain proper temperature controls during cooking, holding, cooling, and reheating processes.
• Assist with production planning and preparation assignments for upcoming meal service needs.

Shift Leadership & Staff Support

• Serve as the shift lead by assigning tasks, coordinating workflow, and ensuring production goals are completed on schedule.
• Provide day-to-day direction and support to cooks, apprentices, and kitchen staff.
• Act as the kitchen lead in the absence of the Food Service Manager or Sous Chef, ensuring uninterrupted operations.
• Reinforce accountability for food safety, operational procedures, and service expectations.
• Promote teamwork, professionalism, and a positive kitchen culture.
• Contract Compliance & Service Standards
• Ensure compliance with HACCP procedures, food safety regulations, sanitation standards, and meal contract requirements.
• Support the consistent execution of service standards that meet or exceed Kitchens for Good and contractual expectations.
• Maintain accurate production, temperature, and sanitation logs.
• Monitor food quality, timeliness, and operational consistency throughout meal service.
• Identify and communicate operational concerns that may impact food safety, service delivery, or contract compliance.

Stakeholder Communication

• Communicate professionally and respectfully with Department of Probation personnel and other facility stakeholders.
• Respond appropriately to operational requests, concerns, and service-related needs.
• Represent Kitchens for Good through consistent professionalism, reliability, and customer service excellence.

Workforce Development & Mission Integration

• Serve as a Journey Person, adapting training approaches to individual learning needs while modeling professionalism, patience, and leadership by example.
• Provide hands-on instruction and mentorship to apprentices and program participants.
• Demonstrate proper culinary techniques, food safety practices, and professional workplace behaviors.
• Support a structured learning environment aligned with Kitchens for Good's workforce development mission.
• Utilize trauma-informed techniques to support apprentices and team members while fostering a respectful and supportive workplace culture.

Inventory & Kitchen Support

• Assist with inventory management, product rotation, and storage organization.
• Support efforts to minimize waste and maximize efficient use of ingredients and supplies.
• Maintain kitchen equipment, tools, and workspaces in clean and operational condition.
• Assist with deliveries, stocking, kitchen organization, and overall operational flow.

General Responsibilities

• Maintain a clean, safe, and organized kitchen environment.
• Support dishwashing and utility functions as needed.
• Assist with special projects and operational needs as assigned.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Competencies

• Collaboration Skills
• Customer/Client Focus
• Flexibility
• Stress Management/Composure
• Excellent Communication
• Strong Culinary and Production Skills
• Ability to Lead and Direct Workflow with Limited Supervision
• Coaching and Mentorship Ability
• Commitment to Service Excellence
• Problem Solving and Decision Making

Work Environment

This job operates in a kitchen environment, housed with equipment such as an oven, stove, dishwasher, slicer, coffee machine, steamer, mixer and chef’s knives. The employee is frequently exposed to heat colder than normal temperatures, steam, fire and noise.   

The kitchen is located at the Youth Transitional Center (detention center for youth) in 2801 Meadow Lark Drive San Diego, 92123 near our Door of Hope Campus. As part of their daily responsibilities, employees will interact with juveniles in custody, Kitchens for Good staff, and detention center personnel, maintaining a respectful, professional, and supportive atmosphere.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described are representative of those required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position.

Employees must be able to stand for extended periods of time and regularly reach, bend, stoop, kneel, climb, push, pull, and lift items weighing up to 50 pounds. The position requires manual dexterity, auditory and visual acuity, and the ability to follow written and verbal instructions.

Position Type / Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time, non-exempt position. Work schedules may include early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays based on operational needs. Shifts may vary according to organizational requirements.

Travel

Employees may be required to travel to other Kitchens for Good locations to provide operational support or coverage as needed.

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties, or responsibilities required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 403(b) retirement savings
• Professional development budget
• 14 paid holidays
• Generous PTO Plan

Compensation Transparency:

At Kitchens for Good, we are committed to pay transparency and equity. The base salary range for this position is provided to ensure clarity and fairness in our hiring process. The final salary offered will be determined based on a variety of factors, including your education, relevant experience, skills, and knowledge. We also take into account internal equity to ensure consistency and fairness across our team.

Acknowledgment  

Qualified individuals must be able to perform the essential duties of the position with or without accommodation. A qualified person with a disability may request a modification or adjustment to the job or work environment in order to meet the physical requirements of the position. Kitchens for Good will attempt to satisfy requests as long as the accommodation needed is reasonable and no undue hardship would result. 

AT-WILL: 

The individual hired in this role will be at-will and will be subject to termination by the employee or the Company, with or without cause, with or without notice, and at any time.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) STATEMENT:  

The Company will provide reasonable accommodations (such as a qualified sign language interpreter or other personal assistance) with the application process upon your request as required to comply with applicable laws. If you have a disability and require assistance in this application process, please contact Juanita Atitsogbuie at 619-736-1873 or juanita@kitchensforgood.org.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable Accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO) STATEMENT:

The Company is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. 

Education and Work Experience

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Minimum two (2) years of experience in food production, commercial food service, institutional food service, catering, or restaurant operations.
• Minimum one (1) year of experience serving as a lead cook, trainer, shift lead, or in another informal leadership capacity preferred.
• Experience working in a high-volume or institutional kitchen environment preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to direct workflow, prioritize tasks, and support production teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience training, mentoring, or supporting apprentices, students, or entry-level staff preferred.
• Kitchens for Good Apprentice Program graduate and California Department of Apprenticeship Standards certification highly desirable.
• Food Handler Card required or ability to obtain upon hire.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office and electronic communication systems preferred.

Pre-Employment Requirements

• Criminal background clearance (Probation, DOJ, and FBI)
• Drug screening
• Tuberculosis testing
• Reliable transportation