Lead Cook

Kicking-Horse-Coffee; Invermere; On-site; CAD 37,000 - 41,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

Wellness allowance

Discounts on coffee

Job summary

Kicking Horse Café in Invermere, BC is hiring a Lead Cook to support the kitchen team, lead shifts, and ensure great food from prep to service. It’s fast‑paced, hands‑on work, where you set the standard by example and help the crew stay organized.

You’ll bring 3–5 years in a cook or kitchen leadership role, strong food safety practice, and the ability to train and mentor teammates. The position is full‑time on‑site with shifts starting early and running to late afternoon, $26.75–$29.77 per hour,

Qualifications

• A genuine love of food. Period.
• 3–5 years of experience in a cook or kitchen leadership role, ideally in a high-volume environment.
• Ability to lead, train, and support a kitchen team in a calm, respectful, and organized way.
• Strong understanding and ability to perform food preparation, recipe execution, and quality control.
• Experience with ordering, inventory management, waste reduction, and food cost awareness
• Culinary diploma or formal culinary training is an asset.
• Food Safe Level 1 or Level 2 certification is an asset. Support to obtain certification can be provided if needed. Practical knowledge of food safety standards in a commercial kitchen is required.
• Strong administrative skills, including navigating inventory platforms and MS Office.
• Physically able to lift up to 50 lbs.
• Legally eligible to work in Canada.

Responsibilities

• Train and onboard new team members across all kitchen stations.
• Teach food safety, kitchen systems, and best practices.
• Support ordering, inventory, scheduling, and prep planning.
• Help maintain kitchen processes, procedures, and training resources.
• Keep communication clear and organized across shifts.
• Lead the team during shifts and support day-to-day operations.
• Coach, develop, and support team members.
• Assist with menu development, testing, and improvements.
• Complete prep, quality checks, and food safety tasks.
• Manage inventory and help minimize waste.
• Work closely with the café team to deliver a great guest experience.

Skills

Love of food

Kitchen leadership

Team leadership

Food prep & QC

Inventory & food cost

Culinary diploma

Food safety certification

Administrative skills

Physically able to lift

Legally eligible to work in Canada

Education

Culinary diploma or training

Tools

MS Office

Inventory platforms

Job description

LEAD COOK

We are hellbent on doing great work and living a great life while we’re at it.

Reliable jobs. Good pay. Damn good coffee. And plenty of daylight left to enjoy it all. That's Kicking Horse Café. From lake days and trail adventures to powder turns and family time, we want you finishing your shift with energy to spare and time to make the most of life in the Columbia Valley.

YOU’LL LIKE IT HERE IF…

You want a stable job that fuels your big-mountain, small-town lifestyle.

You’re reliable, hands-on and take pride in doing things right.

You want to work somewhere people, not just output, matter.

You love food. Period.

You’ve got your crew’s back. You show up daily with respect and care for others.

You care about making an impact. Every single coffee bean is Fairtrade and organic, positively impacting farmers around the world.

Bottom line: work hard, live well, be a good kick in the ass for the world.

WHAT WILL YOU DO?

Great food doesn't happen by accident. You'll spend your days supporting the kitchen team, working the line and helping keep things running smoothly from prep to service. It's fast-paced and hands-on; there's always something to jump into. As a Lead Cook, you can switch gears quickly, stay organized, and keep a cool head when things get busy. You lead by example, support the crew, and take pride in sending out great food, every time.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Train and onboard new team members across all kitchen stations.
• Teach food safety, kitchen systems, and best practices.
• Support ordering, inventory, scheduling, and prep planning.
• Help maintain kitchen processes, procedures, and training resources.
• Keep communication clear and organized across shifts.
• Lead the team during shifts and support day-to-day operations.
• Coach, develop, and support team members.
• Assist with menu development, testing, and improvements.
• Complete prep, quality checks, and food safety tasks.
• Manage inventory and help minimize waste.
• Work closely with the café team to deliver a great guest experience.

WHAT YOU BRING

• A genuine love of food. Period.
• 3–5 years of experience in a cook or kitchen leadership role, ideally in a high-volume environment.
• Ability to lead, train, and support a kitchen team in a calm, respectful, and organized way.
• Strong understanding and ability to perform food preparation, recipe execution, and quality control.
• Experience with ordering, inventory management, waste reduction, and food cost awareness
• Culinary diploma or formal culinary training is an asset.
• Food Safe Level 1 or Level 2 certification is an asset. Support to obtain certification can be provided if needed. Practical knowledge of food safety standards in a commercial kitchen is required.
• Strong administrative skills, including navigating inventory platforms and MS Office.
• Physically able to lift up to 50 lbs.
• Legally eligible to work in Canada.

THE DETAILS

• This is an on-site position located in Invermere, BC.
• This is a full-time, permanent position, working an average of 32-40 hours per week with a paid half-hour lunch on 8-hour shifts. We will also consider candidates looking for part-time work – don’t let this stop you from applying!
• The hourly rate for this role ranges from $26.75 - $29.77 per hour, depending on experience, and is eligible for tips.
• Shifts can start as early as 7AM and run as late as4:30 PM.
• Our Café is open seven days a week during the summer, with days off occurring during the week. In the shoulder season, days off typically fall on Tuesdays and Wednesdays when the Café is closed.
• Our busiest days are often weekends and holidays, so availability for these shifts is required.

THE GOOD STUFF

• When individuals thrive, communities thrive. And we are here to help that happen with our benefits and programs:
• Extended medical, dental and vision coverage, with $2,000 flexible paramedical services coverage, EFAP, and a $700 annual Wellness Allowance.
• Damn good discounts on coffee beans and food.
• Our Dream Fund provides financial funding to put towards community projects.
• Our Green Commuting program pays employees up to $3.00 per day for choosing a green commute to work.
• We provide uniforms and an allowance to cover costs for work footwear and pants.
• Our Growth Grant gives employees access to non-repayable funding to pursue career-building learning that supports growth at the Horse or beyond.
• 4 weeks of paid vacation after one year of work, plus get a paid day off to celebrate your birthday.

WHAT WE VALUE

• Do What’s Right. It’s not always neat and tidy. It means taking care of people, the planet and the business. No posturing, no greenwashing, just grown-up conversations and real accountability.
• Do It All With Love. Love? Buck yeah, Love! It’s our not-so-secret ingredient. We care deeply about the work we do, the people we work with, and the impact we have. That love shows up in every cup.
• Be Remarkable. Every now and then, we crank the dial past ten. We’re not here to play it safe or follow the crowd. We’re here to break patterns, defy expectations, and drop a few jaws along the way. If it’s forgettable, it’s not for us.
• Cut the Bullshit. It’s about systems that work without waste, kindness without drama and root‑cause thinking over quick fixes. When we cut through noise, we make space for what matters: trust, clarity, and meaningful progress.
• Never Half-Ass It. We’re on a mission to annihilate mediocrity. It’s about craftsmanship, care, and commitment. It’s about creating something we’re proud of, every time.

SPIRIT OF LOVE

Love means welcoming everyone to ensure an inclusive place for all. We seek team members from all walks of life, backgrounds, and cultures.