Assistant Chef: Lindblad Expeditions

Pontikus; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 36,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Shore-side training

Job summary

Lindblad Expeditions is seeking a full-time Assistant Chef in Seattle, WA to join the galley team aboard our expedition vessels. The role combines line cooking, preparation, and baking with shipboard safety duties to produce meals for guests and crew under the Head Chef's guidance.

The ideal candidate has at least two years of restaurant or banquet cooking experience, baking experience, and a working knowledge of food preparation.

Qualifications

• Requires at least 2 years of restaurant or banquet cooking experience.
• Experience in baking (bread, desserts, cookies) and from-scratch prep.
• Ability to work safely in a moving vessel and follow galley procedures.

Responsibilities

• Assist with guest and crew meals and breakfast preparation.
• Bake breads, desserts, and cookies from scratch.
• Load, store, and rotate food supplies; maintain galley inventory.
• Clean galley and storage areas; support dishwashing and sanitation.

Skills

Line cooking

Baking

Food preparation

Shipboard safety

Education

USCG Medical Certificate

First Aid & CPR

STCW Crowd Management

Maritime Security Awareness

Job description

Lindblad Expeditions has a full-time Assistant Chef position in Seattle, WA for a galley professional who can combine line cooking, preparation, baking, and shipboard safety work. The Assistant Chef helps produce meals for guests and crew while supporting the Head Chef with daily galley production. Cooks with at least two years of restaurant or banquet experience, baking experience, and a working knowledge of food preparation can work in the position.The role also serves as the ship's baker, with breads, desserts, cookies, and other items made from scratch each day. Shoreside training and required maritime certifications form part of the onboarding path. The work takes place within an expedition travel operation that runs a fleet of 20 ships and serves nearly 30,000 guests annually. The galley team follows maritime safety procedures as well as kitchen routines.

Role: Assistant ChefEmployer: Lindblad ExpeditionsLocation: Seattle, WAEmployment type: Full-Time

Galley Production And Baking

The Assistant Chef helps the Head Chef prepare guest and crew meals, execute breakfast, and complete food preparation. Daily baking includes breads, desserts, cookies, and other items made from scratch.The galley also needs food supplies loaded, handled, and stored correctly. Inventory rotation, galley cleaning, food‑storage cleaning, and dishwashing support keep meal production moving between service periods.Assist with guest and crew meals.Execute breakfast and food preparation.Bake breads, desserts, and cookies.Rotate inventory and handle food supplies.Clean galley and storage areas.

Shipboard Safety And Sanitation

The work includes safety training, meetings, drills, uniform compliance, and familiarity with ISM codes and the company Safety Management System. Fire, abandon ship, man overboard, flooding, and medical emergency drills form part of the shipboard operating environment.Food service also follows CDC Vessel Sanitation Program and Health Canada requirements. The galley team therefore combines cooking standards with sanitation controls, safe storage, and procedures suited to a moving vessel.Passenger-vessel experience is preferred, although the core qualification is progressive restaurant or banquet cooking experience. Team members work in compact spaces where clear handoffs and clean work surfaces protect both meal service and safety.

Certification And Onboarding

The position requires a USCG Medical Certificate, current First Aid and CPR, STCW Crowd Management, and Maritime Security Awareness. STCW Basic Safety Training and Vessel Sanitation Public Health certification are preferred.Lindblad Expeditions helps employees obtain required certifications during onboarding and provides shoreside training. Safety meetings, drills, and time learning the company Safety Management System also form part of the preparation.

Long Shipboard Rotations

An average workday lasts 12 hours, every day, and the rotation assigns eight weeks onboard with no days off. The galley environment includes steep interior stairs, confined spaces, high humidity, and a moving vessel.The physical work includes repeated standing, walking, bending, kneeling, squatting, and climbing. The position also requires lifting and carrying up to 50 pounds, while shared crew quarters may place one or two roommates in the same compact cabin.

Expedition Travel And Company History

Lindblad Expeditions began taking citizen explorers to Antarctica in 1966 and opened Galapagos and Easter Island travel in 1967. The company added its first tourist expedition through the Northwest Passage in 1984 and began its National Geographic partnership in 2004.Expedition travel puts the galley aboard ships serving travelling guests. The Lindblad Expeditions jobs information identifies a fleet of 20 ships and nearly 30,000 guests each year.Prescription medication supplies need to cover the full time underway because refills may not be available during a voyage. Limited cell service and internet access can also continue during remote operations.The Assistant Chef role joins culinary production with maritime certification, emergency readiness, and life in shared crew accommodation. The galley team carries responsibility for meals, baking, supplies, sanitation, and emergency readiness during each voyage.The job connects Seattle-based shoreside employment with extended work aboard expedition vessels. Certification, food production, and vessel safety remain part of the same operating routine.