Assistant Head Chef, (No Nights/Early Hours) LIC, NY

Red Rabbit; New York (NY); On-site; USD 30,000 - 37,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous PTO

Most National Holidays Off

Health, Dental, Vision Insurance

401k Option

Professional Development

Education Reimbursement Opportunities

Job summary

Red Rabbit in New York is seeking an Assistant Head Chef to support the Head Chef in a busy school-kitchen commissary. You’ll lead parts of daily production, ensure meals for hundreds of students are accurate and on time, and maintain a safe, organized kitchen.

You will train team members, uphold food-safety standards, and help with inventory while enjoying a role that blends cooking skills with community impact. Office is in LIC, NY.

Qualifications

• 2+ years in a fast-paced, high-volume kitchen.
• Food safety and sanitation proficiency with logs and labeling.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Bilingual English/Spanish a plus; NSLP knowledge is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Support the Head Chef in coordinating daily commissary kitchen operations.
• Produce meals for hundreds of students and maintain recipe accuracy.
• Lead portions of daily production when Head Chef is unavailable.
• Ensure kitchen safety, temperature logs, and proper storage and labeling.
• Onboard and train team members, reinforcing Red Rabbit culture.

Skills

Culinary experience

Communication skills

Highly organized

Food safety

Education

Associate degree in culinary arts

Tools

NSLP compliance knowledge

Job description

About the Role

The Assistant Head Chef position is an exciting opportunity for a talented chef looking to transition to meaningful, impactful work. The role offers stable hours, a teacher’s schedule, and weekends and holidays off.

The Assistant Head Chef is second in command to the Head Chef, and executes the day-to-day operations of a commissary kitchen. Preparing meals for hundreds of kids, providing support to the kitchen team, as well as stepping in to lead aspects of daily production, this role provides a great training ground for candidates interested in leading a large commissary kitchen. The ideal candidate has strong culinary skills, thrives on the excitement and changing needs of a small kitchen and enjoys interacting with customers and students.

If you’re passionate about cooking for kids and thrilled by the opportunity to join a dynamic entrepreneurial team, this may be the perfect role for you.

Job Functions

• Support the Head Chef in coordinating daily commissary kitchen operations to prepare high-quality meals on time.
• Execute production of breakfast, lunch, and snacks for hundreds of students, ensuring recipe accuracy and consistency.
• Maintain a food-safe kitchen through regular quality checks, temperature logs, and proper storage and labeling of ingredients.
• Lead portions of daily production and guide the kitchen team when the Head Chef is unavailable.
• Set up and break down stations, ensuring equipment and workspaces are cleaned, sanitized, and organized.
• Assist with inventory management, including receiving, rotating, and tracking ingredients and daily consumption.
• Help onboard and train team members, modeling efficient workflow, strong communication, and Red Rabbit kitchen culture.

Skills & Requirements

• 2+ years professional culinary experience in a fast paced, high volume kitchen
• Associate degree in culinary arts a plus
• Demonstrated knowledge of proper food safety and sanitation practices
• Food Handlers Required or must be obtained with 90 days of hire (reimbursement available)
• Must have excellent communication skills and be extremely well organized
• Familiarity with NSLP compliance requirements a plus
• Must have food handlers license or certificate
• Must share our passion for improving nutrition and health in schools
• Bilingual (English and Spanish) a plus

Job Type

Full Time
Typical Hours Sunday - Thursday approx 6:00 am - 2:30 pm
Location: LIC, NY
Reports to: Chef
Compensation: $22.50 - 27.50 hr (plus benefits)

Benefits

• Generous PTO
• Most National Holidays Off
• Health, Dental, Vision Insurance
• 401k Option
• Professional Development
• Education Reimbursement Opportunities

About Red Rabbit

Founded in 2005, Red Rabbit is an MWBE-certified K–12 school food management company on a mission to transform school dining. We believe that serving diverse, high-quality meals to children in urban communities is about more than food, it’s about dignity, representation, and opportunity.

Our professionally trained chefs work in commissaries and onsite in school cafeterias, preparing scratch-made, culturally relevant meals that reflect the heritage and lived experiences of the students we serve. We don’t just deliver food…we become part of the school community.

Today, Red Rabbit prepares and serves millions of meals each year across the Greater New York region, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC.

If you’re passionate about food, community, and making an impact every day, we’d love to meet you.

Red Rabbit is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants