Assistant Head Chef, (No Nights/ Weekends), Washington, D.C.

Red Rabbit; Washington; On-site; USD 32,000 - 34,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance

Generous PTO

401k option

Education reimbursement opportunities

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Red Rabbit in Washington, DC is seeking an Assistant Head Chef to support the Head Chef in daily kitchen operations, producing meals for hundreds of students on a teacher’s schedule with weekdays off. The role rewards hands-on leadership and interaction with students in a growing school-food program.

Ideal candidates bring strong culinary skills, enjoy a dynamic kitchen, and are committed to consistent, safe menu execution for a large campus operation.

Qualifications

• 1+ year of professional culinary experience in a fast-paced, high-volume kitchen.
• Associate degree in culinary arts is a plus.
• Demonstrated knowledge of proper food safety and sanitation practices.
• Food Handler's Certification required or must be obtained within 90 days of hire (reimbursement available).
• Must have excellent communication skills and be extremely well organized.
• Familiarity with NSLP compliance requirements is a plus.
• Bilingual (English and Spanish) is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Culinary Execution: Plan and prepare breakfast, lunch, and snacks for 300-500 students, ensure food safety and recipe consistency.
• Administration: Follow production schedules, perform inventory, track consumption with the kitchen team.
• Food Safety: Maintain DOH-ready standards, monitor temperatures and storage for safety.

Skills

Culinary experience

Bilingual English/Spanish

Excellent communication

Education

Associate degree in culinary arts

Job description

What Do We Do

Red Rabbit is the largest Black-owned School Food Management Company in the country. We work with hundreds of schools, districts, and food banks to uplift communities of color throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions.

Our professionally trained chefs create menus, source farm-fresh ingredients, and cook delicious, thoughtful, and familiar food. School food matters not only because it's integral to good health but also because what children eat is an essential part of their cultural identity and sense of self.

About the Role

The Assistant Head Chef position is an exciting opportunity for a talented chef looking to transition to meaningful and 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, and stepping in to lead aspects of daily production, this role serves as 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 excited by the opportunity to join a dynamic, entrepreneurial team, this may be the perfect role for you.

Job Functions

• Culinary Execution: Plan and execute the daily preparation of breakfast, lunch, and snacks for 300-500 students. Maintain a food-safe kitchen at all times, performing quality control on all menu items to ensure recipe consistency and integrity.
• Administration: In conjunction with the Head Chef, adhere to production schedules, perform inventory, and track consumption numbers while working with the kitchen team to execute efficiently.
• Food Safety: Ensure the kitchen is always DOH-ready by following proper food handling procedures and maintaining cleanliness standards. Monitor temperatures and storage conditions to ensure food safety compliance.

Skills & Requirements

• 1+ years of professional culinary experience in a fast-paced, high-volume kitchen.
• Associate degree in culinary arts is a plus.
• Demonstrated knowledge of proper food safety and sanitation practices.
• Food Handler's Certification required or must be obtained within 90 days of hire (reimbursement available).
• Must have excellent communication skills and be extremely well organized.
• Familiarity with NSLP compliance requirements is a plus.
• Must share our passion for improving nutrition and health in schools.
• Bilingual (English and Spanish) is a plus.

Job Type

• Full-Time
• Typical Hours: Monday - Friday, approx. 6:00 am - 2:00 pm
• Location: Washington, D.C.
• Reports to: Chef
• Compensation: $22.50 -$25.00 hr (plus benefits)

Benefits

• Generous PTO
• Most national holidays off
• Health, Dental, and Vision Insurance
• 401k option
• Professional development opportunities
• Education reimbursement opportunities
• Opportunity for Review to Salary pay within 90 days

About Red Rabbit

Founded in 2005, Red Rabbit is a Black-owned, MWBE Certified, K-12 school food management company that believes choosing to feed children diverse and nutritious food is an act of social justice. Red Rabbit celebrates all cultures in the urban school cafeteria by preparing meals that reflect the heritage of the kids we serve. The company places professionally trained chefs in the school cafeteria to create culturally relevant meals that become part of the school community. From our kitchens, Red Rabbit prepares and delivers thousands of heritage-based, scratch-made meals to the Greater New York, Philadelphia, and New Jersey regions.

Pro Tip: When applying to this job, note that we value creativity in thinking and real problem-solving skills. Tell us how you've added value to a team in the past and why you want to join Red Rabbit.

Red Rabbit is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, or sexual orientation.