Cook I/Lead Cook - Hilton Des Moines Downtown

Hilton; Des Moines (IA); On-site; USD 23,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Incredible travel perks

Employee stock purchase program

Paid parental leave

Wellbeing resources

Generous PTO

Job summary

Hilton Des Moines Downtown is seeking a Lead Cook for a full-time role in Des Moines, IA. The ideal candidate has culinary school training and 3-4 years of high-volume scratch kitchen experience.

Shift pattern is mornings, 5:00am–1:30pm, seven days a week including weekends and holidays. You will prepare high-quality dishes, manage orders, and uphold safety and sanitation standards to deliver exceptional hospitality experiences.

Qualifications

• Culinary school graduate with formal training.
• 3-4 years of high-volume scratch kitchen experience.
• Strong communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Prepare menu items according to designated recipes and quality standards.
• Manage guest orders efficiently while ensuring a positive dining experience.
• Execute complex recipes, oversee stations, and ensure quality control.
• Inspect all preparations and dishes ahead of serving for presentation standards.
• Maintain a clean, organized workspace and sanitary food handling.
• Coordinate timing, plating, and assist with inventory checks and ordering.
• Comply with health, safety, sanitation, and alcohol awareness regulations.

Skills

High-volume kitchen experience

Scratch cooking

Strong communication

Education

Culinary school graduate

Job description

Job Identification: 225160

Job Category: Culinary

Job Schedule: Full time

Salary $20.00/USD/Hourly

Equal Opportunity Employer EOE, including disability/vets

Hilton Des Moines Downtown is looking for their next Lead Cook!

Join our team at a hotel connected directly to the Des Moines Skywalk system and the Iowa Events Center, less than a mile from the Historic East Village and Simon Estes Riverfront Amphitheater, with a free shuttle covering the six-mile ride to the airport for easy commuting — all at a property featuring an indoor pool and al fresco courtyard with fireplace seating, right in the heart of downtown Des Moines.

***Our ideal candidate is a culinary school graduate with 3-4 years of high-volume scratch kitchen experience. They possess strong communication skills and are eager to learn and grow within the culinary field.

Shift Pattern: Mornings, 5am - 1:30pm. Open availability required. 7 days a week, including weekends and holidays

Exceptional Hospitality Starts with You

Picture yourself brightening someone’s day. When you join our Hotels team, that’s exactly what you’ll do every time you come to work! As a Lead Cook , you’re not just preparing great tasting food items – you’re spreading the light and warmth of hospitality by delivering memorable experiences that make the stay for every guest.

Here’s what you'll do during a typical day:

• Prepare high-quality dishes: Prepare menu items according to designated recipes and quality standards

• Delight our guests: Manage guest orders efficiently while ensuring a positive dining experience

• Execute complex recipes: Maintain a strong knowledge of menu offerings, handle complex recipes, and oversee stations, execution, quality control and inventory checks

• Inspect and finalize plates: Inspect all preparations and dishes ahead of serving to ensure they meet quality and presentation standards

• Maintain a clean and organized workspace: Keep food service stations stocked and sanitary while following proper food handling, storage, and safety protocols

• Manage product and operational needs: Coordinate timing and plating, manage/direct cooks during shifts, assist with inventory checks, ordering, shift briefings and some special features

• Comply with regulatory standards: Maintain compliance with health, safety, sanitation, and alcohol awareness regulations, ensuring the highest standards of guest and team member well‑being

What It Takes to Make the Stay

At Hilton, our core values define what it takes to succeed here and guide the qualities we look for in every team member:

A passion for spreading the light and warmth of Hospitality . Acting with Integrity and always doing the right thing. Inspiring others through Leadership . A belief that Teamwork drives the best outcomes. A sense of Ownership and accountability. And a focus on the Now , bringing urgency and discipline to every moment, knowing it can make a lasting impact.

How We'll Help You Thrive

At Hilton, the hospitality we’re known for doesn’t end with our guests. We proudly invest in our Team Members’ wellbeing, supporting you through all of life’s moments. When you join Hilton, our exceptional care extends to you with unmatched perks and benefits, including*:

• Incredible travel perks – Enjoy 110 nights of deeply discounted travel, with room rates as low as $40/night at our world-class hotels through our Go Hilton travel program

• Own a piece of Hilton – Through our employee stock purchase program (ESPP), you can invest in Hilton shares at a 15% discount to help build your financial future

• Paid parental leave – Because family matters. We offer paid leave for eligible Team Members, including partners and adoptive parents

• Personalized caregiving support – Access dedicated caregiving concierge services to help navigate caregiving for yourself and your loved ones

• Crisis concierge – In times of loss, our Crisis Concierge offers a single, compassionate point of contact for both practical support and emotional care

• Mental health resources – Your wellbeing comes first. Eligible Team Members can access free counseling and support through our best-in-class Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

• Generous paid time off (PTO) – Recharge, relax, and take time for what matters most

• Health & welfare benefits – From checkups to dental cleanings to new glasses, we offer a variety of health plans that keep you and your family covered

• Financial security for your future – Our retirement plans make it easier to save for what’s next

*Benefits availability may vary depending on Team Member’s location as well as terms and conditions of employment and are subject to the terms and conditions of each specific program/plan.

Join an Award-Winning Workplace Culture

At Hilton, we don’t just deliver exceptional experiences for our guests—we build an exceptional workplace for the Team Members who make it all possible. As a global leader in hospitality, we’ve welcomed more than 3 billion guests worldwide, all while staying true to our founding vision: to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.

Our award-winning culture has earned us repeated recognition on the World’s Best Workplaces list by Great Place to Work and Fortune. With our suite of world-class brands (https://www.hilton.com/en/brands/) , and a company-wide commitment to providing the best stay for every guest, we’re setting new standards for the future of travel.

Whether you’re starting your career or exploring something new, Hilton supports your journey every step of the way. Come for the job, stay for the career—and help us make every stay a little more magical.

Curious about life at Hilton? Explore our Careers Blog (https://jobs.hilton.com/blogs) to see why we’re more than a great place to stay—we’re a great place to work.