Culinary Lead — Quality-Driven Kitchen, Fast Casual

Sweetgreen; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 28,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tips*

Competitive wages

Medical, dental, and vision options

Paid vacation, wellness time, and par­

Free meal every shift

401(k)

Team Member Merch Shop - earn and buy

Job summary

Sweetgreen in Seattle is seeking a Kitchen Lead (Culinary Lead) who will own how our food is prepped, cooked, and presented. You will lead by example through craft, coaching, and consistency, without managing people or writing schedules.

Join a kitchen with smart systems and real food done right. This role offers a clear path to higher roles like Shift Leader and General Manager within a few years across high-volume settings.

Qualifications

• Maintain food quality and presentation to Sweetgreen standards.
• Demonstrate food safety knowledge and clean working practices.
• Follow standards and complete detail-oriented tasks.

Responsibilities

• Own food quality by ensuring every item meets Sweetgreen standards for flavor, food safety, and presentation.
• Prep and cook hot food to standard using knives, kitchen tools, and ovens (no flames, no fryer oil).
• Help teammates improve food execution through real-time feedback.
• Stay ahead of volume by managing prep timing and par levels to keep the kitchen running smoothly.
• Be the advocate for food quality on shift, spotting issues early and fixing them fast.
• Partner with Shift Leaders and Managers to uphold food safety, cleanliness, and operational excellence.

Skills

Food quality

Food safety knowledge

Attention to detail

Team training

Leadership (individual contributor)

Education

ServSafe certification

Tools

Kitchen tools

Job description

Sweetgreen in Seattle is seeking a Kitchen Lead (Culinary Lead) who will own how our food is prepped, cooked, and presented. You will lead by example through craft, coaching, and consistency, without managing people or writing schedules.

Join a kitchen with smart systems and real food done right. This role offers a clear path to higher roles like Shift Leader and General Manager within a few years across high-volume settings.