Floating Lead School Cook — Lead Kitchen, Nourish Students

whitsonsculinarygroup; Gardner (MA); On-site; USD 23,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Advancement opportunities

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

401K with company match

Paid time off

Job summary

Whitsons Culinary Group is seeking a Floating Lead Cook to lead meal prep across multiple school sites in Massachusetts, including Gardner, Jaffrey, and Mascenic. This role blends hands-on cooking with leadership to ensure nutritious meals meet daily menus, portion controls, and safety standards on time.

You will supervise cooks, manage inventory and orders, and maintain records such as production sheets and temperature logs in a collaborative, mission-focused environment.

Qualifications

• 1 year of professional culinary or food service experience required.
• ServSafe certification required or must obtain within defined timeframe.
• Strong organization and time-management skills; ability to lead a kitchen team.

Responsibilities

• Lead the preparation and service of meals according to daily school menus and guidelines (portioning, presentation).
• Organize kitchen operations, ensuring safety, timely readiness, and clean environment.
• Oversee orders, inventory, and deliveries to keep operations smooth.

Skills

Culinary experience

ServSafe certification

Leadership

Education

High school diploma

Job description

Whitsons Culinary Group is seeking a Floating Lead Cook to lead meal prep across multiple school sites in Massachusetts, including Gardner, Jaffrey, and Mascenic. This role blends hands-on cooking with leadership to ensure nutritious meals meet daily menus, portion controls, and safety standards on time.

You will supervise cooks, manage inventory and orders, and maintain records such as production sheets and temperature logs in a collaborative, mission-focused environment.