Head Chef, Commissary Kitchen (No Nights/Weekends), NYC

Red Rabbit; New York (NY); On-site; USD 55,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous PTO

Health insurance

401k options

Education reimbursement

Parental leave

Family leave

Disability insurance

Summer flex program

Travel reimbursements

Free lunch

Job summary

Red Rabbit in Long Island City, NY seeks a Head Chef to lead a 7–12 person commissary kitchen, overseeing meal production for hundreds of children daily.

The role emphasizes training and motivating staff, ensuring top quality, strict food safety, and efficient inventory management with a commitment to equity in school nutrition and community engagement.

Qualifications

• 3+ years professional culinary experience in a fast paced, high volume kitchen.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor kitchen staff to improve skills and performance.
• Oversee daily culinary operations to maintain high-quality food.
• Ensure food safety and sanitation standards are followed at all times.
• Manage inventory and optimize food costs through planning.

Skills

Culinary experience

Supervisory experience

Communication skills

Bilingual (English/Spanish)

ServeSafe cert

Data tracking

Organization

Education

Bachelor degree in culinary arts

Tools

Spreadsheets

Office software

Job description

About the Role

The Head Chef position is an exciting opportunity for a talented and seasoned chef looking to transition to meaningful, impactful work. The Head Chef leads the day to day operations of a 7-12 person commissary kitchen team, overseeing the preparation and production of high quality meals for hundreds of children each day.

The ideal candidate has strong culinary skills, is comfortable with office-work, and enjoys interacting with customers. A strong emphasis will be placed on candidates’ ability to train and motivate their team. Must share our passion for creating equity in the school cafeteria.

Job Functions

Leadership

• Train and coach kitchen team members to enhance their skills and performance
• Develop team members through ongoing mentoring and support.
• Create a positive and cohesive team environment that promotes retention and high performance.

Culinary Management

• Oversee daily culinary operations to ensure consistent and high-quality food preparation.
• Maintain a food-safe kitchen at all times by adhering to health and safety standards.
• Perform quality control checks on all menu items to ensure consistency and integrity.
• Optimize food costs through efficient inventory management and creative menu planning.

Administration

• Follow production schedules to ensure timely meal preparation and service.
• Track and submit consumption numbers and daily compliance reports accurately.
• Manage facility maintenance projects to ensure a safe and functional kitchen environment.

Customer Care

• Build and maintain strong relationships with the school community, including teachers, administrators, and parents.
• Attend school meetings to stay informed and engaged with the school community.
• Educate the school community about culinary and nutrition topics through presentations in the cafeteria.

Skills & Requirements

• 3+ years professional culinary experience in a fast paced, high volume kitchen
• 1+ years supervisory/management experience
• Bachelor degree in culinary arts a plus
• Demonstrated knowledge of proper food safety and sanitation practices
• Must be comfortable using software/apps/spreadsheets to track and report data
• Must have excellent communication skills and be extremely well organized
• Familiarity with NSLP compliance requirements a plus
• Must share our passion for improving nutrition and health in schools
• Bilingual (English and Spanish) a plus
• ServeSafe Certificate required within 90 days of Hire. (Reimbursement available)

Additional Information

Job Type: Full Time

Typical Hours: Sunday - Thursday approx- 6:00 AM to 2:30 PM

Location: Long Island City, NY

Reports to: General Manager

Compensation: $55,000 - $60,000

Benefits

• Generous PTO (most major holidays off)
• Health, Dental, Vision Insurance
• 401k Options
• Paid Professional Development
• Education Reimbursement Opportunities
• Paid Parental Leave
• Paid Family Leave
• Short-Term Disability Insurance Coverage
• Paid Summer Flex Program
• Worker’s Compensation Insurance Coverage
• Travel Reimbursements
• Free Lunch: Access to great-tasting, made-from-scratch food.

About The Company

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 will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, or sexual orientation.