Kitchen Chef

Evolve Adolescent Behavioral Health; Walnut Creek (CA); On-site; USD 48,000 - 50,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision

401k

PTO

Paid holidays

Small team; mission-driven work

Beautiful residential kitchen

Job summary

Evolve Adolescent Behavioral Health in Walnut Creek/Lafayette is hiring a Residential Chef to prepare balanced, kid-friendly meals for teens in our 6-bed residential homes. You will plan weekly menus, supervise portioning, and ensure meals meet dietary needs while working a small, mission-driven team.

This on-site role offers a Monday–Friday schedule with no weekends, competitive hourly pay, and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• High School Diploma and food service experience.
• Current ServSafe or Food Handlers certification.
• Must be 21 years or older and pass LiveScan/background checks.

Responsibilities

• Prepare fresh, balanced meals for clients and on-site staff.
• Plate and serve lunch and dinner Monday–Friday; ensure adequate portions for staff and clients.
• Prepare fresh lunches and dinners for weekends for clients and staff.
• Ensure continental breakfast items are available for self-serve daily.
• Prepare daily AM/PM snacks for clients, Monday–Friday.
• Follow weekly menus meeting dietary needs (gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, lactose-free).
• Post menus weekly and review with clients to determine weekly options.
• Maintain kitchen inventory and shop 1–2 times weekly.
• Label and dispose of food per licensing standards.

Skills

Food service experience

Food preparation

Team collaboration

Adolescent health sensitivity

Education

High School Diploma

Tools

ServSafe Certification

Food Handlers Card

Job description

$35–$36.50/hour | Monday–Friday, 10am–6:30pm

Make meals that heal. Evolve Treatment Centers is hiring a Residential Chef for our 6-bed adolescent residential treatment homes Walnut Creek/Lafayette. This is more than a culinary job — it’s a chance to use your passion for food to support teens on their healing journey.

Why You’ll Love Working Here

• Competitive pay: Walnut Creek/Lafayette $35-$36.50/hour
• Consistent schedule: Monday–Friday, no weekends or late nights
• Full benefits: Health, dental, vision, 401k, PTO, holidays
• Supportive culture: Small team, mission-driven work
• Beautiful workplace: Residential home setting with a welcoming kitchen
• Meaningful impact: Every meal supports a teen’s recovery and well-being

Essential Functions

• Prepare fresh, balanced meals for clients and on-site staff
• Plate and serve lunch and dinner for clients Monday through Friday; ensure that enough food is prepared to provide meals to staff on-site (including Overnight Residential Counselors) as well as second servings to all clients
• Prepare fresh re-heatable lunches and dinners for clients and staff on weekends
• Ensure that items for continental breakfast are available for clients to self-serve 7 days per week
• Prepare a homemade AM and a PM snack for the clients daily, Monday through Friday
• Ensure that all meals are balanced and appropriately portioned for adolescent clients; each meal should contain a protein, a carb, and a fruit or vegetable
• Follow the Evolve Menu Nutrition Standards in creating weekly menu and prepare meals in line with client dietary needs, including gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, lactose-free, etc.
• Post menus weekly and review with clients individually to determine weekly opt outs
• Meet with clients individually after admissions to review their preferences, dietary needs and restrictions
• Maintain inventory of food and shop 1-2 times weekly to keep the kitchen stocked
• Ensure that the client refrigerator is stocked with whole fruit, string cheese, and yogurt
• Purchase food within the monthly budget provided, adjusting budget based on census
• Submit receipts at the beginning of each month for the previous month
• Monitor functioning of all kitchen equipment and alert Facility Nurse to needed repairs and replacements
• Properly store, handle, and prepare all food items, per licensing and accreditation standards
• Label and dispose of food per licensing and accreditation standards
• Post Menu each week, maintain refrigerator, freezer, and dishwasher temperature logs per licensing and accreditation standards
• Ensure that the kitchen is kept neat and clean
• Ensure that kitchen sharps (knives, cheese graters, peelers, etc.) are locked in the sharps box when not in use; complete the sharps sign-out log when needed
• Provide meals and snacks for other Programs in the region if a Chef is out
• Other duties, as assigned by Program Director

Qualifications

• High School Diploma
• Experience in food service and preparation required
• Must hold current certification or licensure for operating a kitchen. (ServSafe, Food Handlers Card).
• Must be 21 years or older
• Must be able to pass a LiveScan background check and clear federal and state criminal background checks, and child abuse indexes.
• Must be willing to interact with COVID-positive clients, as needed

Bonus Points If You Have

• Experience working with teens in a behavioral health setting, school/college or healthcare.
• A desire to combine culinary skills with a greater purpose

For information on Evolve's privacy practices, see the Evolve California Personnel Privacy Notice located at https://evolvetreatment.com/personnel-privacy-notice/.