Kitchen Staff (Northern Colorado)

Denver Rescue Mission; Wellington (CO); On-site; USD 28,000 - 30,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plans

Vacation & leave

Tuition reimbursement

Life insurance

Health savings account

Flexible spending accounts

Parental & bereavement leave

401(k) with match

Job summary

Denver Rescue Mission seeks a Chef to oversee kitchen operations, volunteer engagement, and food distribution across our facilities. You will plan menus, coordinate with leadership, and ensure high quality meals for individuals served.

This role emphasizes teamwork, food safety, and mentorship of program participants and volunteers, with flexibility for evenings and weekends in a faith-based nonprofit setting.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Previous cooking and commercial kitchen experience.
• Must be able to lift at least 50 pounds; food safety knowledge.
• ServSafe certification or ability to fulfill within 90 days.
• CPR/First Aid certification within 90 days.
• Willingness to work nights, weekends, and holidays.

Responsibilities

• Plans and executes daily menu in coordination with leadership and using donated items.
• Organizes and monitors buffet style meal service.
• Prepares a staff and volunteer-friendly kitchen environment.
• Trains program participants in food handling and cooking practices.
• Supervises Work Readiness participants as assigned.
• Maintains food safety policies and department logs.
• Participates in weekly staff meetings and continuous improvement.

Skills

Cooking experience

Team leadership

Volunteer coordination

Food safety practices

Education

High school diploma or GED

ServSafe certification or ability to obtain within 90 days

CPR/First Aid certification within 90 days

Job description

Hiring Range

$20.29 - $21.72 hourly - Based on Qualifications and Experience.

BENEFITS AND PERKS

• Comprehensive health plans include medical, dental and vision benefits.
• Generous vacation, sick time, and holiday pay, plus paid birthday off and ‘refreshment’ day.
• Tuition reimbursement and child adoption benefits.
• Employer paid term life insurance, long-term disability, AD&D.
• Health savings account with generous employer contribution.
• Flexible spending accounts.
• Paid parental and bereavement leave.
• 401(k) with up to 5% company match.
• Please access our highlights of the benefits package we offer here: Denver Rescue Mission Benefits Guide.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Chef reports to the Denver Food Services leadership team (i.e. Supervisor, Manager or Director) as assigned and is responsible for all kitchen operations, activities, and volunteer services. Each shift will be staffed with a Chef who will focus on food production as well as focus on the volunteer experience through engagement and mobilization. Each facility offers buffet style, serving individuals who are utilizing services in each specific location. During the course of a shift, all Chefs will work as a team and lend assistance to one another as needed. All Chefs will be required to fulfill the respective areas of focus based upon the needs of each shift.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Kitchen Operations

• Plans and executes daily menu in coordination with other Chefs, Denver Food Services leadership positions and the Food Distribution Coordinator using donated food from the Ministry Outreach Center while maintaining high quality balanced meals.
• Organizes and monitors buffet style meal service.
• Oversees the preparation of meals by preparing a food prep list that can be executed by all kitchen help including volunteers and program participants.
• Creates a professional, respectful and teamwork driven environment where team members and volunteers work together in unison.
• Records number of meals served by scanning every meal into Denver Rescue Mission’s database. Review meal totals at the end of every shift to ensure accuracy and reports any issues to the Denver Food Services leader.
• Trains program participants in appropriate food handling, preparation, and cooking practices. These practices include but are not limited to: appropriate personal hygiene, food preparation, and maintaining proper working relations with all kitchen help.
• Supervises program participants who are assigned to the kitchen as part of their Work Readiness ensuring they are performing tasks as determined by the Chef on duty.

Volunteer Services

• Works in cooperation with the Volunteer Services department to host and mobilize volunteers from the community who are onsite for kitchen prep and meal service shifts each day, resulting in an excellent volunteer experience.
• Anticipates and prepares for the volunteers before each volunteer shift by providing a written list of tasks related to meal planning and oversees the tasks performed by volunteers.
• Provides welcome and orientation for the volunteers at the beginning of each volunteer shift.
• Continuously mobilizes volunteers during their entire shift so that volunteers are engaged and productive.
• Thanks, debriefs, and dismisses volunteers at the end of each volunteer shift.

Inventory Management

• Maintains and rotates food storage areas in a manner that is organized, maintains pars and keeps areas free of clutter.
• Accurately records donations that stay at the kitchen facility for use in meal production, which includes weighing all donated items and recording on provided sheets.
• Sends all excess food donations to Denver Rescue Mission’s warehouse daily per health department standards.
• Serves food during designated mealtimes at the buffet area only.

Food Safety

• Follows practices of personal hygiene, food handling practices, and proper cleaning and sanitizing methods.
• Daily maintains Denver Rescue Mission’s food safety policies, procedures, and required department logs.
• Maintains proper food rotation and discards any unusable or unwholesome items immediately.
• Ensures all cleaning schedules are kept updated on a daily basis.

Additional Responsibilities

• Standard uniform is a chef coat, long pants, and appropriate non-slip shoes.
• As assigned, participates in weekly staff meetings and other staff related activities.
• Follows all accepted and normal staff practices regarding sicknesses, reports, job-related problems, and supervision.
• Participates in continuous improvement projects and trainings, utilizing Agile and Lean Methodologies and promoting departmental values.
• Displays characteristics "humble, hungry and smart" as portrayed in Patrick Lencioni’s book, The Ideal Team Player.
• Is willing to engage in projects to promote a culture of continuous improvement.

Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• High school diploma or GED
• Previous cooking and commercial kitchen experience required.
• Must be able to lift and move at least 50 pounds.
• Knowledge in food industry procedures and sanitation codes related to buffet type services.
• Ability to cook in large and small quantities.
• Possess an understanding of hospitality related to food services in front and back of house.
• Solid Christian ethic with ability to work with people of diverse cultural, educational, and religious backgrounds.
• ServSafe® certified or ability to fulfill certification within 90 days of hire.
• Ability to achieve and maintain CPR/First Aid certification within 90 days of hire.
• Willingness to work nights, weekends and holidays as assigned.
• Active Driver’s License and ability to meet DRM insurability standards, as a limited amount of work-related travel may be required.
• Must be a Christian holding to the beliefs set forth in the Statement of Faith, expressed by a personal testimony and Christian conduct.

Denver Rescue Mission is both an equal opportunity employer and a distinctly faith-based Christian organization. Denver Rescue Mission complies with applicable federal, state, and local employment laws, and strictly prohibits and does not tolerate discrimination against employees, applicants, or any other covered persons because of race, color, national original or ancestry, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, citizenship, parental status, marital status, political ideology, or current or prospective service in the uniformed services. This policy applies to all terms, conditions, and privileges of employment including recruitment, employment, training, and promotion opportunities. Based upon Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, and the U.S. Constitution, Denver Rescue Mission has the right to, and does, hire only candidates who agree with our Statement of Faith and align with our Christian mission.

Our organization uses E-Verify.

This posting is expected to close 3/1/2026 or when filled.