Lead Cook (Cook), Variable Shift, Catering and Retail, IU Dining and Hospitality

Indiana University Bloomington; Bloomington (IN); On-site; USD 20,000 - 28,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical and dental insurance

Tuition subsidy

Paid holidays and time off

Employee assistance program

Job summary

Indiana University Bloomington's dining operations are seeking an experienced kitchen supervisor to lead a team of full-time and student staff in preparing daily menus. The role requires strict adherence to recipes, food safety, and efficient service within a high-volume campus kitchen.

Responsibilities include equipment operation, inventory rotation, and training junior cooks, with a focus on quality and timely meal preparation in a dynamic dining environment.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED with 2 years cooking experience and leadership
• ServSafe certification within 180 days from hire
• Ability to work safely and efficiently in a high-volume kitchen
• Leadership demonstrated in prior roles
• Ability to read and follow recipes, calculate ingredient quantities

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of full-time and student staff in daily menu preparation and service
• Follow standardized recipes and ensure quality across stations
• Maintain cleanliness/organization of厨房 and equipment
• Receive, store, and rotate food supplies and maintain inventory
• Train and guide lower-level cooks; monitor work quality
• Ensure smooth operations during meal service in a fast-paced setting
• Communicate needs and issues to supervisors and chefs

Skills

Safety awareness

Proficient communication

Time management

Team leadership

Quality focus

Fast-paced environment

Customer relations

Read recipes and quantities

Organizational skills

Multitasking

Education

High school diploma or GED with 2 years cooking experience and leadership

ServSafe certificate within 180 days of hire

Tools

Commercial kitchen equipment

Job description

Department

IMU DINING (BA-DIMU-IUBLA)

Department Information

IU Dining and Hospitality embraces and expands Indiana University's core values of education, innovation and tradition which embody the true spirit of Hoosier hospitality.

IU Dining supports the IU community and our guests by serving fresh, delicious, sustainably sourced cuisine in welcoming dining halls and eateries.

Retail dining runs food operations for cafes and campus stores at IU Bloomington, also managing relationships with external businesses that serve food on campus and vendors whose retail products are carried at IU.

Retail dining staff work closely with the teams in residential and IMU dining to ensure consistent procurement of products that match student preferences and dietary needs.

Job Summary

Department‑Specific Responsibilities

• Leads a team of full time and student staff in the preparation and service of daily menus.
• Works with standardized recipes, follows instructions to prepare and serve food for their station.
• Familiar with ingredients and cooking techniques to effectively work with a variety of ingredients and cooking styles.

General Responsibilities

• Receives and stores food supplies, equipment, and utensils in refrigerators, cupboards, and other storage areas.
• Carries food supplies, equipment, and utensils to and from storage and work areas.
• Responsible for the rotation and timely use of all food products located within production areas, including walk-in refrigerators, upright/chest freezers, and kitchen pantries.
• Weighs or measures ingredients.
• Uses manual and/or electric appliances to clean, peel, slice, and trim foods.
• Washes, peels, and/or cuts various foods to prepare for cooking or serving.
• Removes trash and cleans kitchen garbage containers.
• Assures that the kitchen is equipped with all necessary food and cooking items for scheduled meals.
• Informs supervisors when supplies are low or equipment is not working properly.
• Cleans galley equipment, kitchen appliances, and work areas inorder to ensure cleanliness and functional operation.
• Answers staff and customer questions, troubleshoots basic issues, and provides guidance on urgent matters.
• May provide guidance to lower-level Cooks.
• Works from recipes and instructions to prepare and cook food; calculates, weighs, and measures ingredient quantities; washes, peels, cuts, slices, trims, or blends various items for cooking and serving.
• Under limited supervision, prepares food items according to menu and numbers of portions to be served.
• Works with management in establishing closing procedures for the dining facility.
• Ensures proper cleaning and disinfecting of equipment.
• Regularly trains, leads, and provides guidance to lower-level cooks.
• Reviews work for quality and works with supervisor and chef to ensure all proper procedures are followed by food services staff.
• Prioritizes and monitors work assignments.
• Responsible for covering employee break times; ensures that service is always maintained.
• Assists in other kitchen departments as time permits.

Qualifications

EDUCATION / WORK EXPERIENCE

Required

• High school diploma or equivalent (such as HSED or GED) with 2 years of cooking experience and demonstrated leadership skills;OR
• General knowledge at the high school level with 2 years of experience at the intermediate cook level and demonstrates leadership skills

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATES

Required

• Food Safety (ServSafe) certification within 180 days from date of hire

SKILLS

Required

• Ability to work in a safe and efficient manner
• Proficient communication skills
• Maintains a high degree of professionalism
• Demonstrates time management and priority setting skills
• Demonstrates a high commitment to quality
• Possesses flexibility to work in a fast paced, dynamic environment
• Seeks to acquire knowledge in area of specialty
• Highly thorough and dependable
• Demonstrates a high level of accuracy, even under pressure
• Excellent organizational skills
• Ability to represent the company with external constituents
• Ability to drive multiple projects to successful completion
• Strong verbal communication and listening skills
• Ability to build strong customer relationships
• Working knowledge of preparation methods and practices for a variety of foods
• Knowledge of basic kitchen sanitation methods and food safety practices
• Ability to interpret and follow oral and written instructions
• Ability to read and interpret recipes and calculate necessary quantities of ingredients
• Ability to learn and operate institutional kitchen equipment
• Ability to coordinate both preparation and timing for menu food items
• Ability to perform work requiring considerable standing and light-medium physical effort under hot and or humid working conditions
• Ability to maintain acceptable standards of personal hygiene
• Ability to review and analyze impending menus to determine appropriate levels for supplies
• Ability to work in team environment as an effective team player
• Ability to work with wide variety of cultures and backgrounds

Working Conditions / Demands

This position requires tasks typically associated with back-of-the-house food service work. It involves periods of both sedentary work and times of frequent movement about the workspace. This role requires using commercial kitchen equipment and tools, moving supplies weighing from 20-50 pounds, and effective communication skills are necessary. This role also will work around both hot and cold temperatures and loud noises. This role involves handling meat and plant-based food products as well as a variety of ingredients that may include some or all of the top 9 allergens in the preparation of menu items. The person in this role must be able to perform the essential functions with or without an accommodation.

Work Location

Bloomington, Indiana

Advertised Salary

$17.25 per hour

Work Hours

This is a VARIABLE shift position.

Shift times vary according to business need.

Management reserves the right to adjust work hours to accommodate special meals and events.

Benefits Overview

For full-time staff employees, Indiana University offers a wide array of benefits including:

• Comprehensive medical and dental insurance
• Health savings account with generous IU contributions
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• Basic group life insurance paid by IU
• Voluntary supplemental life, long-term disability, critical illness, and supplemental accidental death & dismemberment insurance
• Base retirement plan with generous IU contributions, subject to vesting
• Voluntary supplemental retirement plan options
• Tuition subsidy for employees and family members taking IU courses
• 10 paid holidays plus a paid winter break each year
• Generous paid time off plans
• Paid leave for new parents and IU-sponsored volunteer events
• Employee assistance program (EAP)

Learn more about our benefits by reviewing the IUBenefit Programs Brochure.

Job Classification

Career Level: Mastery

FLSA: Nonexempt

Job Function: Operations

Job Family: Food Services

Click here to learn more about Indiana University's Job Framework.

Posting Disclaimer

This posting is scheduled to close at 11:59 pm EST on the advertised Close Date. This posting may be closed at any time at the discretion of the University, but will remain open for a minimum of 5 business days. To guarantee full consideration, please submit your application within 5 business days of the Posted Date.

If you wish to include a cover letter, you may include it with your resume when uploading attachments.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Indiana University is an equal opportunity employer and provider of ADA services and prohibits discrimination in hiring. See Indiana University Notice of Non-Discrimination here which includes contact information.

Campus Safety and Security

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, containing policy statements, crime and fire statistics for all Indiana University campuses, is available online. You may also request a physical copy by emailing IU Public Safety at [e-mail] or by visiting IUPD.

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