Lead Cook - Full Time - Breakfast / AM Shift

Ridgecrest Conference Center; Black Mountain (NC); On-site; USD 20,664 - 28,929; Full time

Job summary

Ridgecrest Conference Center in the Blue Ridge Mountains seeks a Lead Cook to oversee meal preparation for conferences, meetings and special events. This full-time role focuses on breakfast/AM shift operations, ensuring meals are prepared on time, plated well, and served according to safety standards while guiding kitchen staff.

The position requires strong cooking and leadership skills, inventory oversight, and cost-conscious kitchen management.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED required.
• Minimum of four years of advanced commercial cooking experience in a fast-paced kitchen.
• Strong knowledge of cooking techniques, recipes, presentation, and kitchen safety.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, organizational, and prioritization skills.
• Supervisory or leadership experience preferred.
• Food safety certification preferred and willingness to work varied shifts.
• Ability to work early mornings, weekends, and holidays as needed.

Responsibilities

• Lead the preparation and cooking of meals for events while ensuring quality and presentation.
• Follow recipes, adjust portions, and meet dietary requirements and service expectations.
• Ensure proper temperatures, timely delivery to front-of-house or event staff.
• Oversee the food line and presentation to meet service standards.
• Supervise kitchen staff, assign tasks, and maintain efficient workflow.
• Train and coach staff on cooking and safety practices.
• Monitor safety, sanitation, and compliance with health codes.
• Assist with menu planning, workflow, and inventory management.
• Monitor inventory, control portions, and minimize food waste.
• Perform additional tasks to support peak event operations.

Skills

Advanced cooking

Food preparation

Time management

Communication

Leadership

Food safety

Education

High school diploma or GED

Culinary training (preferred)

Job description

Description

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Ridgecrest Conference Center's mission is impacting lives for Gods glory through purposeful hospitality. Ridgecrest offers everything needed for meaningful gatherings, including comfortable guest rooms, versatile meeting spaces, and both indoor and outdoor activities surrounded by stunning mountain views.

Each year, our team is excited to serve over 50,000 guests. We are driven by our core values of serving one, making it better, cultivating relationships and creating purposeful experiences that matter.

If you have a servant heart and a passion for hospitality, joining the Ridgecrest team could be your opportunity to make a difference.

Job Summary:

The Lead Cook supports Ridgecrest Conference Center by overseeing the preparation and production of high-quality meals for conferences, meetings, and special events. This role leads breakfast and AM shift kitchen operations, ensuring meals are prepared on time, presented well, and served according to food safety standards and guest needs. The Lead Cook supervises and guides kitchen staff, assists with menu planning and workflow, and supports inventory control to help maintain efficient, cost-conscious food service operations. This position plays an important role in Ridgecrest’s mission of impacting lives for God’s glory through purposeful hospitality.

Job specific highlights:

Job Type: Full-Time

Pay Range: Starting pay $18.00 per hour (dependent up on experience)

Schedule: Early mornings working the Breakfast / AM shift. Typical start time is 5:30 AM. Must be able to work early mornings, weekends, and holidays based on event and business needs.

Essential Job Duties:

• Lead the preparation and cooking of large quantities of meals for events, conferences, and meetings while ensuring quality, consistency, and presentation standards are met.
• Follow recipes, adjust portions, and ensure meals are prepared according to specifications, dietary requirements, and service expectations.
• Ensure food is prepared, held, and served at the correct temperature and delivered promptly to front-of-house or event staff.
• Oversee the food line and presentation of dishes to ensure they meet standards for each service.
• Supervise, guide, and assign tasks to kitchen staff during food production to support an efficient workflow.
• Train, coach, and provide feedback to kitchen staff to build skill, consistency, and knowledge in food preparation and safety practices.
• Ensure kitchen staff follow food safety, sanitation, proper food handling, cleanliness, kitchen safety standards, and applicable health code requirements.
• Assist the Executive Chef or Kitchen Manager with menu planning, workflow, and suggestions for dishes or variations based on client needs and dietary requirements.
• Monitor inventory, manage portions, communicate supply needs, and help minimize food waste to support cost control.
• Perform additional tasks and responsibilities as required to support the overall operations of food service during events.

Consistently exemplify Ridgecrest’s Core Values:

• Serve One
• Cultivate Relationships
• Create Purposeful Experiences
• Make It Better

Requirements

• Minimum Education Requirements: High school diploma or GED.
• Minimum Experience Requirements: Minimum of four years of advanced commercial cooking and food preparation experience in a fast-paced kitchen environment.
• Knowledge Requirements: Strong knowledge of cooking techniques, recipe execution, presentation standards, kitchen safety standards, local health codes, food safety regulations, sanitation practices, and proper kitchen equipment handling.
• Skills Required: Advanced cooking and food preparation skills; ability to work efficiently under time-sensitive conditions; strong interpersonal, communication, organizational, and task-prioritization skills.
• Abilities Required: Ability to supervise and support kitchen staff, manage multiple tasks simultaneously, maintain cleanliness and efficiency, communicate inventory needs, and remain reliable, punctual, and accurate in completing work.
• Education Preferred: Additional culinary, food service, or hospitality-related training preferred.
• Experience Preferred: Minimum of one year of supervisory or leadership experience in the food service industry; intermediate inventory management experience preferred.

Required Certifications (if any):

• Food safety or SERV safe certification preferred,
• Must be able to work early mornings, weekends, and holidays as required by event schedules.
• Must demonstrate a commitment to Ridgecrest’s mission and core values through purposeful hospitality.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to carry or deliver items around various areas of campus with varying degrees of steepness.
• Must be physically able to lift up to 50 pounds.
• Must have manual dexterity sufficient to use kitchen utensils and equipment.
• Ability to stand for long periods and stoop, squat, and climb as necessary.
• Ability to walk and stand on hard floors for extended periods of time.
• Ability to work in environments with varying temperatures, including hot kitchen conditions and cold conditions in refrigeration units, freezers, or cold storage areas.

Hiring Guidelines:

An offer of employment is conditional upon the result of a background check, reference checks, and a drug screen, —for certain positions— a physical examination, credit report, and/or driving record report prior to the commencement of employment.

Key words: Lead Cook, Breakfast Cook, AM Cook, Kitchen Lead, Food Service, Commercial Cooking, Conference Center, Hospitality, Menu Planning, Inventory Management, Food Safety, Sanitation, Kitchen Supervisor, Banquet Cook