Lead Line Cook

Makeready; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/dental/vision benefits

Maternity/paternity leave

Pet insurance

401k with company match

Student loan repayment program

Job summary

Makeready, a premier hospitality collective in Houston, seeks an experienced Lead Line Cook to guide daily service and ensure top-tier food quality.

You will manage line cooks, mentor staff, and uphold HACCP standards in a fast-paced kitchen. The role requires flexibility for mornings, evenings, weekends, and events in a new River Oaks-area property. This position offers competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits as part of Makeready's team.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2–4 years as a Line Cook with lead or supervisory experience.
• Strong cooking techniques and presentation knowledge.
• Solid understanding of food safety, sanitation, and HACCP standards.
• Proven leadership to coach and motivate teammates.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support line cooks to ensure efficient operations and quality.
• Prepare and cook menu items according to recipes and standards.
• Maintain mise en place and station organization throughout shifts.
• Coordinate with the Sous Chef and Executive Chef on daily workflow.
• Train and mentor new and existing kitchen staff.
• Maintain cleanliness and safety across kitchen stations.
• Assist with inventory, receiving deliveries, and waste reduction.
• Foster teamwork and clear communication in the kitchen.
• Ensure consistent portioning and plating quality.
• Perform quality checks prior to serving.

Skills

Line Cook Leadership

Food Safety HACCP

Kitchen Operations

Cooking Techniques

Team Training

Communication

Flex Scheduling

Job description

The Greenleigh River Oaks - Opening Summer 2026

In a world where natural beauty meets big‑city sensibilities, The Greenleigh invites sophisticated travelers and locals to escape to an urban oasis flavored by unexpected creativity. With a coveted location neighboring the charms of River Oaks, and the culture of Uptown's energy, The Greenleigh is the one place that truly celebrates, and elevates, the unexpected nature of Houston.

At The Greenleigh, our culinary experiences are rooted in creativity, quality, and thoughtful execution. The Lead Line Cook plays a critical role in bringing our restaurant concepts to life by preparing exceptional dishes while providing day‑to‑day leadership and support to the culinary team.

This role is ideal for an experienced culinary professional who thrives in a fast‑paced kitchen environment, leads by example, and is passionate about maintaining the highest standards of food quality, consistency, and operational excellence.

Requested Tasks:

• Lead and support line cooks during daily service to ensure efficient kitchen operations and exceptional food quality.
• Prepare and cook menu items according to recipes, specifications, and presentation standards.
• Execute food production in a timely manner during service periods while maintaining accuracy and consistency.
• Assist the Sous Chef and Executive Chef in coordinating daily kitchen operations and workflow.
• Set up, maintain, and oversee assigned workstations with proper mise en place.
• Ensure consistency in food quality, portioning, and plating across all menu items.
• Monitor food preparation and perform quality checks before dishes are served.
• Train, mentor, and support new and existing culinary team members on recipes, techniques, and kitchen standards.
• Maintain cleanliness and organization of kitchen stations, equipment, and storage areas.
• Follow all food safety, sanitation, and health regulations.
• Assist with inventory organization, receiving deliveries, and minimizing product waste.
• Foster positive communication and teamwork throughout the kitchen.

Requested Capabilities:

• Minimum of 2-4 years of experience as a Line Cook, with previous lead or supervisory experience preferred
• Strong knowledge of cooking techniques, kitchen operations, and food presentation.
• Understanding of food safety, sanitation, and HACCP standards.
• Demonstrated leadership skills with the ability to coach, mentor, and motivate team members.
• Ability to work efficiently in a fast‑paced, high‑pressure kitchen environment.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to consistency and quality.
• Ability to follow recipes and execute dishes with precision.
• Excellent communication and teamwork skills.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including mornings, evenings, weekends, holidays, and special events.
• Ability to stand and work for extended periods.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to bend, reach, and perform repetitive kitchen tasks.
• Ability to safely operate kitchen equipment, tools, and knives.

As part of the Makeready collection, we proudly offer a variety of thoughtful benefits and perks for eligible team members including accommodating PTO/PTO exchange, medical/dental/vision benefits, maternity/paternity leave, pet insurance, company-matched dependent care & 401k, student loan repayment program and a wide range of additional ancillary benefits. The health, happiness and well‑being of our team is our top priority.

We take pride in our Guiding Principles to help define how we successfully work together. We follow them not out of duty but live by them instinctively.

Makeready LLC and its affiliated entities are proud to encourage and support an environment where everyone can be a successful team member as their true independent self. We are an equal opportunity workplace and employer that does not discriminate based on race, color, disability, gender/sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, age, veteran status, or any other protected status. We are committed to building a team and a workplace where we are all able to be successful based solely on our individual qualifications, experience, abilities and job performance.