Park Chef III

Commonwealth of Kentucky; Cadiz (KY); On-site; USD 28,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Sign-on bonus

Job summary

Commonwealth of Kentucky’s Kentucky Department of Parks seeks a Park Chef III in Cadiz to lead the culinary department, creating from-scratch recipes with fresh ingredients and training staff. This executive, full-time role emphasizes kitchen operations, menu development, and cross-outlet coordination at Lake Barkley State Resort Park.

The position requires five years of food prep experience with three in supervision, plus education provisions; a sign-on bonus is possible.

Qualifications

• Must have five years of food preparation experience in salads, vegetables, or meats.
• Three years of the required experience must include management or supervision of a large-scale institutional or commercial full-service restaurant or state resort park food facility.
• One year of culinary training will substitute for one year of the food preparation experience.

Responsibilities

• Plans, trains, and supervises kitchen personnel.
• Plans, participates, implements, and manages food product consistency.
• Works on menu development.
• Completes inventory, purchasing, and budget reporting.
• Enforces departmental rules, regulations, and policies.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Time management

Teamwork

Ability to work under pressure

Communication skills

Education

High school graduate

Job description

Park Chef III

Advertisement Closes: 9/5/2026 (11:59 PM ET)

Pay Grade: 13

Salary: $20.14 - $30.21 Hourly

Employment Type: EXECUTIVE BRANCH | FULL TIME | ELIGIBLE FOR OVERTIME PAY | 18A | 37.5 HR/WK

Hiring Agency: Tourism, Arts, & Heritage Cabinet | Kentucky Department of Parks

Location: 3500 State Park Road
Cadiz, KY 42211 USA

Lake Barkley State Resort Park is located on Lake Barkley in Cadiz, Kentucky. Named after the former VicePresident, Alben Barkley, the park is located just minutes from Land Between the Lakes and its 267 squaremiles of outdoor recreation. Working for Kentucky State Parks allows you the freedom and responsibility fortaking care of Kentucky’s greatest landscapes.

The Park Chef III is a highly skilled team member, providing expertise in the restaurant, kitchen, andcatering operations, allowing you a great platform to express your culinary creativity through made fromscratch recipes and fresh ingredients. As the leader of the culinary department, your duties would includetraining others and being the vital link of information on the necessities of the park, so it can operateefficiently.

Working for Kentucky State Parks provides a great opportunity to advance your career and skillset, with on thejob training, new course certifications, flexible schedule, and a great benefit package. It also offers anopportunity to learn different cooking techniques due to our many outlets.

Key Responsibilities

• Plans, trains, and supervises kitchen personnel.
• Plans, participates, implements, and manages food product consistency.
• Works on menu development.
• Completes inventory, purchasing, and budget reporting.
• Enforces departmental rules, regulations, and policies.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Analytical thinking
• Time management
• Teamwork
• Ability to work under pressure
• Communication skills

This position is eligible for an approved sign-on bonus in compliance with 101 KAR 2:034 Section 9(6).

Minimum Requirements

EDUCATION: High school graduate.

EXPERIENCE, TRAINING, OR SKILLS: Must have five years of food preparation experience in salads, vegetables, or meats. Three years of the required experience must include management or supervision of a large-scale institutional or commercial full-service restaurant or state resort park food facility.

Substitute EDUCATION for EXPERIENCE: One year of culinary training will substitute for one year of the food preparation experience on a year-for- year basis.

Substitute EXPERIENCE for EDUCATION: NONE

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS (AGE, LICENSURE, REGULATION, ETC.): NONE

Working Conditions

Typical working conditions for a specific position may be listed on the individual position description.

Probationary Period

This job has an initial and promotional probationary period of 6 months, except as provided in KRS 18A.111.

If you have questions about this advertisement, please contact Ashley Joiner at [e-mail] or 1-270-924-1131.

An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D