Senior Cook

The Midnight Mission; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 26,000 - 28,000; Full time

Job summary

The Midnight Mission in Los Angeles is seeking a Senior Cook to help lead our kitchen operations at the shelter. You will oversee the culinary team, optimize donated food resources, and help prepare nearly 3,000 nutritious meals daily with compassion.

You may supervise Food Services staff when the Kitchen Manager is away. You should have relevant culinary certifications, at least 1 year of leadership experience in a kitchen, and a strong focus on safety, sanitation, and high-volume production.

Qualifications

• High School diploma required; culinary certifications preferred.
• 1 year of kitchen leadership experience preferred.
• Knowledge of safety, sanitation, and food handling standards.
• Strong communication and leadership skills to guide a team.

Responsibilities

• Lead kitchen operations and supervise the culinary team.
• Coordinate volunteer support and ensure smooth communication with volunteers.
• Oversee food production according to recipes and DOH standards.
• Monitor inventory, sanitation, and equipment maintenance.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Food safety

Menu planning

Education

High School diploma

Culinary certifications preferred

Job description

# Senior CookLos Angeles, CA 90013## OverviewSalary Range$19.19 - $20.50 HourlyPosition TypeFull Time## DescriptionJOB Summary: The Senior Cook position helps lead TMM kitchen operations at our homeless shelter. You will play a pivotal role in overseeing the culinary team, optimizing the use of donated food resources, and ensuring the preparation of nearly 3,000 daily meals that are healthy, balanced, and served with compassion. Also, supervises Food Services staff in absence of Kitchen Manager.**Key Duties and Responsibilities****Volunteer Coordination:*** Volunteer liaison, ensuring they are informed of their responsibilities, and that the kitchen is properly communicating with volunteers when other managers are not available.* Provide guidance, training, and support to volunteers, fostering a collaborative and welcoming environment.* Ensure volunteers are integrated into kitchen operations seamlessly and motivated to contribute effectively.**Kitchen Operations Oversight:*** Leads culinary team by consistently observing and providing feedback, guidance, and direction to staff* Helps to train all staff and volunteers, ensuring standards are adhered to* Responsible for food production according to recipes/directions* Follows the menu provided by management* Overseeing expectations and maintaining kitchen to DOH standards.* Encourages and builds mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.* Serving as a role model to demonstrate appropriate behaviors.* Provides support to the “Food Services Manager” on staffing levels to ensure that participant service, operational needs and financial objectives are met.* Establishes and maintains open, collaborative relationships with employees and ensures employees do the same within the team.* Performs duties in team members absence or determine appropriate replacement to fill gaps.* Ensures all TMM policies are administered fairly and consistently.* Monitor inventory, food storage, and equipment maintenance to ensure smooth day-to-day operations.**Food Resource Management:*** Develop strategies to effectively utilize donated food resources, minimizing waste and maximizing nutritional value.* Assist in the Implement creative menu planning that incorporates available ingredients to provide diverse and nutritious meals.**Menu Planning and Nutritional Balance:*** Ensure meals meet the health requirements of shelter residents.**Quality Assurance:*** Maintain high standards of food quality, presentation, and taste, reflecting dignity and respect for shelter residents.* Conduct regular taste tests and gather feedback to make necessary adjustments and improvements.* Enforce sanitation, hygiene, and safety protocols to ensure a clean and safe kitchen environment.**Community Engagement:*** Act as a representative of The Midnight Mission, fostering positive relationships with shelter residents, staff, and external partners.* Participate in community outreach and events to raise awareness about the shelter's mission and culinary initiatives.## Qualifications**Education*** Relevant culinary certifications preferred.* High School diploma required**Experience*** 1 year experience in kitchen leadership* Management experience preferred**Knowledge, Skills & Abilities*** Has knowledge of food with a focus on quality, production, sanitation, and presentation* Experience working with high volume production & large batch cooking* Must have knowledge of safety and sanitation in the workplace* Possesses ability to assist in planning a variety of menus daily* Passion for food and an understanding of high quality* Communication skills to lead, influence, and encourage others; demonstrates honesty/integrity; leads by example.* Ability to work independently with minimum supervision. Provide leadership with the Food Services Manager and Kitchen Manager are not in attendance.***OR***Any combination of academic education, professional training or work experience demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position.