Team Lead

HomeState; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 33,062 - 38,572; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free meals

Affordable benefits

Life insurance

Employee assistance program

Advancement opportunities

Slip‑resistant shoes

Community involvement

Transparent communication

Compassionate culture

Job summary

HomeState, a Tex Mex kitchen in Southern California, seeks a Team Lead to support service excellence and hospitality. You will lead shifts, train team members, and help manage ordering, inventory, and safety.

The role emphasizes guest focus, reliability, and collaborative leadership in a fast-paced restaurant setting. Ideal candidates bring 1–2 years in restaurant roles, adaptability, strong communication, and a passion for food and hospitality.

Qualifications

• Mastery of core competencies for Service Team Member: Guest Focus, Action‑Oriented, Resilient, Collaborative.
• Resourcefulness in securing and deploying people, time, equipment, and support.
• Influence and leadership to elevate standards and maintain collaboration.
• Adapt training/communication to different learners and shifting shift demands.
• Uphold HomeState standards, sanitation guidelines and safety practices.

Responsibilities

• Lead on Duty: train and collaborate with management to maintain standards and safety.
• Assist ordering/receiving products and oversee shift openings/closings, attendance, receipts, and inventory.
• Ensure a clean, welcoming storefront, service areas and kitchen; manage tasks per admin duties matrix.
• Maintain consistent attendance and act as an ambassador in the community.

Skills

Guest Focus

Action‑Oriented

Resilient

Collaborative

Resourcefulness

Influential

Situational Adaptability

Instill Trust

Job description

Description

HomeState is a Tex Mex Kitchen in Southern California. We serve tacos, queso, brisket, and margaritas, but more than that, we serve each other. We provide everyone with warm hospitality that makes them feel at home. No matter where you’re from. Everything we do – from how we greet each other to how we show up in our communities – is rooted in that belief. We serve hospitality first, tacos second.

• Service – Our foundation is care for the guest and team experience.
• Hospitality – We treat others with respect and dignity. All are welcome.
• Intentional – No detail is too small and nothing happens by accident.
• Nurturing – We value learning and curiosity through training and innovation.
• Excellence – We hold ourselves to the highest standards in safety and service.

How We Show Up (SHINE)

• Service – Our foundation is care for the guest and team experience.
• Hospitality – We treat others with respect and dignity. All are welcome.
• Intentional – No detail is too small and nothing happens by accident.
• Nurturing – We value learning and curiosity through training and innovation.
• Excellence – We hold ourselves to the highest standards in safety and service.

Pay

$24–$28/hr with tip share

Base rate for team leads is $20.50/hr

• With tip share it is reasonable to expect $26–$28/hr

Why Homestate

• Free delicious meals every shift
• Affordable benefits*
• 100% company‑paid life insurance*
• Employee assistance program
• Advancement opportunities available
• Slip‑resistant shoe program
• We play an active role in our communities
• We value transparent communication
• We lead with compassion

Essentials That You Bring

• Mastery of all core competencies (Guest Focus, Action‑Oriented, Resilient and Collaborative) for Service Team Member role.
• Resourcefulness: Secure and deploy resources (such as people, time, equipment, materials, and support) effectively and efficiently. Adapt quickly to changing resource requirements. Bring ideas for areas of improvement to management.
• Influential: Inspire team members to gain their support and commitment. Empower and lead by example. Team Leads are charged with maintaining the standards and elevating whenever possible using compelling arguments to find common ground that satisfy the needs of many with maintaining collaborative approach.
• Situationally Adaptable: Adapting in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations. Change training or communication delivery for different types of learners. Observes situational and group dynamics to select the best approach for a successful shift.
• Instill Trust: Gain the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, transparency and authenticity. Honors commitments & practices professional discretion.
• Follow all HomeState standards, sanitation guidelines, policies or procedures to ensure that you are serving guests the highest quality, delivering caring hospitality, and that you are embodying the HomeState mission and core values.
• Maintain regular, predictable attendance, which includes attendance at all scheduled shifts, training and meetings. Ensure storefront, service, bathroom and kitchen areas are clean, organized and appealing to guests.
• Take pride in your work each day to make things a little better than they were yesterday. Serve as an ambassador, both internally and externally in the community.

Lead on Duty

• Team Leads are responsible for leading and training in collaboration with management.
• Team Leads are responsible to maintain standards and ensure a safe, healthy working environment.
• Team Leads are often responsible for assisting ordering and receiving products.
• Team Leads are often responsible for opening or closing the shift which includes monitoring attendance, breaks, cash management, shift reports, waste log, restaurant emails, reporting performance issues, inventory count, ordering, or other non‑supervisory tasks as assigned by Management or outlined in the administrative duties matrix.
• Team Leads are not responsible for hiring, scheduling, progressive counseling, disciplinary actions, or terminations.

Requirements

• 1-2 years in the restaurant industry with guest facing roles preferred.
• Personable and enjoys working with people and a diverse team.
• Passion for food & hospitality.
• Availability to work a minimum of five days per week. Extended hours and/or a sixth day may occasionally be required. Weekends, day shifts and evening shifts may be required.
• Willingness to learn both kitchen team lead and service team lead roles to be an adaptable team player.

Physical Requirements

• Ability to remain in a stationary position for long periods of time (6 or more hours per shift, excluding break times).
• Ability to lift, push, pull, or carry up to 40 pounds (examples include beverage cambros, ice buckets, tray of food & drinks, and taking out the trash).
• Ability to frequently bend and reach overhead (examples include stocking supplies and cleaning equipment).
• Ability to recognize, perceive, communicate and/or comprehend directions and spatial cues as expected in a restaurant (examples include “behind” and “corner”).
• Must possess dexterity to reach for, grasp and manipulate objects (examples include mopping, scooping ice, using a squeeze bottle).
• Ability to regularly move around the restaurant from guests areas to kitchen areas while carrying items (such as beverage racks and food trays).
• Must be able to work in a constant state of alertness and safe manner.
• May be required to occasionally work in outdoor weather conditions or fluctuating temperatures (such as in the patio dining areas).

Please note that this job description is not meant to cover or include all the tasks, duties, and responsibilities the employee may be required to perform, and any assigned tasks, duties, and responsibilities are subject to change at the company’s discretion, with or without notice or contemporaneous update to this document. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities and sincerely‑held religious beliefs to perform the essential functions of this position, to the extent required by and in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local law; contact Human Resources to request a reasonable accommodation. Nothing in this job description modifies the at‑will nature of employment.

HomeState embraces diversity and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of any classification protected by law. We will consider for employment all qualified Applicants, including those with Criminal Histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.