The Culinary Team at HCZ works to transform how the community engages with food—through improving our nutrition environment and thinking more sustainably about what we eat through hands-on nutrition education in the garden and the kitchen, in the classroom and the boardroom.  Transforming what we eat is crucial to HCZ’s larger missions—in the classroom, the future and beyond. The better we eat, the better we learn and the better we live. So, join us as we create a community of educated eaters.

The Assistant Executive Chef will assist the Executive Chef with overall kitchen operation and administration. The Assistant Executive Chef will be responsible for creating, planning, and organizing menus while supervising a team of Cooks, Servers, and Dishwashers. The ideal candidate will exhibit strong culinary talents and ensuring high quality service and customer satisfaction.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist Executive Chef with preparing menus for students and staff
• Help supervise kitchen staff and their activities within the kitchen department
• Interact with staff and students to obtain feedback on product quality and service levels
• Respond to and handle all guest problems and complaints
• Motivate kitchen team and be able to assist in succession planning
• Coach and counsel employees in a timely manner and in accordance with Company policy
• Oversee kitchen budget and products
• Ensure that food stock levels are of sufficient quantity and quality
• Ensure that chefs are always in clean tidy uniforms and are always presentable to be in guest view
• Ensure that all food preparation equipment is being used safely and correctly and that it is cleaned and maintained
• Ensure that all culinary operations manuals are prepared and updated
• Ensure that a consistent first class product of the highest quality is achieved and maintained in all culinary areas, whilst adhering to operational deadlines
• Be aware of new items, which are introduced onto the market and keep up with the lasted product trends
• Manage weekly work schedules
• Assist in recruiting and interviewing new kitchen staff
• Collaborate with School and Administrative teams on catering requests and other kitchen resources/initiatives

Qualifications, Skills, and Knowledge Requirements

• Minimum of five years large volume cooking experience along with two years experience managing staff of 5 or more in a food service environment
• Must have the ability to lead and support kitchen staff members
• Have experience with creating menus
• Hold degree from a Culinary Arts School or attended a high performing Culinary training program
• Hold a valid NYC DOH Food Protection Certificate
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Must be able to understand verbal and written instruction
• Ability to work in a team environment and demonstrate excellent customer service
• Have experience working in a fast-paced environment
• Must be knowledgeable and able to manage and comply with Health Department and other governmental agency regulations.
• Must have extensive knowledge of food preparation and production for volume restaurant and banquet facility
• Individual is responsible for achieving on site certifications provided by employer
• Ability to stand for long periods of time, bend, kneel, and reach to store/retrieve supplies
• Ability to lift, carry, and push supplies and boxes up to 50 pounds
• Occasional environment exposures to cold, heat and water
• Passion for working in underserved communities is a plus

We offer competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package. To be considered, interested applicants must submit a cover letter and resume to hr@hcz.org.  No telephone inquiries or recruiters please.  Replies will only be sent to qualified applicants.  HCZ is an EOE.