Company description Foodlink is a regional food hub and the Feeding America food bank serving 10 counties surrounding Rochester, NY. Our operations target the root causes of hunger.  We do this by distributing food to a network of human service agencies, serving meals through our commercial kitchen, and offering more than 30 food-related programs. In 2015, Foodlink distributed nearly 19 million pounds of food — including 4.6 million pounds of produce, offered more than 200 nutrition education courses, and created new access points for healthy foods in underserved communities. Our innovative approach directly addresses health disparities related to food insecurity.

 

Foodlink’s Community Kitchen

One way that Foodlink addresses the impact of extreme poverty and hunger in our community is by providing healthy meals and snacks to children year-round. In December 2017 Foodlink relocated its kitchen and value added processing center to a new, state-of-the art Community Kitchen at our Mount Read Blvd Headquarters. This $4.6 million investment was made with the support of regional experts, local and state government and committed community partners to enable Foodlink to meet the needs of hungry children and seniors in our region. The Community Kitchen has three pillars:

• Healthy Meals: We prepare and deliver thousands of nutritious breakfasts, lunches, snacks and after-school meals daily, via Federal nutrition programs such as CACFP, SFSP, Senior Feeding, National School Lunch and other vended contracts.
• Local Value-Added Processing : We drive economic development by investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in locally-grown produce, and engaging in small-scale processing to increase access and consumption of these healthy foods.
• Food and Culinary Career Training: We are home to a one-of-a-kind culinary and food manufacturing workforce development institute that builds pathways out of poverty for hard-to-place workers.

Job description

Our Mission

Our mission is to leverage the power of food to end hunger and build healthier communities.

 

Our Vision

We believe that the fight against hunger and the fight against poverty are one and the same. We envision a future in which food is recognized as a human right and every person is able to feed themselves and their families in dignity. Together, we work to create a more nourished, prosperous region.

 

Our Values

Our core values define who we are and how we work with our communities. Foodlink and our team members have:

• Compassion - treat all with dignity & respect; build kinship with those we serve
• Innovation - say yes; avoid complacency risk failure in the pursuit of ending hunger
• Collaboration - build a shared vision, create synergies, maximize resources
• Agility - respond urgently  to the ever-changing needs of our community
• Stewardship - maximize the impact of every dollar, donation and asset

Job Title: Chef Trainer

Department: Career Empowerment Initiatives

Reports to: Director, Career Empowerment Initiatives

Status: Full-Time

 

FOODLINK CAREER FELLOWSHIP

Foodlink Career Fellowship [FCF] is a one-of-a-kind culinary training (pre apprenticeship and apprenticeship) program that prepares individuals with significant barriers to employment for sustainable careers in the growing regional food industry. The FCF model operates with the understanding that individuals facing employment barriers succeed in programs that:

• Provide opportunities to develop, practice and master workplace readiness (or soft skills)
• Offer clear, attainable and customized career pathways based on the participants assessed strengths, interests and aptitude and regional economic data,
• Model real work environments and connect training to practical, in demand work skills,
• Address predominant barriers to employment though program design, community partnerships and case management,
• Provide employer connections and retention support.

 

JOB SUMMARY

The Chef Trainer ensures effective integration of trainees into the kitchen production environment for the purpose of impactful, hands-on job training.  They will be responsible for creating a positive learning environment, both in the kitchen and classroom and will be responsible for tracking trainees’ skill progression.  The Chef Trainer is a working member of the Community Kitchen who actively participates in, and supports, food production, processing and catering.

 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Teaches all culinary classes and administers all assessments, including weekly evaluations and live graded assignments;
• Masters the ROUXBE curriculum and develops relevant, supplemental training lessons to complement the ROUXBE;
• Maintains an understanding of the needs, skills and barriers of upcoming and current graduates through collaboration with Career Coach, Director, Executive Chef and Sous Chef;
• Plans field trips and guest lecturers;
• Ensures both Culinary and soft skill concepts are reinforced on the job;
• Provides hands-on teaching while working with students to accomplish production tasks;
• Maintains student “academic” records (i.e. tracking trainees’ meeting of FCF competency goals);
• Works with Sous Chef to adhere to kitchen schedule that is conducive to integrating trainees into production;
• Participates in case conferences, when relevant, to assess and develop action plans for participants;
• Participates in initial prescreening, interviewing and orientation of new classes;
• Completes all other duties as assigned in order to support CEI and Kitchen production goals

 

QUALIFICATIONS

• Flexibility and willingness to evaluate and improve program design
• Experience effectively training/ leading classes in both the kitchen and class environment
• Passion for both food and eradicating poverty
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in varied food production environments
• Culinary degree or certification
• ServSafe Manager Certified
• Experience working with individuals who are overcoming barriers to employment a plus
• Excellent communication and organizational skills
• Able to adapt, improvise and adjust for size of class and class ability
• Resilience in the face of challenges in a professional environment
• Good sense of humor
• Bilingual in Spanish language a plus

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

Work includes walking and standing for long periods of time, repetitive hand an arm movements, grasping and pinching with both hands, frequent use of the computer and telephone as well as frequent interaction with co-workers, cohorts and members within the community in a fast paced environment. The average weight range of items lifted is 1-10 pounds with a maximum weight lifted of 50 pounds occasionally. Work is performed in a variety of settings including office, classroom and kitchen. The noise level is moderate.

 

Note: The above description is illustrative of tasks and responsibilities. It is not meant to be all-inclusive. Employees in this job will follow other instructions and perform other related duties as required.

 

Everyone is welcome here! Foodlink is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, genetics, veteran or disability status. Women, people of color, and /or those who have overcome significant barriers in their own professional and personal lives are encouraged to apply.

Compensation this position is : hourly, $15/hr + Application instructions DeadlineJuly 20, 2019