Company description

Free Food at Refettorio Harlem (refettorioharlem.org) is a collaboration between Free Food Harlem, an initiative of the nonprofit Unconditional Freedom, and Massimo Bottura's Food for Soul. We serve 3-course dinners to ~350 guests Wednesday-Friday and run a fresh pantry/lunch service on Tuesdays, recovering 2,000 lbs of food and serving 900+ meals every week - alongside a growing guest chef program (Anthony Mangieri, Nino Settepani, Stefano Secchi, Alessio Rossetti, and more).

Job description

The Role

We're looking for a management-focused second chef to run day-to-day kitchen operations - menu planning, food procurement, inventory, and food safety - for all community meals, catering, and events. You'll coordinate our Guest Chef Volunteer program and kitchen volunteer teams, working closely with the Culinary Director to keep service running smoothly in a fast-paced, high-volume kitchen. Good with people, organized, and comfortable adapting on the fly.

DUTIES

- Plan and execute daily menus from donated/surplus food, honoring our zero-waste ethos and accommodating dietary needs

- Manage inventory, ordering, and supplier/food-rescue relationships

- Run food safety compliance (HACCP, FIFO, time/temperature, labeling)

- Recruit, train, and supervise kitchen staff, interns, and volunteers

- Maintain kitchen equipment and track weekly food-rescue weights/donation reporting

- Support occasional fundraising and promotional events with culinary/catering help

What We're Looking For

- 3+ years in an executive kitchen role, including staff management

- DOHMH Food Protection Certification

- Strong food safety/sanitation knowledge (local, state, federal)

- Experience cooking at scale (100+ covers) and managing a food budget

- Comfortable working with volunteers and a diverse, multicultural team

- Organized, self-starting, and steady under pressure

- Culinary degree or equivalent experience preferred; nonprofit experience a plus

Service Hours

Monday - Prep/Culinary Training School 930a-7p
Tuesday - Fresh Choice Pantry and Lunch: 1-4pm Tuesdays
Wednesday-Friday 3 Course Dinner Service: 530-645pm

Reports to: Culinary Director

Pay: $25-32/hour

Hours: 18-48 hours/week

Position Start: Immediately

Compensation

this position is: hourly, $20/hr +

Application instructions

If you are not registered, you'll be prompted to do so. Don't worry, it's free!

Deadline

October 31, 2026