Lead Chef

Are you a culinary professional who loves to cook and create while seeking a mission-driven community and sustainable environment? TEP Charter School is looking for a talented Lead Chef to join our dedicated kitchen team, where you’ll prepare fresh, nutritious meals for over 1000 students every day. This position offers the opportunity to continue developing your craft while working a supportive Monday to Friday schedule plus benefits including paid vacation, health insurance and opportunities for professional development.

Join the team at The Equity Project (TEP) Charter School, featured in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and on 60 Minutes for its revolutionary teacher salaries and its outstanding results. TEP aims to achieve educational equity for students from historically underserved communities by utilizing world-class teachers. At TEP, we prioritize not only the growth of our students but also the professional development of our staff, creating a dynamic environment where operational excellence meets educational equity.

Watch the video below to learn more about TEP's Middle School facility (the hub for TEP’s state-of-the-art kitchen) designed with community and equity at the forefront.

About the Role

As the Lead Chef, you will play a pivotal role in our Kitchen Leadership Team, overseeing meal preparation and ensuring top-notch quality control. You’ll be responsible for providing healthy and delicious meals to 480 Middle School students and over 600 Early Childhood and Elementary students, as well as for special school events. The Lead Chef is the point person for preparing and maintaining quality control over all meals served. This exciting role is for an experienced, creative and responsible culinary professional who is interested in TEP’s revolutionary approach to achieving equity for under-served communities and will help inspire health and wellness through supporting the school’s healthy food program.

Responsibilities

• Lead Meal Preparation and Quality Control: Oversee the preparation and presentation of all meals, ensuring high standards of quality and taste. Design and create menus for special events catered to staff and students.
• Team Leadership and Guidance: Direct and mentor Assistant Chefs and Kitchen Assistants, ensuring adherence to recipes and standard operating procedures. Foster a collaborative kitchen environment that emphasizes best practices and culinary excellence.
• Menu Development and Feedback: Actively contribute to the development of new menu items and offer constructive feedback on existing dishes.
• Operational Support and Coordination: Assist the Sous Chef in managing daily kitchen operations.
• Food Safety and Compliance: Enforce strict food safety protocols and hygiene practices among all kitchen staff.
• Strategic Contributions: Participate in ongoing kitchen leadership meetings with the Executive Chef and Sous Chef to provide insights and feedback on operational decisions. Collaborate on strategies to enhance kitchen performance and effectiveness.

About You (Qualifications)

• Professional Culinary Experience: Minimum of 3 years of professional cooking experience in a restaurant or food service environment. Demonstrated expertise in culinary techniques, kitchen equipment, and food preparation processes.
• Culinary Knowledge and Skills: Strong grasp of cooking methods, ingredient handling, and kitchen operations. Ability to create high-quality dishes and maintain consistency in food preparation.
• Dependability and Communication: Highly reliable, punctual, and detail-oriented with excellent communication skills. Proven ability to work effectively in a fast-paced kitchen environment.
• Certification: Possession of the New York City Food Protection Certificate is strongly preferred, reflecting a commitment to food safety and hygiene standards.
• Passion for Culinary Excellence: Enthusiastic about delivering exceptional dining experiences and continuously improving culinary skills. A proactive attitude towards professional growth and team collaboration.

Why TEP (Benefits)

At TEP, growth isn't just for our students—continued growth is also a central priority for our staff members. That's why we're redefining the employee experience, offering a fulfilling career that matches TEP’s high expectations.

• Unmatched Staff Talent: Be surrounded by a collaborative community of passionate individuals who care about educational equity
• Compensation: Competitive salary in the range of $64,350 - $65,500, based on the individual’s experience level. Weekly daytime shift hours vary between 35 to 40 hours per week.
• Time Off: 4 weeks of vacation plus 11 federal holidays and additional non-federal holidays according to each school calendar; 5 sick days and 3 personal days.
• Guidance and Mentorship: Reports directly to TEP's Executive Chef & Director of Food Services.
• Employee Wellness: We value your well-being through our Staff Food Program, Staff Retreats, and Wellness Programming.
• Healthcare: World-class medical, dental, vision, Short-Term Disability (STD), Long-Term Disability (LTD), and Life Insurance policies
• Family Focus: Parental leave and dependent care account so you can care for your loved ones.
• 403b Retirement Plan: We care about your ability to save for your future.
• Learning & Development: A culture that provides and encourages professional growth and development, including professional development and tuition/continuous learning reimbursements.

Note that as this role requires a strong on-site presence, TEP's Lead Chef is a fully in-person position at TEP’s Middle School campus.

Application Process

TEP is designed and structured around the belief that great staff members are the key to achieving educational success for students. As such, we require applicants to demonstrate their qualifications throughout the application and hiring process. The requirements for each Lead Chef applicant include:

1. Resume: Applicants must submit an up-to-date resume
2. Cover Letter: Potential candidates must submit a well-written cover letter that highlights their specific interest in joining the TEP community

TEP is currently reviewing applications on a rolling basis. If you submit both a cover letter and resume, you will receive a response from us as to whether or not you will be invited to the next stage of the process for the Lead Chef role.