Chef de Cuisine - Healthcare

Messiah Lifeways•Mechanicsburg, PA

7d•Onsite

About The Position

Culinesse is seeking a Chef de Cuisine to join its team at Messiah Lifeways in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The role prepares, portions, cooks, and presents hot and cold foods for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and special or catered events. The Chef de Cuisine leads the kitchen in the Executive Chef’s absence and helps coach, train, and guide the culinary team. This collaborative position requires balancing multiple tasks, prioritizing, working with diverse groups, and remaining focused in a fast-paced environment. The position reports to the Executive Chef and has a varied schedule that includes evenings, weekends, holidays, and extended hours as business needs require. Culinesse is a boutique dining services company focused on personalized resident and guest experiences in retirement communities. The company describes its approach as guided by transparency, purpose, respect for the environment, and the belief that authentic food can nourish the whole person. Full-time team members are eligible for benefits including health, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability coverage.

Requirements

Experience in a hospital, senior living, or K-12 environment is required.
Previous culinary supervisory experience is required.
High school diploma or equivalent with 6 years of related work experience, or a 2-year culinary degree or 4-year hospitality degree with 4 or more years of related work experience.
Strong knowledge of nutrition, dietary requirements, and food safety regulations.
Demonstrated knowledge of kitchen equipment.
Availability to work nights, weekends, and some holidays.
Ability to motivate, develop, and direct people and hold team members to consistent standards of professionalism.
Strong time management and ability to monitor and improve individual and team performance.
Clear, respectful communication with clients, co-workers, and other departments.
Professional presence, honesty, and ethical conduct.
Positive attitude, mature judgment, and willingness to continue learning and growing.
High standards for work area, appearance, and attention to detail.
Composure under pressure and willingness to lead and take charge.

Nice To Haves

Previous banquet and/or catering experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

Coordinate with related food and beverage departments to assure smooth kitchen operation and service.
Maintain accurate records of ingredients used, estimate food requirements, and requisition supplies and equipment.
Support the Executive Chef in creating, developing, and implementing new menus.
Support employee orientation and provide training on job responsibilities.
Prepare and present high-quality food for residents and guests, including special-diet meals, bakery items, and small- to large-batch production, using classical and contemporary cooking, plating, and garnishing techniques.
Supervise, instruct, and guide cooks; help orient and train new team members; assign work; and conduct performance reviews.
Review weekly BEOs and assign preparation and other duties on daily production sheets with recipes attached.
Enter menu cycles, special menus, recipes, and production data into MealSuite or other production programs, and support weekly inventory.
Uphold sanitation, safety, allergy, and regulatory standards, and keep workstations and equipment clean.
Attend daily shift meetings and weekly in-service meetings, and recommend procedural or production improvements.