Cook II – Culinary Test Kitchen

Iowa State University•Ames, IA

About The Position

Ready to take your culinary skills beyond the line and into something bigger? Iowa State University Dining is hiring a Cook II – Culinary (Test Kitchen) to join our team. This is not your typical cook role. In this position, you will step outside of day-to-day production and help shape how food is prepared across our residential dining locations. You will take ideas—from students, staff, and existing menus—and turn them into clear, scalable recipes that work in real kitchens during real service. Because this role supports multiple locations and meal periods, flexibility is important, including occasional schedule adjustments based on operational needs. We are looking for someone who thrives in a busy kitchen and enjoys digging into the details that make a recipe truly work. This role requires strong organization, ownership of work, and the ability to manage multiple moving parts while collaborating with teams across multiple locations. Strong communication is essential, along with the ability to clearly organize and share work so it can be consistently followed. Comfort working within digital tools to document and refine recipes is important, along with a willingness to test, adjust, and improve until the final product works as intended. This role offers a unique balance of independent work and hands-on collaboration. Some days will be spent testing and documenting recipes, while others will involve being in the kitchen observing service and making adjustments in real time. What You Can Expect Insurance benefits (medical, dental, and vision) starting on your first day Retirement plans with generous university contributions A free meal with every shift Paid time off , sick leave, and holiday pay — enjoy holidays off The opportunity to influence how food is prepared and served across campus About ISU Dining ISU Dining is a nationally recognized campus dining program committed to culinary innovation and excellent service. From residential dining centers and cafés to catering and retail outlets, we serve thousands daily, offering variety, consistency, and quality. This position plays a key role behind the scenes, ensuring every meal starts with a strong foundation. As a member of the dining team, you’ll be part of a fast-paced, high-volume kitchen unlike anything most have experienced. Every day is different as you help manage large-scale meal prep, fine-tune recipes, and keep things running smoothly. If you enjoy leading a team, learning on the job, and working with talented students and full-time workers, this role could be a perfect fit! Watch Our Team in Action!

Requirements

Two years of experience as a Cook I or outside experience in quantity and quality food preparation comparable thereto.
Ability to judge final food product for quantity (yield) and quality (color, taste, texture, etc.).
Ability to determine the freshness and quality of raw and cooked food products by sight and taste.
Knowledge of safe temperatures for serving food and storage of refrigerated and frozen storage of raw and cooked foods.
Knowledge of principles of food sanitation, health hazards, and the necessary precautionary measures.
Ability to stand for long periods of time.
Ability to lift up to 50 pounds.
Ability to provide on-the-job training in food preparation to lower level employees.
Ability to maintain effective working relationships with others.
Knowledge of weights, measures and food measurement techniques.
Ability to perform basic mathematics (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and percentage conversion to decimals and count) as related to calculating or converting units of measure for determining proper amounts of food ingredients for mass food production.
Knowledge of food preparation, food presentation and transportation methods.
Ability to estimate quantity needs and maintain food production records.
Ability to plan, assign, and direct others in work activities.
Knowledge of sources of food contamination and infection.
Knowledge of common safety practices and safe operation of equipment.
Ability to maintain food production records.
Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship.
Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.

Nice To Haves

Experience creating or modifying recipes for large-scale food production
Understanding of kitchen workflows across different service models (retail, catering, residential dining)
Experience training or guiding others in food preparation processes

Responsibilities

Test, develop, and refine recipes for large-scale production across multiple dining locations
Evaluate yield, cost, and execution to ensure recipes perform consistently in high-volume environments
Use digital tools and basic computer programs to track changes, organize recipe details, and maintain accurate documentation for team use
Standardize and document recipes , including clear instructions, prep needs, and equipment requirements
Partner with culinary teams across locations to gather feedback and improve processes
Support onboarding and training efforts , including contributing to culinary checklists and skill development
Help identify and improve outdated or inefficient recipes and kitchen processes
Coordinate test runs and adjusts recipes based on operational needs, staffing, and service style
Occasionally flex your schedule to observe and support different shifts and (including some PM work)
Supervises, instructs, trains, plans and schedules the work of others in the preparation of large-scale meals and diets.
Assists supervisor in the planning of menus as related to production of unit as required.
Maintains maximum standards of sanitation and safety.
Requisitions, receives, stores, freezes, labels, and maintains food supplies and related kitchen products.
Reports deficiencies in quality of quantity of food supplies or kitchen products.
Recommends equipment repairs or improvements.
Tests new or revised recipes and recommends changes.
Tests all prepared foods to maintain standards.
Participates in preparing and serving menu items as required.
Performs other related duties and responsibilities as required or assigned.