Culinary Event Lead

Continental Services•Troy, MI

About The Position

The Culinary Event Lead supports and leads culinary execution for off-premise catered events, from intimate gatherings of approximately 10 guests to large-scale events serving up to 2,000 guests. The role calls for strong culinary fundamentals along with organization, leadership, communication, and time-management skills, and requires comfort working in fast-paced, changing environments where preparation, timing, teamwork, and attention to detail are essential. The Culinary Event Lead works with an experienced culinary team and receives training in the company's systems and standards for executing different off-premise events, menus, venues, and service styles. When the event schedule allows, the position also supports culinary production at the main commissary to prepare and organize upcoming events.

Requirements

Minimum 5 years of professional food-service experience.
Minimum 2 years of supervisory, lead, or management experience in a culinary or food-service environment.
Strong culinary skills and working knowledge of professional kitchen techniques and standards.
Demonstrated ability to organize and direct employees in a fast-paced environment.
Strong time-management and prioritization skills.
Ability to read and execute menus, recipes, production sheets, prep lists, and event documentation.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
Ability to remain calm, organized, decisive, and professional under pressure.
Strong understanding of food safety, sanitation, proper food handling, temperature control, and safe workplace practices.
Ability and willingness to work a flexible schedule dictated by event business, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays as required.
Ability to work independently and as part of a larger culinary and event team.
Serve Safe Manager Certified or obtain certification within 90 days of employment; the company provides the course.

Nice To Haves

Previous off-premise catering experience.
Experience with large-scale events, banquet production, high-volume catering, hotels, convention operations, commissary kitchens, or similar environments.
Previous responsibility for leading culinary teams during service or event execution.
Culinary degree, culinary certificate, hospitality education, or equivalent industry experience.
Business, hospitality, or management education, or comparable practical management experience.

Responsibilities

Lead or assist with culinary execution for off-premise catered events ranging from approximately 10 to 2,000 guests.
Execute varied menus, event formats, and service styles, including plated meals, buffets, stations, receptions, cocktail events, and family-style service.
Review event details, menus, timelines, production requirements, equipment needs, and service expectations before departure.
Ensure food is transported, handled, finished, held, presented, and served according to culinary and food-safety standards.
Direct culinary setup, execution, replenishment, breakdown, and return procedures at off-premise venues.
Maintain food quality and presentation in temporary and off-site kitchens; anticipate challenges and make real-time decisions to protect food quality, timing, and the guest experience.
Communicate with event leadership, service teams, culinary staff, venue personnel, and other partners throughout event execution.
Provide direction to event cooks and culinary team members; organize responsibilities and priorities, delegate effectively, and remain accountable for overall execution.
Monitor quality, consistency, sanitation, recipe execution, portioning, and presentation during production and service.
Lead by example, coach less-experienced culinarians, and foster teamwork, professionalism, respect, urgency, and accountability.
Plan culinary work around event timelines, coordinate competing priorities, identify timing or production problems early, and adjust resources and priorities as needed.
Ensure the culinary team is prepared for service and understands critical event timing.
When event schedules permit, support commissary production, including prep, cooking, fabrication, portioning, packaging, labeling, organization, event packing and load-out, and production planning.
Support receiving, storage, product rotation, and the upkeep of clean, organized production and storage areas as needed.
Work collaboratively across culinary departments as business needs and event schedules change.