Culinary Instructor

UTEC, Inc • Lowell, MA

15d • $55,000 - $60,000

About The Position

The Culinary Instructor at UTEC is a member of UTEC’s Education team. The position supports proven-risk young adults, aged 17-25, as they learn the basic skills of culinary arts, catering, and food service in UTEC’s kitchen. Seventy-five percent of the position will be hands-on, coaching and supervising young adults in the kitchen, while 25% of the position will be dedicated to planning, collaborating and meeting with other staff within the organization, and data entry. The ideal candidate is passionate about food service and youth work, and s/he is able to blend the demands of a business with the tenets of a positive youth development approach. The Culinary Arts Instructor works closely with the Culinary Enterprise Program Manager, Director of Food Enterprises, transitional coaches, and academic educators and reports to the Director of Workforce.

Requirements

• Experience developing lesson plans and an understanding of group dynamics
• Experience developing hands-on and engaging learning experiences
• Understanding of young adult development required; prior experience with high-risk young adults preferred
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to build relationships with both program participants and colleagues
• Knowledge of career readiness skills, workforce programs, or social enterprises
• Knowledge of and experience in teaching social-emotional skills with an anti-racist lens
• Strong knowledge of diversity, equity, and inclusion frameworks and/or practices
• Bachelor’s Degree preferred by not required
• At least 1 year of working with young adults (17-25) required; 3 or more years of experience strongly preferred
• At least 2 years of working in culinary arts and/or the foodservice industry; management experience preferred
• Must have a vehicle; reliable access to a vehicle is a job requirement

Nice To Haves

• Experience with justice-involved youth preferred
• Experience with operational duties pertaining to running a program preferred
• Prior experience supervising youth or training staff preferred
• Bilingual/bicultural preferred

Responsibilities

• Implements a curriculum of basic culinary skills that includes, but is not limited to: work skills, culinary arts, food preparation, and safety through on-the-job work. Training leads to young adult Serve Safe and Allergen certification and ensures the young adult capacity to progress on to UTEC programming into UTEC’s social enterprises.
• Exemplifies youth work best practices to young adults and colleagues
• Completes performance reviews for all young adults in programming; communicates progress to young adults through performance review and check-in meetings
• Teaches and enforces basic standards of safety and use of kitchen equipment
• Coaches and encourages positive young adult progress and upholds program expectations
• Works in tandem with other UTEC departments and programs, including HiSET and Case Management, to best support young adults involved in the program
• Manages young adult attendance, daily activities, and enters data into ETO, UTEC’s performance management database
• Supports with the preparation of menus and food production for UTEC young adult lunch meal served Monday-Thursday in collaboration with young adults enrolled in culinary
• Supports the development of young adults so that they can progress to the next stages of the program and eventually complete the program
• Builds and implements culinary, social-emotional, and social justice curricula to support the development of young adults towards personal and career goals
• Maintains a positive work environment with high standards in quality food preparation, cleanliness, and skill development

Benefits

• UTEC offers a competitive benefits package that starts with 3 weeks of vacation plus a week off between the Christmas and New Year holidays, 12 holidays, 10 sick days, 2 personal days, and 3 bereavement days, as well as health, dental, and vision insurance starting day one.
• We also offer life insurance, first-time homeowners down payment assistance, cost-of-living increases, a paid sabbatical after three years, and a 401K retirement plan with up to $2,000 savings match.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 51-100 employees