Kitchen Lead
About The Position
The Kitchen Lead plays a pivotal role in the heart-of-house hierarchy, bridging daily kitchen execution with upper culinary management. Positioned between the Cooks and the Sous Chef, this role is responsible for overseeing food production quality while actively working on the line. The Kitchen Lead works closely with the Sous Chef to guide the Food and Beverage team, including Cooks and Food Servers, ensuring excellent, timely food delivery. This role provides guidance, mentorship, and training to the staff. This position reports directly to the Sous Chef and steps in to lead line operations in their absence.
Requirements
- A high school diploma or equivalent.
- Minimum 2–3 years of experience as a Cook, with demonstrated leadership capabilities.
- Comfortable in a fast-paced environment managing multiple orders and event timelines at once.
- Strong organizational and time-management skills.
Nice To Haves
- Previous experience as a Kitchen Supervisor, Lead Cook, or Shift Lead.
- Experience in a high-volume luxury restaurant, resort, golf club, or banquet facility.
- Active ServSafe Food Manager certification.
Responsibilities
- Prepare and present each food item in accordance with standardized recipes.
- Scale recipes accurately to meet the high-volume demands of both daily restaurant service and large banquet events.
- Assist the culinary leadership team in prepping and executing large-scale banquet menus for weddings, tournaments, and corporate events.
- Lead and work collaboratively on the banquet plating line, ensuring speed, consistency, temperature control, and beautiful presentation for every guest.
- Adapt quickly to shifting volumes and banquet timelines to ensure seamless event execution.
- Ensure all prep work meets established quality, taste, and presentation standards.
- Maintain a clean work environment, including ensuring compliance with all local health codes for storing and maintaining food products.
- Properly store all food and produce according to first-in, first-out (FIFO) standards.
- Comply with established sanitation standards, including personal hygiene, health standards, and proper food preparation and handling techniques.
- Clean and maintain stations, utensils, and all other kitchen surfaces.
- Monitor station readiness and food quality across the line before service begins.
- Maintain open, positive, and constructive communication with front-of-house staff, banquet servers, and fellow culinary team members.
- Act as a direct resource and mentor for Cooks, answering execution questions and troubleshooting line bottlenecks.
- Provide performance feedback and operational updates directly to the Sous Chef.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
High school or GED
