Santa Monica Kitchen Team Lead

HomeState Hospitalities•Santa Monica, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

HomeState is a Tex Mex kitchen in Southern California that prioritizes hospitality, care for guests and team members, and community. The Kitchen Team Lead helps lead and train the team in collaboration with management, maintains kitchen standards, and supports a safe, healthy working environment. The role may include assisting with ordering and receiving products and handling opening or closing duties, including monitoring attendance and breaks, completing shift reports and waste logs, checking restaurant emails, reporting performance issues, taking inventory, and other assigned non-supervisory administrative tasks. Team Leads do not hire, schedule, conduct progressive counseling or disciplinary actions, or terminate employees. The position calls for regular, predictable attendance at scheduled shifts, training, and meetings; adherence to HomeState standards, sanitation guidelines, policies, and procedures; and a commitment to caring hospitality and the company’s values. Team Leads keep shared and kitchen areas clean, organized, and appealing, and act as ambassadors for HomeState in the workplace and community. The role pays $24–$28 per hour with tip share; the stated base rate for Team Leads is $20.50 per hour, with tip share making $26–$28 per hour a reasonable expectation. The work requires frequent movement around the restaurant and the ability to perform physical kitchen tasks, including standing for extended periods, lifting and carrying items, bending and reaching, and working near hot equipment, open flames, steam, and cold storage areas. Weekends, day shifts, evening shifts, extended hours, or an occasional sixth workday may be required.

Requirements

Mastery of all core competencies for the Kitchen Team Member role.
Personable and enjoys working with people and a diverse team.
Valid Food Handlers Certification Card, or ability to complete a company-provided course within 30 days of hire.
Availability to work a minimum of five days per week.
Ability to work weekends, day shifts, and evening shifts when required.
Ability to work extended hours or an occasional sixth day when required.
Ability to remain stationary for six or more hours per shift, excluding breaks.
Ability to lift, push, pull, or carry up to 40 pounds.
Ability to frequently bend and reach overhead.
Ability to lift and use utensils and grip pots, pans, and other kitchen equipment.
Ability to work in fluctuating temperatures, including hot areas around 82°F and cold food-storage areas around 37°F.
Ability to work near open flames, hot cooking equipment, and steam.
Ability to perform repetitive motions, work in tight spaces such as dish stations, and occasionally sit, squat, and kneel.
Ability to move around the restaurant while carrying items such as beverage racks and food cambros.
Ability to recognize, perceive, communicate, and comprehend directions and spatial cues, and to work alertly and safely.
Follow standards through honesty, integrity, transparency, authenticity, and professional discretion; honor commitments.
Adapt communication and training approaches to different learners and shifting situations, and inspire and empower team members by example.

Nice To Haves

One to two years of experience in a professional restaurant kitchen is preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead and train team members in collaboration with management.
Maintain HomeState standards and help ensure a safe, healthy working environment.
Follow company standards, sanitation guidelines, policies, and procedures to deliver high-quality food and caring hospitality.
Maintain clean, organized, appealing common and kitchen areas.
Assist with ordering and receiving products when responsible for those tasks.
Open or close shifts as assigned, including monitoring attendance and breaks, completing shift reports and waste logs, checking restaurant emails, reporting performance issues, and conducting inventory counts.
Complete other assigned non-supervisory tasks or administrative duties outlined by management.
Maintain regular, predictable attendance at scheduled shifts, training, and meetings.
Represent HomeState internally and externally in the community.
Look for ways to improve and bring improvement ideas to management.