Lead Cook - Trenton

The Yay Company•Trenton, NJ

8d•Onsite

About The Position

The Lead Cook is the engine of the kitchen. This is a hands-on cooking role where the individual is responsible for being at the line, in prep, and ensuring every meal meets specifications and is delivered on time. The role also involves keeping the kitchen organized and setting the standard for the team's work. This position is ideal for someone who loves to cook, values consistency, and can be trusted to manage the kitchen during critical times.

Requirements

Current Food Handler certification (required)
Experience in a high-volume kitchen (school food service, catering, or similar)
Strong knife skills
Comfort with both hot line and cold prep
Detail-oriented: ability to follow recipes, label correctly, and not cut corners
Reliable, on time, and ready to work hard

Nice To Haves

ServSafe certification

Responsibilities

Hot Food Production: Cook from recipe cards, portion correctly, spot check portions, verify temperatures, and keep production on schedule.
Cold Batch Production: Ensure cold items (fruit cups, veggie packs, snack packs, wraps, salads) are produced on time, portioned correctly, labeled immediately with prep and use-by dates, and stored at 41°F or below. Enforce FEFO (First-Expired, First-Out) at all times. No cold items produced outside the batch schedule without Ops Manager direction.
Kitchen Pars & Inventory: Conduct full inventory counts weekly, order based on counts and batch schedule, and enforce FEFO across all storage areas. Receive deliveries personally, verify against invoices, and flag issues before storage. Log all waste daily and review patterns weekly.
Team Development: Brief Kitchen & Service Assistants at the start of every shift with clear assignments. Ensure everyone knows their role in cold production on batch day. Debrief at least twice a week. Address performance issues directly and document them in real time.
Sales & School Happiness: Act as the face of the company at the school, communicating proactively with school administration about menu changes or service updates. Collect feedback from students and staff.
Kitchen Standards: Complete food safety logs daily (temperatures at opening, during cooking, holding, and close). Keep stations and shared kitchen spaces clean and organized. Log waste accurately.
Team Support: Set the pace and standard for the kitchen team during the shift. Support and lead team members by demonstrating correct procedures and identifying areas where support is needed.