Lead Cook | Courtyard Natick

CSM Corporation•Natick, MA

4h•Onsite

About The Position

The Lead Cook is accountable for supervising staff to ensure the highest level of food quality and production to standards. This role is responsible for daily line checks, ongoing audits of consistency and quality, and follow-up as necessary. The Lead Cook recognizes opportunities for improvement and implements necessary changes, develops standard operating procedures to maximize quality, and ensures food preparation and delivery standards are met for banquet events and all outlets including restaurant, room service, concierge, and a la carte service. This position also ensures outstanding presentation through use of records and photographs, monitors plate set ups to meet photo-record standards, trains the team on menu changes, and works with the Manager to develop new menu items. The Lead Cook works closely with the manager to monitor and control kitchen expenses, maximize profitability, and is responsible for effective labor management through proper scheduling, monitoring, and adjusting based on business needs. This role follows procurement guidelines and applies good business judgment, controlling food cost while maximizing food and beverage revenue. The Lead Cook manages and maintains company assets to stay within budget guidelines and prolong the life of company resources. This position is accountable for guest satisfaction by ensuring food and beverage standards are met and identifies and addresses guest concerns in a timely and efficient manner. The Lead Cook works side-by-side with kitchen staff to train and model appropriate operational standards, including adhering to ticket times while maintaining high food quality. This role is responsible for training all employees and ensuring training records are maintained, analyzes quality issues, identifies training needs, and ensures implementation to improve results. The Lead Cook utilizes available resources and adheres to training policies, ensuring all company, brand, and department-specific training requirements are met. This position leads by example with food safety standards and food storage, conducts routine inspections of food and beverage operations to maintain quality food, beverage, and kitchen/restaurant standards per company, brand, local, state, and federal regulations. The Lead Cook ensures a clean and safe work environment and follows all procedures for guest/employee incidents. This role works with the manager and assists with interviewing, hiring, coaching, and development of all employees, helps evaluate staff performance, and takes appropriate corrective action as needed to hold employees accountable. The Lead Cook motivates staff by setting goals, providing ongoing feedback, and rewarding/recognizing employees. This position is responsible for effective self/workload management, demonstrates clear written and verbal communication skills, promotes collaboration and a positive, professional work environment, and attends all required meetings to ensure proper communication/planning occurs. The Lead Cook adheres to all Standard Operating Procedures.

Requirements

2+ years of progressive lead cook or kitchen supervisory experience required.
Must be detail oriented.
Ability to communicate well with all levels within and outside the organization.
Able to problem-solve with employees.
Must be able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
High school diploma or GED required.
College and/or culinary degree or equivalent experience required.
Serve Safe or approved equivalent certification, or the ability to obtain certification is required.
Ability to lift, push, and pull up to 50 pounds on a regular basis throughout shift.
Requires ability to work extended hours based on business needs.
Physically demanding responsibilities such as walking, standing, bending, carrying, and lifting throughout the shift.

Nice To Haves

Prefer 2 or more years as a lead cook or kitchen supervisor in a restaurant or hotel of similar size and reputation for outstanding service.

Responsibilities

Supervising staff to ensure highest level of food quality and production to standards.
Performing daily line checks, ongoing audits of consistency and quality, and follow up as necessary.
Developing standard operating procedures to maximize quality.
Ensuring food preparation and delivery standards are met for banquet events and all outlets.
Ensuring outstanding presentation through use records and photographs, and monitoring plate set ups meet photo-record standards.
Training team on menu changes, and working with Manager to develop new menu items.
Monitoring and keeping kitchen expenses down and maximizing profitability.
Responsible for effective labor management through proper scheduling, monitoring, and adjusting based on business needs.
Controlling food cost while maximizing food and beverage revenue.
Managing and maintaining company assets to stay within budget guidelines.
Ensuring guest satisfaction by ensuring food and beverage standards are met.
Identifying and addressing guest concerns in a timely and efficient manner.
Training and modeling appropriate operational standards including adhering to ticket times while maintaining high food quality.
Training all employees and ensuring training records are maintained.
Analyzing quality issues, identifying training needs and ensuring implementation to improve results.
Ensuring all company, brand, and department specific training requirements are met.
Leading by example with food safety standards and food storage.
Conducting routine inspections of food and beverage operations to maintain quality food, beverage and kitchen/restaurant standards.
Ensuring a clean and safe work environment, and following all procedures for guest/employee incidents.
Assisting with interviewing, hiring, coaching, and development of all employees.
Evaluating staff performance and taking appropriate corrective action as needed.
Motivating staff by setting goals, providing ongoing feedback, and rewarding/recognizing employees.
Effective self/workload management.
Demonstrating clear written and verbal communication skills.
Promoting collaboration and positive, professional work environment.
Attending all required meetings to ensure proper communication/planning occurs.
Adhering to all Standard Operating Procedures.