Lead Events Cook

Washington Duke Inn & Golf Club•Durham, NC

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Lead Events Cook delivers culinary experiences for meetings, banquets, and special events. The role coordinates and executes food preparation and service, maintains food quality, presentation, and safety standards, and provides hands-on leadership to culinary team members. Working with culinary leadership and the Events team, the Lead Events Cook helps ensure events are executed efficiently and consistently while supporting a positive, collaborative work environment. This position leads and participates in event food preparation, cooking, plating, and presentation; coordinates production based on banquet event orders, menus, guest counts, dietary needs, and timelines; and provides guidance and on-the-job training to culinary team members. It also supports food safety and sanitation, inventory and cost management, kitchen organization, menu execution, and effective responses to changing event requirements.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent.
At least five years of professional culinary experience, including at least two years in a lead or supervisory capacity.
Experience in banquet, catering, or high-volume event food preparation and execution.
Experience coordinating culinary production for multiple events, including plated meals, buffets, receptions, and other large-scale functions.
Experience directing, training, and supporting culinary team members while maintaining quality and service standards.
Strong culinary knowledge and technical cooking skills, with commitment to food quality, consistency, and presentation.
Ability to lead by example, motivate team members, and foster a collaborative kitchen environment.
Strong organizational and time management skills, including the ability to coordinate multiple events and meet service timelines.
Ability to interpret banquet event orders, standardized recipes, production schedules, and dietary requirements.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills for working with culinary leadership, event coordinators, banquet operations, and team members.
Ability to stay calm, adaptable, and solution-oriented in a fast-paced environment with changing event needs.
Thorough understanding of food safety, sanitation, food handling, and applicable health regulations.
Knowledge of inventory management, portion control, waste reduction, and food cost awareness.
Ability to work a flexible schedule, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays, based on business demands.

Nice To Haves

Culinary degree, certification, or formal culinary training.
Banquet, catering, or high-volume event experience in a hotel, resort, or conference center.
ServSafe certification, or willingness to obtain certification as required.

Responsibilities

Lead and participate in preparing, cooking, plating, and presenting food for banquets, meetings, and special events.
Coordinate daily event production according to banquet event orders, menus, guest counts, dietary restrictions, and timelines.
Direct, guide, and train culinary team members to ensure consistent recipes, portions, and presentation.
Coordinate with culinary leadership, Banquet Operations, and Event Planning teams to support timely food service.
Monitor food preparation and presentation for quality, consistency, and guest satisfaction.
Ensure food handling, storage, labeling, temperature control, sanitation, and food safety compliance.
Assist with inventory management, product rotation, receiving, and storage to reduce waste and support operational efficiency.
Monitor production quantities and help control food costs, waste, and labor efficiency.
Maintain a clean, organized, and safe kitchen, including properly maintained equipment and workstations.
Respond to operational challenges, last-minute changes, special requests, and other event needs.
Assist culinary leadership with menu execution, recipe development, and improvements to the banquet dining experience.
Promote a professional, team-oriented work environment through communication, accountability, and service excellence.
Perform additional duties as assigned in support of the Culinary Department.