Lead, Production Cook

Feeding Tampa Bay•Tampa, FL

9d•$20•Onsite

About The Position

The Lead Production Cook oversees daily high-volume food operations, balancing hands-on culinary execution with team leadership. This isn't just a cooking job—it’s an opportunity to lead a team of staff and volunteers in providing dignity and nourishment to our community. You will manage the preparation of bulk meals for our Trinity Cafe locations, catering events, and contracted meal programs, ensuring every plate meets our standards for nutrition, flavor, and safety. The Lead Cook ensures every meal meets rigorous quality and safety standards while fostering a positive, mission-driven environment in the back of the house.

Requirements

Excel working in a fast-paced, evolving environment and demonstrate the ability to embrace the FTB’s commitment to treat all people with equity and respect in pursuit of our mission to feed people in need and mobilize our community to eliminate hunger
A minimum of 2 years of professional kitchen experience, with some supervisory experience. High-volume kitchen experience is preferred.
Experience with guiding and directing people.
Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
Excellent volume cooking, leadership, and organizational skills.
Proficiency in various kitchen computer software applications. (Word, Excel, G-Suite, Zoom, Paylocity, Concur, Galley)
Excellent time management and prioritization skills.
Self-starter who can handle multiple tasks simultaneously
This position is regularly required to stand, walk, reach with arms and hands, climb or balance, and to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl
A valid ServSafe Manager Certification is required.
The ability to handle multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment, make good decisions proactively, and commit to the mission and values of the organization.
Passion for delivering an exceptional food experience for those we are serving.
Ability to lift up to 50lbs.
Schedule must be flexible with the ability to work some nights, weekends & holidays
At least 18 years old with a valid driver's license and able to meet company driving guidelines
All internal candidates must be in good standing with no corrective actions within the last 90 days.

Nice To Haves

Willing to actively participate in mission-driven programs, such as food distribution initiatives and disaster relief operations as needed.

Responsibilities

Exemplifies the desired culture and philosophies of Feeding Tampa Bay
Guide, motivate, and oversee kitchen staff and volunteers from diverse backgrounds, fostering a culture of equity, respect, teamwork and a positive experience.
Demonstrates ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. Excellent verbal and interpersonal skills. Ability to work constructively with individuals (the public and volunteers) from a variety of socioeconomic backgrounds in culturally diverse work environments.
Trains volunteers to ensure food is prepared, cooked, and plated to standard, ensuring consistency in taste and presentation.
Lead the preparation and cooking of bulk meals, scaling recipes accurately for cafe locations, catering, and contract services.
Ensure all food is prepared, seasoned, and plated to standard, maintaining consistency in taste and presentation.
Collaborate with kitchen leadership to develop healthy, culturally appropriate, and medically tailored menus.
Create daily prep lists, kitchen organization, and "back of house" flow to ensure smooth, efficient shifts. Lead and direct staff and volunteers.
Ensures that ingredients are handled and stored properly to prevent contamination. Check the quality of ingredients, ensuring they are fresh. Properly labels and dates all prepared items, facilitating inventory management and food safety. Follow FIFO. Packs, stores and labels leftover food items appropriately.
Manages and monitors stock levels, rotates stocks, checks in orders and compares to manifest, orders supplies, minimizes waste, and controls food costs, and finds ways to repurpose food when appropriate. Utilize systems such as Concur for expense reporting.
Works closely with Cafe drivers to ensure timely delivery of meals to various distribution sites.
Ensure smooth shift running, proper equipment use, and efficient workflow
Foster positive relationships with donors, volunteers, and community partners.
Stay current on food safety regulations and best practices.
Enforce strict food safety and sanitation protocols, maintaining meticulous temperature os and cleaning checklists.
Maintain equipment cleanliness and proactively report maintenance issues to prevent service interruptions.
Other duties as assigned