Santa Maria Brigaid Chef

Brigaid•Santa Maria, CA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

We’re hiring a chef to support our work in Santa Maria Joint Union High School District (SMJUHSD)! Since 2016, we’ve been redefining what it means to be a successful chef by partnering with institutional foodservice programs across the US. Our team brings the systems and solutions to help kitchens consistently and confidently prepare high-quality meals. Demand for our services is growing faster than ever. In the past 5 years alone, we’ve expanded from a team of 5 chefs to a coast-to-coast network of 70 and counting. About Our Partnership With SMJUHSD : Located in northern Santa Barbara County, Santa Maria Joint Union High School District (SMJUHSD) serves more than 9,000 students across three high schools. The district's foodservice program serves breakfast and lunch daily from three full-service production kitchens. As part of this partnership, the Brigaid Chef will provide hands-on culinary, operational, and training support to advance the district's foodservice goals, including: Supporting the district-wide implementation of at least eight outdoor serving areas with serving carts across all three high school campuses during the initial rollout and continued expansion of the program Providing ongoing training and professional development for foodservice teams in culinary techniques, scratch cooking, food safety, recipe execution, National School Lunch Program (NSLP) compliance, and operational best practices Supporting the implementation and expansion of scratch cooking through standardized recipes, production systems, and staff development Improving the quality, consistency, and presentation of menu offerings Increasing student satisfaction and meal participation by improving meal quality, service, and accessibility through expanded points of service Supporting standardized systems and continuous improvement across all district kitchens As a Brigaid Chef, you’ll work in SMJUHSD through the school year (with summers off), collaborating closely with the Santa Maria Program Chef to support the above goals. A focus of your work will be to implement serving carts in various locations across all campuses, both indoors and outdoors. Although the district will have ultimate authority over the program's strategic direction, you’ll be instrumental in driving change.

Requirements

At least 3 years of professional cooking experience in a non-institutional setting (High-volume cooking experience is a plus.)
ServSafe Manager certified or the ability to take a Brigaid-sponsored 8-hour ServSafe Manager course and pass the exam during your initial training period
Successful completion of two to three background checks prior to your start date
Ability to travel across sites in an efficient manner (with the possibility of carrying kitchen/culinary equipment during this travel)
Ability to lift and carry objects up to 50 pounds
Ability to walk around and stand for long periods of time
Ability to perform duties outdoors for extended periods in varying weather conditions, including direct sun and heat
Proof of a negative skin prick TB test
Basic computer literacy, including Microsoft and Google programs and Zoom.
Flexibility in accommodating changes in schedule.
Ability to prioritize tasks and manage your time effectively.

Nice To Haves

High-volume cooking experience

Responsibilities

Work with the Santa Maria Program Chef to implement new systems/protocols (such as kitchen organization, serving line setup, food storage, and HACCP programs).
Conduct regular staff training across sites on basic culinary, safety, and operational best practices in accordance with our standards.
Work with the Santa Maria Program Chef to roll out kitchen signs and tools across sites from our catalog of training materials.
Regularly visit sites to assess progress.
Work with the Santa Maria Program Chef to develop recipes and menus in compliance with the NSLP.
Work with the Santa Maria Program Chef to develop and implement a plan to roll out new menu items with an eye towards consistency and quality across all sites.
Work with the Santa Maria Program Chef to plan and execute student tastings for new menu items.
Gather staff and student feedback and incorporate it into menu planning as appropriate.
Participate in occasional district- or community-wide events, such as career fairs, back-to-school nights, and community meals.
Document your progress in a daily journal and discuss with the Santa Maria Program Chef during regular Zoom calls.
Participate in meetings with your district's foodservice director and/or other stakeholders.
Adhere to all of our protocols and standards as well as those of the district as outlined in our respective employee handbooks.
Adhere to all United States Department of Agriculture and Department of Health guidelines and regulations.
Assist with any other job-related tasks, including, but not limited to, receiving and storing food and supplies, setting up and breaking down kitchens, scaling recipes, preparing, packing and serving food, cleaning kitchens, and doing dishes.

Benefits

100% company-paid health insurance for you and your family — a gold level plan through Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield with a platinum level plan buy-up option as well
100% company-paid dental insurance for you and your family through Guardian
100% company-paid vision insurance for you and your family through Guardian
100% company-paid short- and long-term care insurance through Guardian
6 paid vacation days to start
Paid summer vacation
15 paid company holidays
6 paid sick days
A 401k with a 4% company match and immediate vesting
Travel stipend of $250 will be offered to each candidate living more than 120 miles away from Santa Maria.
A one-time, lump sum $5,000 moving stipend (subject to tax) for relocation if offered the position and living farther than 120 miles from Santa Maria.