Lead Cook, In-School (No Nights/Weekends) Newark,NJ

What do we do

Red Rabbit is a Black-owned School Food Management Company that works with hundreds of schools, districts, and food banks to uplift communities of color throughout the North East and Mid-Atlantic Regions.

Our professionally trained chefs create menus, source farm fresh ingredients, and cook delicious, thoughtful, and familiar food. School food matters not only because it's integral to good health, but because what children eat is an essential part of their cultural identity and sense of self.

About the Role

The In-School Lead Cook is an integral part of a 3–5 person team responsible for preparing and cooking healthy, made-from-scratch meals for 750+ children in their school each day. This role requires strong culinary skills, the ability to manage high-volume meal production, and a commitment to maintaining Red Rabbit's standards for quality and consistency.The position offers stable, daytime hours with weekends and holidays off.

Critical Functions

• Takes ownership of an exceptional degree of consistency and quality of every batch prepared
• Able to work autonomously using a prep list
• Working with the Head Chef to understand how to prioritize the production of daily menu items
• Read menu production sheets to understand the type and quantity of food that will be prepared each day
• Portion and weigh food according to Red Rabbit's recipes and NLSP guidelines.
• Assist with cooking, cooling, and plating food as needed and according to Red Rabbit's recipes and NJ food safety guidelines
• Assist with packing and keeping counts as needed 
• Ensure the kitchen is exceeding DOH standards at all times by cleaning work stations and cooking equipment

Skills & Requirements

• 3+ years professional culinary experience in a fast paced role in the service industry (i.e. restaurants), high volume kitchen production (i.e. commissary kitchen), or in a similar cafeteria role (i.e. schools/hospitals)
• Comfortable making 500+ meals consistently 
• Demonstrated knowledge of proper food safety and sanitation practices
• Must be familiar with using and maintaining industrial kitchen equipment
• Able to self motivate and to be organized
• Can function well within a team and work calmly and efficiently in a fast moving environment
• Have a great attitude who contributes to a positive working environment
• Share our passion for improving nutrition and health in schools
• Must be able to read and write in English. Bilingual (English and Spanish) a plus.
• Must be able to lift 50 lbs on a regular basis
• ServeSafe Certificate required within 90 days of Hire. (Reimbursement available)

Job Type: Full Time

Typical Hours: Monday - Friday 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM

Location : Newark, NJ

Reports to : Head Chef

Compensation : $19-$23/hour (with option for Annual raise)

Benefits : Health, Dental, Vision Insurance