OUR WORK

More than 38 million Americans lack reliable access to nutritious meals. Meanwhile, 108 billion pounds of food go uneaten in the U.S. - the equivalent of 40% of the country’s food supply. Rethink Food exists to bridge the gap between perfectly good food that goes to waste and the demand for meals that many of our food-insecure neighbors face. Through Rethink Certified, we partner with restaurants, kitchens, and corporations to provide nutritious, culturally celebrated meals to communities impacted by food insecurity - while using excess food whenever possible. Since 2017 Rethink Food has prepared 30 million meals for local communities utilizing 2.1 million pounds of excess food.

ROLE SUMMARY

The Chef leads the work of the Sustainable community Kitchen by managing staff tasked with meal production and inventory of goods and supplies, creating production schedules, safety and security in the kitchen and with volunteer tours of the kitchen. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Directs recipe execution and production schedules
• Monthly menu planning, station rotation and ordering
• Maintains kitchen standards of cleanliness, organization and workflow
• Keeps team on track with their production schedule
• Execution of daily food deliveries to CBOs
• Communicates with operations & transportation teams to facilitate and resolve potential operational conflicts for food drop offs and pickups
• Organizes receiving and distribution of donations
• Leads development and training of the kitchen staff:
• Manage kitchen staff (scheduling, daily management and performance management)
• Creates training plans and standard operating procedures for efficiency in the kitchen
• Enforces safety guidelines and food safety standards (responsible for passing regulatory inspections)
• Ensures proper setup and breakdown of kitchen, following Rethink protocols and procedures
• Maintains proper storage and rotational procedures (FIFO) of house equipment and dry storage
• General administrative duties:
• Reviews and completes detailed logs (food donations, temperatures, meal creation, etc) including, but not limited to, Rethink Food logs for filing, and quarterly managerial reviews of kitchen team
• Orders inventory of required materials (packaging, disposables, dry goods) needed on a weekly basis
• Manages labor and kitchen costs within specified budget 
• Completes monthly inventory of Rethink kitchen equipment and submits to Director of Culinary Operations
• Attends weekly Operations team meetings
• Schedules and facilitates weekly kitchen team meetings
• Performs other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

• NYC Food Handlers Certification and ServSafe, or obtain within the first 30 days of employment
• Minimum 5 year experience as a Chef in medium to high volume kitchen required, Fine dining experience preferred.
• Must be keen to details and have a desire to work with high standards, efficiency and food safety.
• Ability to creatively work with food excess items collected from our donation partners; Michelin starred restaurants, ugly vegetables from farms, and other items that are donated from various financial institutions, and food industry partners.
• Effective communication and management skills; ability to take direction from supervisors and lead a team constructively.
• Ability to work in a clean, organized, and efficient manner in a high-pressure environment.
• Flexible and have a strong ability to problem solve.
• Must have excellent knife skills and proficiency in all aspects of cooking.
• Ability to work independently, proactively, and resourcefully
• Must embrace the mission and core values of Rethink Food
• Must be able to stand, bend, stretch, lift and carry heavy materials up to 50 lbs

WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE: Commitment to embodying our values of -

Inventiveness: At our core, we are relentlessly curious about solving problems. As our name suggests, we’re a team of creative thinkers, but we’re also hands-on doers, challenging norms with humility to find practical solutions that can create lasting change.

Vulnerability: Guided by an “always be better” mindset, we are a team that intentionally reflects on what we are doing well and where we need to improve. We hold ourselves and each other accountable, every day. No blame, no shame — we just want to be sure we’re always doing the right thing.

Thoughtfulness: Our vision for a nourished and thriving world starts with nourished and thriving individuals in each of our communities. Our work is centered on the needs of the people that bring our communities to life. We don’t pretend to have all of the answers. We are committed to listening and learning in order to identify and scale solutions that ensure stable and reliable access to healthy food for all so each and every community can thrive.

Kindness: At Rethink, we show up every day with empathy and compassion and believe everyone should be treated with dignity. Kindness goes a long way — we are all about just being kind

COMPENSATION

The annual salary range for this position is $90k- $100k, depending on experience and education. We also offer a complete benefits package including medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, PTO, paid holidays, two weeks per year for an organization-wide office closure to recharge, a retirement plan, a progressive parental leave plan, access to mental health and wellness apps (Calm and headspace), and free nutritious lunch daily.

HOW TO APPLY

While a degree, certification, and work experience are a plus, we recognize that other life and work experiences may also prepare you for this role. Additionally, research has shown that women and people from underrepresented groups may not apply for jobs if they do not meet 100% of the job qualifications. Please know that no candidate has 100% of the listed job qualifications. Therefore, we encourage you to apply for this position if you believe you can complete the responsibilities.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. However, we have an immediate need to fill the position. Please submit your application via our careers page: 

EEO STATEMENT

Rethink Food is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.  We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender (including gender identity or expression), pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, sexual orientation, marital status, domestic violence, sexual violence or stalking victim status, ancestry, national origin, alienage or citizenship, age, disability, military or veteran status, genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristic, or other protected status. The organization is an Equal Opportunity Employer, drug-free workplace, and complies with ADA regulations as applicable.