Food Service Kitchen Lead - Lake Zurich School Nutrition at Whitsons Culinary Group

Ela Township, Illinois, United States -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

17 Feb, 26

Salary

17.0

Posted On

19 Nov, 25

Experience

2 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Food Service Experience, ServSafe Certification, Team Leadership, Food Safety, Communication, Customer Focus, Organization Leadership, Culinary Skills, Time Management, Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Microsoft Office Proficiency, Bilingual Spanish

Industry

Food Production

Description

Lead Food Service Worker – Bring Your Passion to the Plate! Monday–Friday | No Nights, Weekends, or Holidays! Love food? Love making a difference? Join our team as a Lead Food Service Worker and help serve up fresh, nutritious meals to students every day—all while leading a fun, energetic kitchen crew in a supportive school environment! This is more than just a job—it’s a chance to lead with heart, feed young minds, and grow your career in food service, all on a schedule that fits your life. What You’ll Be Doing: Take the lead in preparing and serving meals that meet nutrition and portion guidelines Handle daily ordering, receiving, and storage of food, beverages, and supplies Keep the kitchen running smoothly by organizing cleaning duties and ensuring food safety Set up hot and cold serving lines, brew coffee, and keep beverage areas stocked Deliver meals when needed for classrooms, staff, or catered events Manage POS/cash handling and make sure deposits are accurate Be a key player on a supportive, mission-driven team that truly cares Why You’ll Love Working With Us: Family-Friendly Schedule – No nights, weekends, or major holidays Summers Off – Recharge and reset while school’s out Growth Opportunities – We’ll help you build your skills and advance your career Meaningful Work – Fuel student success and well-being every single day Awesome Benefits Include: Competitive pay Medical, dental & vision insurance Flexible spending accounts (FSA) 401K with company match Paid time off Ongoing training and development A positive team environment where your work matters What We’re Looking For: High school diploma or equivalent 1+ year of food service experience ServSafe certification (or willingness to get certified) Great attitude, reliability, and team spirit Ability to speak and read English and follow safety procedures Comfortable standing, lifting (up to 40 lbs), and working in hot/cold environments At Whitsons Culinary Group, we believe every meal is a chance to make a difference. We proudly serve nutritious food in schools, helping students stay energized and ready to learn. If you’re looking for rewarding work that gives back, we’d love to have you on our team. Be a part of something meaningful—apply today and help us keep enhancing life one meal at a time. ™! Pay rate: $17.00/hour Qualifications Education: * Associates degree or equivalent with concentration in food and nutrition, food service management, dietetics, family and consumer sciences, nutrition education, culinary arts, business or a related field AND at least one year of relevant school nutrition programs experience. OR * High School diploma or GED AND at least Five (5) years experience in school nutrition programs. Certifications: * ServSafe Mandatory– Local food safety certification if required in jurisdiction of employment. Must be knowledgeable of all local health and food safety ordinances. Computer Skills: * Proficiency in all Microsoft Office applications is required. * Must be able to communicate electronically through use of email and other similar computer platforms. * Able to learn new programs easily and quickly. Other Qualifications, Experience: * 3 years’ experience in Food Service Management as a Manager/Director required. * Minimum 1 year experience in K-12 programs required. Strong interest in school nutrition program development. * Culinary background is required - Must have a passion and an interest in food * Working knowledge of cooking procedures and recipe adherence and scaling. * Must have demonstrated experience developing talent and managing multiple priorities * Must be able to use “critical thinking” skills in order to resolve problems or would result in improving program overall. * Ability to effectively communicate verbally, electronically and written with clients, parents, students and support staff. * Must possess excellent time management and organizational skills * Bilingual Spanish is highly desirable. Required Competencies: * Communication * Effectively write, present and transfer ideas and information for the advancement of individual and company performance. * Customer Focus * Act in the best interest of the customer, both internal and external. * Innovation * Create new ideas, processes or products which when implemented lead to positive effective change. * Organization Leadership * Apply strategic thinking, prioritization and decision-making to drive results. PHYSICAL DEMANDS OF THE JOB: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a Team Member to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. * While performing the duties of this job, the team member is frequently required Sit, walk, talk and hear * Use hands and fingers to feel, handle, or operate objects, tools, or controls and reach with hands and arms. * Be standing on feet majority of the workday in addition to walking back and forth. * Lift and/or move up to 40 pounds. Lifting while turning side to side is sometimes necessary. * Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus. * Position may require extended hours including evenings and/or weekends, travel to multiple work sites and occasional out-of-district travel. Must be able to drive his/her own vehicle to other work sites.

Responsibilities

Lead the preparation and serving of meals while ensuring food safety and organization in the kitchen. Manage daily operations including ordering, storage, and cash handling.