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Head Cook
Head CookOx-Bow School of Art and Artists' Residency • Saugatuck, MI, US
Head Cook

Head Cook

Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists' Residency • Saugatuck, MI, US
4 days ago
Job type
  • Full-time
Job description

Ox-Bow as an artist-built community is dedicated to the preservation of time and space for arts education, research, practice, and community building for artists at all stages of their artistic journey.

Ox-Bow’s Head Chef is an experienced leader who is responsible for setting the tone for all things related to food service and hospitality at Ox-Bow : positively leading the Culinary Team, including staff, fellows, and work study students, in planning and preparing three meals a day for the campus population, which may total approximately 120 people during the summer season; overseeing cleanliness and professionalism in the kitchen and surrounding service spaces; ensuring safe food handling practices; setting and maintaining excellent customer service standards; fostering a positive team environment; and managing deadlines to ensure meals are delivered on time.

Further, the Head Chef works in collaboration with the Executive Director, the Deputy Director, the Events Manager, and campus-based managers to ensure both the smooth, holistic operational function of daily food service and the vision and the implementation of culinary contributions to special events and special projects, including fundraising events; guest chef collaborations; a culinary residency program; and more. The Head Chef will work directly with guest chefs and caterers on special events as the key point person for the food and beverage program, managing direct and prompt communication with independent contractors as it pertains to food and beverage service, overseeing ordering, and directing support staff.

The Head Chef oversees the operation of the kitchen at Ox-Bow, which includes managing an annual budget for equipment repair and replenishment and food and beverage materials / ingredients. The Chef works closely with the Deputy Director on the recruiting and hiring of a seasonal culinary team. The Chef oversees the general care of the kitchen and all associated equipment and service ware (for events and daily use), taking care to maintain all inventory, clean and store properly and replenish stock as needed.

Overall, the Head Chef provides both visionary and detail-oriented leadership regarding all aspects of food service operations at Ox-Bow. The ideal candidate is excited about creating meals in a community setting that values natural ingredients, local partnerships, diner experience, and approaching the kitchen as a studio. They thrive mentoring emerging cooks from a range of backgrounds in an intensive setting. Candidates interested in the intersection of food and community, history and / or sustainability and cooking as a creative practice are preferred.

This is a year-round, 75% time position, schedule to be determined by the Deputy Director. Will include weekend and / or evening hours. This position is ideal for candidates within a 40 mile commuting radius.  Limited, seasonal on-campus housing may be available. Position includes benefits package.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities :

Kitchen Management

  • Sets and maintains the standard for exemplary community-focused customer service
  • Models positive, mindful, and energetic leadership and delegation on a daily basis
  • Coordinates and leads skills- and process- based training programs for culinary team
  • Delegates daily kitchen duties to team members and supports MODs in doing the same
  • Participates in inter- and intra-departmental meetings and on-line communications
  • Oversees culinary team members’ work schedules
  • Oversees the kitchen food and operations budget, including predictive forecasting
  • Maintains a professional, progressive, and safe work environment in compliance with Allegan County Health Department and NRA National Standards
  • Facilitates the upkeep and maintenance of culinary facilities and equipment including, but not limited to kitchen, surrounding service areas and bathrooms, dining areas, cold and dry storage, gardens, and outdoor preparation areas
  • Works with guests to understand and meet their dietary needs and allergy concerns, communicating daily matrix of dietary needs to team
  • Fosters positive, anticipatory service and guest interaction
  • Provides constructive, continual feedback and leads performance review process with culinary team members
  • Lead the development of a standardized recipe resource book

Food Preparation and Ordering

  • Sources, orders, and oversees inventory of food, beverage, equipment, cleaning supplies, and chemicals in accordance with assigned budget
  • Maintains a positive, active presence in the kitchen, leading by example, cooking and collaborating with the team to support day-to-day needs
  • Fosters opportunities for training, special events, skill-sharing and fostering an active learning community
  • Leads collaborative meal planning
  • Develops / maintains relationships with local vendors, actively establishing new relationships
  • Picks up or delegates pick-ups of ingredients at local purveyors, farmers market or other vendors
  • Establishes and upholds daily opening and closing checklists and ensures food preparation and service areas are clean and orderly
  • Ensures the consistent, high quality of food items served and that food preparation, serving, and labeling standards are met
  • Develops and implements an actionable vision for a more environmentally sustainable Ox-Bow kitchen, through initiatives such as composting, collaborations with local farms, focus on vegetarian cuisine, and more

    • Special Events

  • Provides visionary, operationally precise, collaborative leadership for all culinary aspects of special events both on-campus and off-site
  • Collaborates closely with the Events Manager, guest chefs, and staff members to ensure successful execution of special events

    • Essential Qualifications :

  • 5+ years experience as chef or manager in a catering, cafeteria, kitchen, restaurant, or other high-volume professional culinary setting
  • Customer Service expertise
  • Food Safety Manager Certification
  • Allergen training by National Restaurant Association
  • Effective, brave, confident, and nuanced communicator
  • Knowledgeable and dexterous using all manner of complex kitchen equipment
  • Skilled and experienced in designing and communicating meal plans
  • Proficiency using digital tools to monitor and track inventory and maintain recipe records and budgets
  • Excellent time management and organizational skills
  • Proven leadership and creative abilities in a professional culinary context
  • Expert problem solver who thrives under pressure
  • Must be able to travel to and from Ox-Bow’s Saugatuck campus and / or various vendor locations in the West Michigan region

    • Preferred Qualifications :

  • Burgeoning knowledge of the culinary landscape, including sustainable practices and local farms, purveyors, and trends
  • Kitchen equipment maintenance experience / ability
  • Experience with conceptualizing and executing creative culinary events
  • Experience with veggie-forward, sustainable meal planning
  • A passion for the arts and familiarity with artist communities preferred

    • PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

    Physical Demands :

  • While performing the duties of this job, the employee must be able to stand and walk for extended periods of time and be able to move about in indoor and outdoor environments.
  • Operate computer, tools, and vehicles and must have the ability to use hands to move, set up, adjust, assemble, control, operate, or feel objects, tools or controls and reach with hands and arms.
  • Must be able to traverse uneven terrain and stairs
  • Constantly communicate and exchange information with team members and must be able to effectively communicate correct information
  • Read / comprehend, write, communicate orally, reasoning, and analytical abilities, and mental flexibility
  • Frequently move objects up to 50 pounds
  • The employee will routinely climb, bend, squat, kneel, crouch, and reach above shoulder
  • Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus to compare and distinguish administrative data.
  • Hearing ability to perceive the nature of sounds at normal speaking level with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication and to make discriminations in sound.

    • Work Environment :

  • While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly working in an indoor and outdoor work environment, at times in high heat and humidity.
  • Working environments will sometimes involve hazardous materials and loud noise
  • Requires wearing common protective and safety equipment
  • Position may involve extended work hours, weekends, evenings, and holidays
  • Occasional travel required

    • Working At Ox-Bow

    Ox-Bow School of Art, founded in 1910, offers a wide range of opportunities for artists at all stages of their careers. Our campus is nestled on a peninsular interdunal wetland in Saugatuck, MI. With programs that target degree-seeking students, professional artists and those new to the field, Ox-Bow builds a supportive frame in which artists can push their practices in new directions. Ox-Bow’s community is expansive and ever-evolving. Working at Ox-Bow is a unique experience. Our staff consists of both year-round and seasonal positions. Some staff live on campus during their working months, while others commute or work remotely both within the state of Michigan and beyond.

    Working at Ox-Bow is working at the intersection of education, hospitality and culture. Together we seek to create a welcoming environment that nurtures the creative process while building community across generations, career stages, disciplines and identities. With over 100 years of arts education behind us, we have a vast community of alumni, including staff, students, resident artists, faculty, and community supporters, who love and care for Ox-Bow. Working at Ox-Bow is to become part of that community, and help sustain a historic non-profit arts organization for current and future generations of artists and art lovers.

    At Ox-Bow we have a vision to be a place where a diverse mix of talented people want to come, lend their creativity, and work in support of an evolving, yet historic, art school. We pride ourselves on thinking and acting creatively, and recognize that part of what makes us a unique place for both our staff and students, is the talent and dedication of our employees.

    Ox-Bow is committed to diversity and inclusion, we believe deeply in diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity and national origin and work to reflect that in our classrooms, programming, faculty, staff and board.

    Equal Opportunity Employment

    Ox-Bow is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for its students, visitors, faculty, and staff, and to ensuring that educational and employment decisions are based on an individual’s abilities and qualifications. Ox-Bow does not tolerate unlawful discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or former military status, or any other status protected by federal, state or local law, in its programs and activities, public accommodations or employment practices.

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    Head Cook • Saugatuck, MI, US