Taste of Hope Executive Chef

At Cincinnati’s Ronald McDonald House, we have a culture of gratitude, fun, collaboration and compassion. The Executive Chef must be exceptionally talented, driven, organized and – most importantly – passionate about people and helping others succeed! The Taste of Hope Executive Chef manages and coordinates the daily meal service program in Cincinnati, serving between 400-600 guests daily, and oversees the organization and cleanliness of our kitchen.

The Executive Chef is often the first impression more than 16,000 volunteers will have of our House, and a warm and engaging demeanor is a must. They work with staff, volunteers and other organizations and corporate groups to ensure a varied menu of balanced meals for our guest families and lead our volunteer meal groups in prepping and serving meals following Serv.

Safe protocols. This role ensures compliance with local, state, and federal laws, regulations, safety and sanitation procedures. When not preparing meals themselves, this role is responsible for ensuring sous chefs follow a similar approach to meals. The Taste of Hope program’s mission is to offer a community-focused experience by providing healthy, quality meals for our guest families to help ensure a more respite environment.

THIS JOB MIGHT BE FOR YOU IF: You have proven success creating menus that work for different dietary needs, cultures and budgets. You have a passion for culinary and you love sharing that with others. You are people focused with an upbeat and professional demeanor. You are reliable and proud of your work. You are meticulous about detail and accuracy while working effectively in a fast-paced environment.

You enjoy building relationships with a diverse group of people. You are timely, great at prioritizing, and multi-tasking. You clearly and warmly keep people informed and connected. You are highly motivated and a self-starter. Have a service mentality. You want to love what you do and make an impact! Reports to: Meals and Activities Director Supervises: Lead Sous Chef, Sous Chefs, Kitchen Assistants Job Qualifications: A minimum of 5 years of culinary experience Diploma or degree in the culinary field Must have food handler and Serv.

Safe certifications Experience leading a team Core Expectations: Serves as a thoughtful and reliable leader, managing the day-to-day culinary and administrative functions of the kitchen while serving as a very positive representation of our mission to the community and our families. Creates a welcoming, respectful kitchen where employees and volunteers feel valued, whatever their skill level.

Leads by example our Core Values of Collaboration, Gratitude, Integrity, Inclusion and Joy Competencies: Compassion; Professional, personable, friendly and approachable demeanor; Ability to work with a variety of personalities and be a strong representative of our House and our brand; Strong communication (verbal and written) and customer service skills; Demonstrates and embodies Ronald McDonald House Southwest Ohio’s Core Values; Understanding of nutrition, food costing and sourcing, meal production and planning; Extensive knowledge of health and safety rules and regulations pertaining to commercial food establishments including sanitation and maintenance regulations; Ability to write menus, plan and prepare meals and lead, instruct and empower volunteer meal groups; Budget management, scheduling and record keeping; Ability to develop procedures used in ordering, receiving, storing and inventorying food and supplies; Ability to nurture donor and vendor relationships to maximize in-kind donations; Knowledge of commercial restaurant equipment; Ability to lead and supervise team of sous chefs and kitchen assistants.

Team player. Ability to serve as an ambassador for the Ronald McDonald House Mission.

Key Responsibilities

Oversee and execute a safe and healthy food service program that will deliver quality, variety, service, cleanliness and value for Ronald McDonald House guests, volunteers and staff (including internal house events, functions and meetings). Manage and enforce all food safety and sanitation requirements and practices to maintain high standards of quality control, hygiene, health and safety.

Builds a team culture of trust and collaboration and handles conflict promptly and fairly. Trains and coaches patiently. Breaks tasks into clear steps so a first-time volunteer can contribute safely and with confidence. Prepares high-quality, flavorful food consistently, from everyday meals to in-House events. Control food and operating supply inventories within budget guidelines.

Including ordering and purchasing of menu items, kitchen supplies, and beverages, while managing in-kind donations. Coordinate and oversee the operation of our commercial kitchen areas. Oversee team of Sous Chefs and Kitchen Assistants; scheduling, payroll, reviews, salary discussions, etc. Provide direction, coordination and supervision to volunteer meal groups, volunteer hosts and occasional temporary kitchen staff laborers.

Cultivation and Stewardship Welcome volunteers, complete registration and acknowledge gifts. Provide the highest quality of customer service to guest families, employees and volunteers.. Adjusts leadership style to the person: holds staff to professional standards while keeping volunteer shifts rewarding so people want to come back.

Ensure a high-quality volunteer experience in close conjunction with the Volunteer Manager. Collaborate across departments (marketing, development, meals and activities) to celebrate donors and promote the growth of the program throughout the Greater Cincinnati and Ronald McDonald House community. Planning Develop menus utilizing donated foods and purchased product.

Build relationships with food vendors to obtain best prices (reduced or donated). Alongside the Meals and Activities (M&A) Director and Chief Operating Officer, help oversee and control expenditures within assigned budget. Work closely with M&A team to ensure menu options are communicated to potential meal group volunteers.

Utilize Microsoft Outlook for email communication and the calendar application for menu writing and planning. Serving Oversee and participate in the safe preparation and serving of food with attention to portion size control and timely service. Provide allergy-safe alternative meals in addition to the main meal for guests with specific serious allergies/major dietary restrictions.

Equipment/Inventory Maintain an inventory supply system to stock pantries and minimize waste, utilizing first in/first out procedures. Work closely with the Facilities Director to arrange for maintenance and repair of equipment and ensure preventative maintenance tasks are being completed in a timely manner. Ensure cleaning checklist and temperature requirements are being logged.

Maintain and/or supervise the cleanliness, sanitation and equipment maintenance of kitchen and dining areas. Direct, assign and schedule daily Ronald McDonald House kitchen/host volunteer duties for efficient use of labor utilizing daily and weekly cleaning schedules Other Review guest survey comments and suggestions on a weekly basis to look for ways to continually evolve to meet their needs.

Investigate and resolve any complaints regarding food quality and safety. Train staff on all fire safety protocols. Organize food service operation for catered requests, such as special RMHC events, activities and meetings. Assist in the hiring process of Sous Chefs and Kitchen Assistants by reviewing applications and conducting interviews; recommend specific personnel to be hired.

Encourage and support career growth and development of the culinary team by creating goals for each individual, performing one-on-one meetings and delivering annual performance reviews. Provide reports to partnering agencies, if applicable. Stay current in the field by pursuing opportunities for professional development.

Meet with Meals and Activities Director weekly to discuss strategies, needs and progress. Comply with RMHC policies and procedures. Other duties as assigned. Work Environment: This job operates in a kitchen environment, housed with equipment such as an oven, stove, dishwasher, slicer, coffee machine, steamer, fryer, mixer and commercial grade knives.

The employee is frequently exposed to heat, steam, fire and noise. This job also operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines. Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

The employee is occasionally required to sit, stand, reach, lift, bend, kneel, stoop, climb, push and pull items weighing 50 pounds or less. The position requires manual dexterity; auditory and visual skills; and the ability to follow written and oral instructions and procedures. Hours: This is a full-time position. Our House serves two healthy meals to our families 365 days a year.

The Taste of Hope Executive Chef will work a flexible schedule to provide support to production as needed, including weekends and holidays. Other Duties Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.

Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.