Head Chef

Head Chef

Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, widely recognized as one of New York's premier human services providers, is a settlement house founded in 1894 that provides an extensive array of effective and integrated services—social, educational, health, housing, mental health, nutritional and fitness—which significantly improve the lives of 16,000 people in need each year, ages 3 to 103, on the East Side of Manhattan. Our clients include older adults, unhoused and formerly unhoused adults, children and families, disabled persons, adult learners and more.

Lenox Hill Neighborhood House's Food Services is a leader in New York City's nonprofit farm-to-institution movement. Our team prepares and serves approximately 1,600 healthy, delicious, and culturally appropriate meals each day across our two Older Adult Centers, Early Childhood Center, Social Adult Day Program, and Women's Mental Health Shelter. In addition to daily meal service, our team supports internal and external catering, special events, and community food initiatives throughout the organization.

Food Services works collaboratively with the Teaching Kitchen®, a program which trains nonprofit organizations to transform their food service programs using the farm-to-institution model originally developed through our own meal programs. Our Food Services and Teaching Kitchen® programs aim to improve the health of individuals and families who have limited resources, food insecurity, chronic health conditions, and low income by increasing their access to fresh, healthy food.

We are seeking an innovative, ambitious, and mission-driven Head Chef to join our Food Services team. Reporting to the Executive Chef & Director of Culinary Programs, the Head Chef will oversee the daily operations of the Food Services Department, providing hands-on leadership to a dynamic culinary team in a fast-paced, high-volume environment. Working collaboratively with the Teaching Kitchen® and Facilities teams, the Head Chef will support our mission by delivering exceptional food service while advancing our farm-to-institution model.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Oversee the management and operations of our institutional kitchen, including the creation and management of program menus in accordance with all nutrition and funder requirements
• Lead and work closely with the Sous Chefs, Chef Tournant and all Food Services team members for effective daily operations, including overseeing schedules, hiring, onboarding, and training
• Collaborate with chefs to develop, test, and introduce culturally responsive, farm-to-institution recipes that are scalable for institutional food service
• Support the expansion of healthy food initiatives, including coordinating meal production, distribution logistics, and community partnerships
• Utilize technology and data systems to track food costs, inventory, and production quantities while ensuring compliance with government funding requirements
• Evaluate costs, negotiate prices with vendors, and develop relationships with potential new sourcing opportunities
• Facilitate routine team training, facility self-inspections, and inventory
• Assist with all daily food operations, as well as in-house special events (menu prep, event set-up and breakdown, etc.)
• Lead the ongoing improvement of kitchen standard operating procedures (SOPs), ensuring clear systems for production, sanitation, inventory, and team workflows
• Maintain compliance with all food handling procedures, including those of the Department of Health as well as those of the Neighborhood House
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary staff across departments at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House and ensure streamlined communication related to menus and in-house meal service
• Complete all other responsibilities and duties as assigned by the Executive Chef & Director of Culinary Programs

Qualifications:

• Chef who thrives in a highly social, fast-paced community and institutional kitchen environment
• Bachelor's degree, with 5+ years of culinary, food production, or restaurant management experience
• Experience operating community food programs and managing high-volume meal production kitchens and food service teams
• Be certified, or become certified, to make and serve food in New York City and ensure compliance with NYC Food Standards
• Food Protection Certificate from the New York City Department of Health, or ability to obtain
• Commitment to food equity, sustainable food systems, and social justice
• Strong management, organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Computer literacy, including Excel and relevant culinary or food service software
• Experience working with government agencies, such as NYC Aging and Child and Adult Care Food Program strongly preferred
• Fluency in Spanish is preferred to support effective communication with staff and community members
• Flexible and dependable, with the ability to work holidays as needed to ensure uninterrupted meal service

Salary range $80,000 annually

What we Offer:

• Comprehensive health insurance choices for staff and their families
• Extensive paid time off – 25 days' vacation; 12 holidays; and sick time
• Matching contributions to Retirement Plan
• Paid parental leave policy for all staff
• Professional Development Opportunities – certifications and licenses, conferences, trainings, lectures and more
• Free Life Insurance – 3x annual salary
• Pre-tax Flexible Spending Accounts for Medical, Dependent Care and Parking/Mass Transit
• Supplemental Insurance Coverage (Accident, Hospital and Critical Illness)
• Staff events and parties including Film and Dinner nights, bowling parties, baseball games, food trucks, holiday parties, parties on our Green Roof, chocolate event for Valentine's Day and ice cream socials, and much more.
• Staff use of State-of-the Art Fitness Center, Gym and Swimming Pool
• Staff group fitness classes, swimming lessons and lap swim for staff
• PSLF (Public Service Loan Forgiveness) Eligible Employer

All individuals, as a condition for employment by Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, are required to undergo a pre-employment background check. Certain positions require more extensive background checks to comply with applicable laws.

At Lenox Hill Neighborhood House we value respect, diversity and integrity. We are an equal opportunity employer. Lenox Hill Neighborhood House prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type and affords equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. Lenox Hill Neighborhood House conforms to the spirit as well as to the letter of all applicable laws and regulations. The policy of equal employment opportunity (EEO) and anti-discrimination applies to all aspects of the relationship between Lenox Hill Neighborhood House and its colleagues.