Lead Cook: Full-time

Lead Cook

The Lead Cook supports the Director of Culinary Experience by leading food preparation and kitchen execution during assigned shifts. This hands-on role prepares appealing, nutritious, and flavorful meals while helping ensure recipes, production schedules, dietary requirements, quality standards, and service expectations are followed.

The Lead Cook provides task-level direction and training to culinary team members, monitors kitchen workflow, and reinforces food safety and sanitation practices. This position works closely with culinary and dining service team members to support a consistent, welcoming dining experience for residents.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Food Preparation & Kitchen Operations

Prepare and cook meals according to established menus, recipes, production schedules, portion standards, and resident needs.

Lead food preparation and kitchen workflow during assigned shifts to support timely meal service.

Monitor food quality, flavor, temperature, presentation, and portioning before and during service.

Adjust food preparation as directed to accommodate therapeutic diets, texture-modified diets, allergies, and other special dietary needs.

Assist with receiving, storage, inventory, product rotation, and maintaining appropriate food and supply levels.

Support catering, special events, resident celebrations, marketing functions, and other community dining needs.

Ensure culinary equipment is used, cleaned, and maintained properly and report repair needs to the Director.

Shift Leadership & Team Support

Provide task-level direction to culinary team members during assigned shifts.

Coordinate food preparation assignments and monitor workflow to support efficient service.

Provide hands-on training and reinforce established recipes, procedures, and quality expectations.

Communicate staffing, performance, food quality, or operational concerns to the Director.

Promote teamwork, accountability, professionalism, and excellent service.

Food Safety & Compliance

Follow and reinforce safe food handling, preparation, storage, cooling, reheating, service temperature, sanitation, and cleaning practices.

Complete required temperature logs, production records, cleaning schedules, and other culinary documentation accurately.

Maintain a clean, sanitary, organized, and safe kitchen and food preparation environment.

Follow health department, company, and other applicable food safety and sanitation requirements.

Resident Experience & Service Support

Support consistent and timely meal service in coordination with dining service team members.

Respond professionally to routine resident feedback and communicate concerns requiring follow-up to the Director.

Assist with monitoring food waste and proper use of food and supplies.

Work evenings, weekends, holidays, and varying shifts as community needs require.

Demonstrate and uphold Provision Living's mission, values, and culture standards.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This position does not have direct supervisory responsibility for culinary or dining service team members. The Lead Cook may provide task-level direction, coordinate kitchen workflow, and assist with hands-on training during assigned shifts. Employee performance, scheduling, corrective action, and other formal supervisory matters remain the responsibility of the Director of Culinary Experience.

Requirements

Job Requirements:

High school diploma or GED preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Minimum of two (2) years of professional cooking experience, preferably in senior living, healthcare, or hospitality.

Previous Lead Cook or shift-lead experience preferred.

ServSafe Certification, or ability to obtain certification within the required timeframe.

Knowledge of food preparation, food safety, sanitation, and special dietary needs.

Ability to read and follow menus, recipes, production schedules, and dietary instructions.

Ability to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and varying shifts as needed.

Competencies:

Strong cooking skills and commitment to food quality, presentation, safety, and sanitation.

Ability to organize food production and provide clear, respectful task direction.

Strong communication, teamwork, time management, and problem-solving skills.

Ability to remain calm and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced kitchen environment.

Dependable, accountable, adaptable, and resident-focused.

Required Travel:

Occasional travel may be required for training, meetings, or company events.

Physical Requirements:

This role requires regular physical activity and active presence in culinary and senior living environments. To perform the essential functions of this position, the employee must be able to:

Lift and/or move up to 50 pounds occasionally.

Stand, walk, and maintain a stationary position for extended periods of time.

Bend, squat, kneel, and move throughout kitchen, dining, and community environments as needed.

Ascend and descend stairs or ramps.

Reach, position self, and operate equipment above or below normal standing height.

Perform repetitive movements including grasping, cutting, stirring, typing, and fine manipulation.

Safely use culinary equipment, cleaning chemicals, and other tools required for routine duties.

The employee must be comfortable working in a senior living and culinary environment that may involve exposure to infectious diseases, heat, cold, cleaning chemicals, food allergens, sharp equipment, and varying noise levels.

Provision Living Senior Communities