Lead Cook - Luxury Senior Living Restaurant

Lead Cook

The Vered is looking for a lead cook who believes a well-made meal is a daily act of care, not a transaction.

We believe vitality is a building material and the dining room is where it shows first. The Vered is a modern senior living community on Ventura Boulevard in Encino, built on a simple conviction: the later chapters of life deserve the same craft, warmth and hospitality as any fine hotel. Our residents are not customers passing through. They are neighbors we serve three times a day, every day which means quality here compounds. A dish that delights on Tuesday earns trust by Friday.

Our culinary team runs restaurant-caliber rooms with genuine hospitality at the center. We treat each other the way we wish to be treated in return and we promote the people who prove it.

The Lead Cook is the Executive Chef's right hand planning menus, running daily kitchen operations, and leading the team that prepares and serves every meal. You will shape both the resident experience and the employee experience: the standard you hold on the line becomes the standard of the house. We are looking for someone who stays level-headed under pressure, develops the people around them, and takes real pride in consistency because our guests come back tomorrow.

Not just a job. A career with a longer horizon than a dinner rush.

• Real earning power. Competitive hourly pay above typical hotel service rates with a defined path into lead server and dining management roles.
• Hours you can live with. No 1 A.M. closes. Predictable meal service scheduled posted in advance a rarity in this trade.
• Full Benefits. Medical, dental and vision coverage, 401(k) with company match, and paid time off that accrues from day one.
• Shift Meals. Eat what the kitchen cooks. Daily meals with every shift, plus tasting whenever the menu turns.
• Grow your craft. Paid certifications, fine dining service training, and mentorship from a restaurant caliber culinary team.
• Work that matters. Serve people you know by name, and see the difference gracious service makes 3xs a day.
• A full time schedule with schedule built at least two weeks ahead.

Lead the kitchen day to day assigning duties in detail so every

• Plan food and beverage menus alongside the Executive Chef and Director of Culinary Creations, bringing seasonality and current food styling to a menu residents eat every day.
• Ensure proper preparation, portioning and serving of food to standardized recipes, and check every dish leaving the line meets The Vered standard.
• Own receiving: deliveries properly checked, dated, rotated and stored in the right place.
• Supervise and train the culinary team on sanitation, safety and equipment handling the standards that protect our residents.
• Visit residents in the dining room to evaluate quality, quantity, temperature and appearance firsthand, and turn what you hear into revised operations and better service.
• Communicate across departments and with front-of house staff so daily service executes without surprises.
• Represent the community warmly every interaction is part of how The Vered earns its reputation.
• Support the schedule, lend a hand across Culinary Services when needed, and adapt willingly to a changing environment.

A minimum of three years of restaurant, senior living or equivalent cooking experience, with a current state-required sanitation certification (Safe Food Handling and/or Certified Food Manager). A culinary degree is preferred; a high school diploma is required.

You bring strong knowledge of menu presentation, food preparation, production and delivery systems; fluency in local Health Department, OSHA and other regulatory standards; clear written and spoken communication in English; comfort with Microsoft Office; and the teamwork instincts to communicate across line, prep, dish and management. Willingness to be available for community emergencies is part of the role.

Mixers, knives, ovens, steam table, steamer, slicer, range, grill, griddle, and other assorted kitchen equipment

Lifts and carries up to 50 lbs. with assistance occasionally

Pushes and pulls up to 50 lbs. with assistance occasionally

Climbs, reaches, bends and twists occasionally

Sits, stands and walks frequently

Handles food frequently

Recognition/vision and mental processing

Routinely process printed information such as menus, resident orders, resident name labels, instructions, labels on food items and storage shelves/areas, posted notices, labels on chemicals.

Routinely recognizes auditory timer signals, soft voices of elderly, verbal communication within the workplace.

Routinely observe odors relevant to food preparation and storage, cleanliness and sanitation.

Routinely interact with a work environment highly dependent upon audible and intelligible verbal communication in order to assure understanding.

Routinely interact with individuals (residents, family members, staff, etc.) who may be discourteous, tactless, demanding, verbally and/or physically threatening or abusive, angry, or hostile, emotionally vulnerable or mentally ill, vulgar, mean-natured.

Routinely called upon to control own emotions and behaviors to protect residents' rights and to respond professionally with respect and dignity.