Lead Sous Chef / Kitchen Supervisor
Healthy School Nutrition Program
Full-Time | Monday–Friday | Miami Beach, FL
We are seeking an experienced, creative, and dependable Lead Sous Chef / Kitchen Supervisor to help manage the daily kitchen operations for a healthy food program at one of Miami Beach’s leading Jewish private schools, serving children from infancy through fifth grade.
This is a hands-on leadership position. The right candidate must be an excellent cook who is also comfortable directing kitchen employees, organizing daily production, maintaining food quality, and making sure lunches and snacks are prepared correctly and on schedule.
We are looking for someone who can take ownership of the kitchen during daily food preparation—not someone who needs to be given instructions for every task.
About Our Food Program
Our meals and snacks are prepared from scratch using fresh, wholesome ingredients. We focus on healthy, flavorful, and kid-friendly food without relying on frozen meals, highly processed ingredients, preservatives, or seed oils.
The kitchen also prepares meals for children with dietary restrictions and food allergies, including gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free options.
Our goal is to serve children food that is nourishing, familiar, and enjoyable while also managing ingredients responsibly and minimizing food waste.
Leadership and Kitchen Management Responsibilities
- Manage and oversee daily cooking and food-production activities
- Direct kitchen employees and assign daily preparation and cooking responsibilities
- Prepare and communicate clear prep lists and production priorities
- Make sure lunches, snacks, allergy-friendly meals, breads, baked goods, sauces, and other menu items are completed on time
- Monitor the quality, taste, consistency, and presentation of all food before it is served
- Ensure recipes, portions, and production quantities are followed correctly
- Supervise kitchen workflow and step in wherever support is needed
- Keep the team organized, productive, and focused throughout the day
- Train kitchen employees on recipes, preparation methods, food safety, sanitation, and allergy procedures
- Help maintain a respectful, positive, and professional kitchen environment
- Identify problems early and communicate supply, staffing, equipment, or production concerns to management
- Help oversee inventory, ingredient storage, labeling, rotation, and waste reduction
- Assist with receiving deliveries and confirming that products meet the program’s standards
- Ensure that the kitchen remains clean, organized, and ready for service
- Help enforce kosher kitchen procedures and the proper separation of ingredients, utensils, and equipment
Cooking and Menu Responsibilities
- Actively participate in cooking and food preparation every day
- Prepare healthy meals and snacks from scratch using whole ingredients
- Help create nutritious, kid-friendly recipes that children will actually enjoy
- Adjust recipes based on the age of the children, available ingredients, and dietary needs
- Prepare safe and appealing gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and other allergy-friendly alternatives
- Understand how ingredient substitutions affect flavor, texture, and recipe results
- Use surplus ingredients creatively and responsibly to reduce food waste
- Be able to improvise when appropriate—for example, turning extra ripe bananas into healthy gluten-free and dairy-free muffins
- Assist with menu planning, recipe development, testing, and documenting successful recipes
- Prepare or supervise the preparation of Jewish, Israeli, Mediterranean, and familiar child-friendly dishes
The Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate:
- Is a confident and experienced hands-on cook
- Has previous experience leading or supervising employees in a kitchen
- Can manage daily production without constant direction
- Is familiar with Jewish, Israeli, or Mediterranean cuisine
- Understands kosher kitchen practices or is willing and able to follow them carefully
- Has experience preparing healthy food from scratch
- Understands food allergies, dietary restrictions, and cross-contact prevention
- Can create or adapt gluten-free, dairy-free, and egg-free recipes
- Enjoys developing healthy food that appeals to children
- Can make practical decisions quickly when ingredients, quantities, or circumstances change
- Is organized, calm, resourceful, and able to prioritize multiple responsibilities
- Leads by example and is willing to cook, clean, organize, and assist the team
- Communicates clearly and treats coworkers respectfully
- Is dependable and takes responsibility for the quality and timing of the kitchen’s work
Requirements
- Professional cooking experience in a school kitchen, catering operation, commercial kitchen, bakery, restaurant, or other high-volume food environment
- Previous kitchen leadership, supervisory, lead cook, or sous chef experience
- Strong knowledge of food safety, sanitation, and proper food handling
- Knowledge of food-allergy procedures and cross-contact prevention
- Ability to follow and enforce kosher kitchen requirements
- Ability to pass a required background check
- Comfortable working in a Jewish religious-school environment and around young children
- Ability to stand for extended periods and lift kitchen ingredients and supplies as required
- Reliable transportation and consistent weekday availability
- Culinary education is helpful but not required for a candidate with strong practical experience
Experience with Jewish, Israeli, Mediterranean, kosher, allergy-friendly, health-focused, or children’s food preparation is strongly preferred.
To Apply
Please submit your résumé along with a brief description of:
- Your experience managing or supervising a kitchen team
- Your experience with healthy, Jewish, Israeli, Mediterranean, or kosher cooking
- Your experience preparing food for children or accommodating food allergies
- An example of a healthy meal, snack, or baked item you created or adapted using ingredients that were already available
Pay: $18.00 - $22.00 per hour
Benefits:
Work Location: In person
