Serve with a purpose! Our camp specializes in camps for individuals and families with disabilities or autism, and military families. We also host many retreat groups that include food services. This position is responsible for overseeing the organization, preparation, cooking, and serving of food to Ironwood guests, including overseeing a team of people (paid staff or volunteers) to prepare meals for up to 300 people. Should have strong organization skills for managing food inventory, ordering, and kitchen staff. We like to serve meals that are a higher level than what is found at most camps, especially given our premier conference center (Miracle Lodge).
The food service manager is also responsible for our chuckwagon meal preparations. Other duties may include performing on-site hosting duties for guest groups, supplies inventory management, and some cleaning. During the non-summer months, most meals are on weekends. During the summer we serve meals on all days of the week. Must be able to work with both staff and volunteers in the kitchen, teaching safe food practices and cooking to them.
As a Christian organization, we are looking to hire someone who is a Christ-follower. You can apply for the position/see more info by going to ironwoodsprings.com/jobs
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS and BASIC DUTIES:
The following are the functions that are essential to this position:
· Menu Creation/Updating: Design and maintain a selection of menu items for selection including themed meals. Strive to continually develop new selections to keep menu fresh. Develop Ironwood-signature items that are recognized and requested by guests as Ironwood-unique items. Maintain recipes for commonly-used recipes that can be made by other kitchen staff.
· Scheduling/Menu Customization: Work with retreat director, program director, and guest groups to establish menus and dining schedules for program events, guest groups, and staff meals. Menus for guest groups and programs should be created at least one month ahead of time. Menus should be determined to uniquely fit the profile of the guest groups (i.e. youth vs family vs adult-only). Items on menu should be specified as much as possible with specific details (i.e. the type of vegetable(s) or specific preparation/seasoning details such as “marinated, grilled chicken”, “garlic roasted yukon potato wedges”).
· Meal Production and Service Logistics: Plan, perform, direct, monitor and assist with the preparation, serving, and cleanup for food meals/activities, including non-dining hall service such as the Chuckwagon, Miracle Lodge, Chapel, or other spaces. Attention to advanced planning in terms of movement of food supplies from freezer to cooler to ensure food is defrosted ahead of when it is needed.
· Manage Dietary Needs for Guests: Work with retreat director and guest group to understand group dietary needs and take into consideration when designing menus. Develop/plan for alternative selections based on planned and anticipated common needs. When needed, maintain separation of food selections when dietary contamination is possible. Provide proper labeling of food items in regards to dietary restrictions.
· Program-based Food Activities: Work with program director(s) to create/plan/execute other food-related activities, ensuring that supplies are available and ready.
· Financial management: Establish food budgets and monitor to ensure that we stay within an allocated per person amount, which could be different based on the guest type. Ensure that we are buying food supplies that minimize our overall food costs while maintaining good quality. Maintain an understanding of make vs buy decisions.
· Quantity Management: Estimate appropriate quantities of food needed to prepare recipes and food items within established time constraints, ensuring that we don’t run short on food for guests but also do not have excessive food waste. Monitor meals during service to anticipate whether quantities are adequate and anticipate when more food may need to be produced. Ensure that food selection quantities are being maintained during food service. Maintain records/quantity rules based on food selections and guest types that can be used for food ordering and production. When needed, include quantity restrictions/recommendations for food items to ensure everyone at least gets served.
· Food Safety: Maintain standards of work, sanitation, safety, and recordkeeping, ensuring that food items are properly stored, cooked, shipped, and served in a safe, sanitary, and timely manner., including food labeling/dating and managing expiration of foods. Ensure that records required by local departments of health are maintained/retained and ensuring that public health inspections for food service are satisfactory.
· Kitchen/Dining/Food Supply Management: Work with staff person responsible for purchasing to ensure non-food service supplies are ordered in a timely fashion including paper products, kitchen equipment, etc..
· Managing Kitchen Staff/Volunteers: Work with other managers and the volunteer manager to plan for staffing of food service activities. Oversee the work of assistant cooks, food service, and dish cleaning crews, including Serve Safe training for anyone involved in food preparation/serving. Maintain relations with food service volunteers in order to promote volunteerism in the kitchen operation. Develop checklists to help kitchen staff/volunteers know what is required for preparation and cleanup.
o When other staff have meal preparation responsibilities (for example with staff meals), ensure that advanced planning and instructions are included so they know what to serve with appropriate quantities and preparation instructions (i.e. recipes).
· Presentation: Food should be presented with appropriate temperature, doneness, and freshness using various methods to keep at temperature prior to service. Responsible for all aspects of food service/presentation including the neatness and cleanliness of the dining hall and kitchen area. Regular and periodic cleaning of these areas is required.
· Kitchen Maintenance: Ensure that kitchen/food service equipment is maintained in good working order, either by notifying maintenance or calling service companies.
· Management Systems: Develop and maintain systems for kitchen/food management that are used for planning, scheduling, executing, record-keeping, and communicating with other staff members/volunteers. Examples of these include recipe maintenance with quantity scaling, quantity rules for various menu items, inventory/ordering management, etc.. As much as possible, these should be computer-based systems.
· Guest Relations: As much as possible, develop and maintain relationships with guest groups, especially guest group leaders, which is important for guest retention. When needed, welcome groups and give instructions regarding food service/cleanup and also to invite guests to check with kitchen regarding dietary needs.
Besides the above essential functions, the basic duties/requirements of the position include:
· Must obtain and maintain a ServSafe Food Manager certification at a minimum.
· In order to maintain a consistent amount of hours throughout the year, other duties may be required in this position including, hosting, and cleaning, and maintenance.
· Ranch employees are asked to help in other areas when needed. Some of these functions include guest activities/interaction. Guest activities include things such as zip line, challenge course, shooting range, tractor wagon rides.
CHARACTER TRAITS:
· Strong in Christian faith, including personal devotions/study, regularly attending church, and in agreement with Ironwood’s statement of faith.
· High integrity/trust.
· Detail-oriented: Able to handle high volume preparation of meals, possible multiple shifts of meals and ensures that food is ready on time and with high quality.
· Able to handle high stress situations.
· Clear communication with customers and staff.
· Outgoing, customer-oriented.
· Self-starter, taking initiative to improve the operations of the ranch.
· Works well within a team.
SECONDARY SKILLS/QUALIFICATIONS:
· Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience in food service, hospitality, customer service, or a related field.
· Highly organized and has attention to details.
· Technology: Understanding of reservation management and food service-related software, capable of learning technology, capable in Microsoft Office Suite.
· Able to lift a minimum of 25 lbs.
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time
Pay: $20.00 - $25.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Disability insurance
- Food provided
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Retirement plan
Education:
- High school or equivalent (Preferred)
Experience:
- Culinary Experience: 3 years (Preferred)
- Cooking: 3 years (Preferred)
License/Certification:
- Food Safety Certification (Preferred)
Work Location: In person
