Lead Cook — Trailside Kitchen
Location: Sisters, Oregon
Reports To: Owner/Head Chef and Sous Chef
Position: Full-Time
Compensation: Average combined earnings of approximately $26–$32 per hour, including pooled tips. Actual earnings may vary based on sales volume and hours worked. Full compensation details will be discussed during the interview process.
Start Date: Immediately
Are You Ready to Help Lead a Kitchen?
Luckey’s Woodsman is looking for an experienced, dependable, and motivated Lead Cook to join our team at Trailside Kitchen in Sisters.
This is a hands-on leadership position for someone who loves cooking, works with urgency, communicates clearly, and knows how to bring out the best in the people around them.
You will work directly with our Chef and Sous Chef to support daily kitchen operations, maintain consistency, train team members, and ensure every plate reflects the quality and spirit of Luckey’s Woodsman.
We are not looking for someone who wants to stand on the sidelines and manage with a clipboard. Our Lead Cook works the line, supports the crew, solves problems, and leads by example.
A Day in the Life
As our Lead Cook, you will help oversee the daily flow of the kitchen while playing an active role in preparation and service. You will help keep the team organized, maintain quality during busy shifts, and make sure everyone has what they need to succeed.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Leading the kitchen team during preparation and service
- Working the line during peak meal periods
- Delegating tasks clearly and effectively
- Training, coaching, and developing line cooks and prep cooks
- Creating clear daily prep lists and maintaining realistic timelines
- Assisting with weekly menus, specials, and seasonal dishes
- Preparing high-quality, visually appealing food using scratch-made methods
- Maintaining consistency in recipes, portions, quality, and presentation
- Monitoring par levels, portion control, food waste, and product usage
- Participating in inventory, purchasing, and ordering
- Helping manage food and labor costs
- Ensuring food is prepared accurately, consistently, and on time
- Maintaining proper labeling, dating, rotation, and FIFO procedures
- Completing temperature and food-safety logs
- Maintaining a clean, organized, and sanitary kitchen
- Ensuring equipment is operated safely and properly maintained
- Communicating shortages, maintenance concerns, injuries, or food-safety issues to management
- Supporting the Chef and Sous Chef and filling in for kitchen leadership when needed
- Responding positively and professionally to guest feedback or concerns
Who We’re Looking For
Our ideal Lead Cook:
- Has at least one year of full-time back-of-house leadership or management experience
- Has experience working in a fast-paced professional kitchen
- Is confident leading, delegating, and holding a team accountable
- Has strong knife skills and a solid understanding of cooking techniques
- Is passionate about quality food and culinary creativity
- Communicates well with cooks, managers, and guests
- Can follow and help enforce recipes, checklists, and kitchen systems
- Understands food cost, labor awareness, portion control, and waste reduction
- Maintains a clean and organized work environment
- Is dependable, honest, and willing to work with urgency
- Can remain calm and solutions-focused during busy or challenging shifts
- Holds or can obtain a current Oregon Food Handler Card
- Has a genuine interest in the outdoors and the Central Oregon community
This position regularly requires weekend work and occasional long shifts. Applicants must be able to stand for extended periods, bend, reach, stoop, and frequently lift up to 40 pounds.
What’s in It for You?
- Average combined earnings of approximately $26–$32 per hour, including pooled tips
- Paid-time-off accrual for eligible full-time employees
- Continuous culinary and leadership training
- Opportunities for growth and advancement
- A positive, team-oriented working environment
- The opportunity to help shape menus, kitchen systems, and team culture
- Experience beyond the restaurant through adventure catering, weddings, community events, and off-grid culinary experiences
- The chance to work for a locally owned company that genuinely values its people, its community, and the outdoors
Who We Are
Luckey’s Woodsman is a locally owned Central Oregon food-service company with a restaurant in Sisters, a food truck in Bend, and an adventure catering operation that takes us throughout Central Oregon’s backcountry, weddings, community gatherings, and corporate events.
The original Luckey’s Woodsman opened in Springfield, Oregon, in 1956. We brought the name back in 2020 with a new mission: to honor that family legacy while helping create a healthier and more inspiring future for professional food service.
We believe the outdoors can help reconnect people with the joy of cooking. We believe it can also be used as a tool to create a healthier working environment in an industry that has not always taken care of its people.
We believe in fresh, high-quality—and sometimes wild—ingredients. We make our dishes from scratch, support local farms and businesses whenever possible, and believe that Luckey’s Woodsman would not be what it is today without a strong team.
Ready to Join the Adventure?
Luckey’s Woodsman is an equal-opportunity employer. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives, experiences, and skills.
Pay: $25.10 - $32.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Paid sick time
- Paid time off
- Paid training
Work Location: In person
