ABOUT US
Rethink Food is a chef-led nonprofit partnering with restaurants to better feed communities.
Through strong partnerships with local restaurants and community-based organizations, we work with a responsive, hyperlocal network that provides culturally celebrated, nutritious meals. Since 2017, we've served over 30 million meals and reinvested more than $142 million into local economies.
Our work falls into three core areas:
- Building the Network: We connect restaurants, community-based organizations, and food donors to deliver meals where they’re needed most.
- Setting the Example: Through our Sustainable Community Kitchen, we demonstrate what dignified, community-centered food access can look like.
- Advocating for Change: We champion policy and systems change to create a more sustainable, equitable food future for all.
ROLE SUMMARY
The Sustainable Community Kitchen Sous Chef will lead the culinary operations and logistics at the Rethink Sustainable Community Kitchen, overseeing meal production for the Rethink Neighborhood meals portfolio and other contract work. This role involves managing and developing the culinary team, ensuring the highest food quality and sustainability standards. The ideal candidate will embody Rethink’s zero waste/excess production model, demonstrating a deep commitment to sustainability and community support.
The general schedule for this position is Monday through Friday, from 7:45 am – 4:30 pm. While this represents the standard routine, candidates should have the flexibility to occasionally work beyond these hours as needed to meet specific production demands or deadlines.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Work with the Head Chef to develop and curate nutritiously dense and culturally diverse menus that cater to the needs of the communities served.
- Oversee receiving for morning deliveries, ensuring quality and proper processing and storage.
- Ensure the kitchen and refrigerators remain clean and organized.
- Champion Rethink’s commitment to zero waste by optimizing ingredient use, reducing food waste, and repurposing excess food creatively.
- Utilize Winnow to report on sustainability metrics, striving for continuous improvement in kitchen practices.
- Keep a daily log of received, produced, and processed food.
- Responsible for the accurate labeling and organization of all production materials for CBOs and events, and for liaising with the logistics team to resolve any issues
- Oversee inventory management, food receiving and sorting of food deliveries: follows DOH and Sustainable Community Kitchen guidelines of food labeling procedures when receiving food products to ensure quality, freshness and consistency.
- Supervise and instruct facilities and culinary teams weekly and daily tasks
- Perform other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Proven experience in a leadership role within a professional kitchen, preferably in a sustainability-focused environment.
- Strong commitment to Rethink Food’s mission of reducing food waste and promoting food security.
- Excellent culinary skills, with a deep understanding of diverse cuisines and dietary requirements.
- Demonstrated ability to manage and develop a diverse team.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to represent Rethink Food in various forums.
- Knowledge of food safety regulations and best practices.
- Experience with menu development and large scale meal production.
- Strong organizational skills, detail-oriented, and able to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Passion for community engagement and advocacy for sustainable food practices.
- Familiarity with vendor management and procurement processes.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.
- Knowledge of food safety regulations and best practices.
- Self-motivated individual who takes initiative and is always looking to grow and learn
- Ability to embrace an environment that is rapidly growing and changing to adapt to new business demands
- Must embrace the mission and core values of Rethink Food
- Must be able to stand, bend, stretch, lift, and carry heavy materials up to 50 lbs
WHAT YOU BRING TO THE TABLE: Commitment to embodying our values of -
Inventiveness: At our core, we are relentlessly curious about solving problems. As our name suggests, we’re a team of creative thinkers, but we’re also hands-on doers, challenging norms with humility to find practical solutions that can create lasting change.
Vulnerability: Guided by an “always be better” mindset, we are a team that intentionally reflects on what we are doing well and where we need to improve. We hold ourselves and each other accountable, every day. No blame, no shame — we just want to be sure we’re always doing the right thing.
Thoughtfulness: Our vision for a nourished and thriving world starts with nourished and thriving individuals in each of our communities. Our work is centered on the needs of the people that bring our communities to life. We don’t pretend to have all of the answers. We are committed to listening and learning in order to identify and scale solutions that ensure stable and reliable access to healthy food for all so each and every community can thrive.
Kindness: At Rethink, we show up every day with empathy and compassion and believe everyone should be treated with dignity. Kindness goes a long way — we are all about just being kind
COMPENSATION
The annual salary range for this position is $75,000 - $95,000, depending on experience and education. We also offer a complete benefits package including medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, PTO, paid holidays, two weeks per year for an organization-wide office closure to recharge, a retirement plan, and a progressive parental leave plan.
HOW TO APPLY
While a degree, certification, and work experience are a plus, we recognize that other life and work experiences may also prepare you for this role. Additionally, research has shown that women and people from underrepresented groups may not apply for jobs if they do not meet 100% of the job qualifications. Please know that no candidate has 100% of the listed job qualifications. Therefore, we encourage you to apply for this position if you believe you can complete the responsibilities.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. However, we have an immediate need to fill the position. Please submit your application online.
