Position: Chef Manager & Culinary Program Lead
Status: Full Time, Exempt
Reports to: Executive Director
If you are a creative chef who loves fresh, seasonal ingredients and wants a meaningful culinary role with daytime hours -this is a rare opportunity to build something truly special.
Wayne Senior Center is launching a modern, chef-led nutrition program designed to reimagine how older adults experience food. We are not an institutional dining program. We are creating a warm, welcoming, small-batch kitchen that celebrates flavor, wellness, and community - and we’re looking for a chef who shares this philosophy.
This role blends culinary creativity, community impact and small-team kitchen leadership. You’ll have the chance to design menus, shape a food culture, engage with members, run cooking demos, and build a program rooted in wellness and joy.
Who You Are
- A chef who loves working with fresh, seasonal, local ingredients
- Comfortable creating plant-forward, flavor-driven menus
- Experienced running a small kitchen and scaling batches without losing quality
- Confident following established nutritional guidelines and standards while still bringing creativity and freshness to the plate
- Collaborative, friendly, and excited to build relationships
- Passionate about food as wellness, community, and connection
- Looking for a balanced weekday schedule and meaningful work
Schedule: Monday–Friday, Daytime with occasional evenings or weekends for special events
Compensation & Benefits: Salary range: $62,000–$65,000 DOE. Benefits include PTO, paid holidays, medical insurance, and retirement contribution.
Key Responsibilities
Include, but are not limited to the following (other duties may be assigned):
Culinary Leadership & Meal Production
- Plan and execute seasonal, creative plant-forward menus for:
o Daily light breakfast
o Daily lunches
o Special events, celebrations, and tastings
- Lead daily meal production with an emphasis on scratch cooking, creativity, and fresh ingredients
- Ensure meals are flavorful, visually appealing, and supportive of healthy aging
- Oversee day-to-day food production, including working the line, following nutrition guidelines, standardized recipes, and ensuring proper portioning.
Kitchen Operations & Food Safety
- Serve as Person in Charge (PIC) and maintain a current ServSafe certification
- Maintain a clean, organized, and efficient commercial kitchen in full compliance with nutrition and sanitation standards.
- Ensure that all foods are stored, prepared, held, and served according to safe food handling procedures
- Maintain accurate inventory, place food and supply orders, and ensure sanitary storage and stock rotation.
Team & Volunteer Management
- Supervise kitchen assistant(s); train volunteers with warmth and patience
- Build a positive, collaborative kitchen culture that aligns with our mission
- Participate in staff meetings, wellness initiatives, and professional development
Program Development & Community Engagement
- Collaborate with staff and community partners to develop and deliver food-based wellness activities such as cooking demos, seasonal tastings, nutrition education, and garden-to-table programs
- Serve as a visible and enthusiastic representative of the culinary program, cultivating relationships with local farms, food producers, and wellness-focused organizations
Inventory, Procurement & Budget Management
- Manage all food purchasing and vendor relationships
- Monitor food cost and usage to ensure purchasing stays within budget and aligns with meal participation levels
- Implement strategies to minimize food waste and maximize efficiency
- Maintain accurate documentation for food costs, participation, compliance reporting, production logs, and menus
- Explore and support mission-aligned revenue opportunities such as community dinners, special event catering, or packaged food offerings that can enhance the Center’s visibility and sustainability
Qualifications
- Culinary degree or equivalent professional experience.
- Minimum 5 years of professional cooking experience, with at least 2 years in a leadership or kitchen management role.
- Strong scratch cooking and seasonal menu development skills.
- Current ServSafe certification
- Strong interpersonal skills; ability to collaborate with staff, volunteers, community partners, and older adults.
- Ability to lift 50 lbs and stand for extended periods of time, and navigate stairs
- · Reliable personal transportation and ability to travel between offsite kitchen and primary location
