Located in Estes Park, Colorado, with an enrollment of up to 72 students, Eagle Rock School implements effective and engaging practices that foster each student’s unique potential and help them use their minds well. Eagle Rock School serves adolescents who are not thriving in their current situations, for whom few positive options exist, and who are interested in taking control of their lives and learning. The school serves to educate our students and to provide grounding for our professional development center work of supporting engaging, progressive education practices throughout the United States.
Job responsibilities and objectives
- Directs food preparation and collaborates with the Head Chef.
- Ensures proper cleaning and safety protocols are followed and builds new operational systems with Head Chef and Director of Operations when needed
- Produces high-quality plates, including both design and taste.
- Provides leadership, guidance, and learning experiences to kitchen staff.
- Assists with menu planning, inventory, and management of supplies.
- Ensures that food is top quality and that the kitchen is in good condition.
- Keeps stations clean and complies with food safety standards.
- Offers suggestions and creative ideas that can improve the kitchen’s performance.
- Trains new students and staff who are supported on Kitchen Patrol (“KP”).
- Taking charge of kitchen opening, closing, and other side duties as directed by the Head Chef
- Monitors and maintains kitchen equipment.
- Reports problems to the Head Chef and Director of Operations and drives the Chef Team toward a solution
As a Chef instructor, you will work alongside our other chef instructors under the guidance of the Head Chef and Director of Operations to formulate delicious, nutritious meals for the students and staff within our community. Eagle Rock is a year-round residential school, so our kitchen provides 3 meals a day, 7 days a week. We serve a very diverse group of high school-age students and staff spanning across many ethnicities, nationalities, genders, and sexual orientations. Our mission is to make each member of the community feel safe, included, and represented within the scope of what we serve, so having experience with multiple cuisines, and an openness to continue learning is a must.
In addition to feeding the students, we incorporate them into a KP program, in which they are on a daily rotation as student chefs/kitchen assistants. Therefore, it’s also part of our mission to teach them rudimentary kitchen skills, which they can take with them into the real world when they’re no longer part of the community here. That’s where the “Instructor” part of your position comes in. Teaching them everything from how to safely hold a knife and cut an onion, to identifying the difference between a cucumber and a zucchini, and how to properly scrub a pan, and ultimately take pride in the food they eat, (and in some cases help prepare and serve) is extremely integral to your job here. You will also help teach them a high level of stress management, communication skills, and food safety. Additionally, cleanliness is extremely important to us here at Eagle Rock. Not only is your personal hygiene of the utmost importance, but so is attention to detail in every other facet of the kitchen. Maintaining a pristine kitchen environment from the front of the building to the back door, and all points in between is pivotal in keeping our community safe, our food healthy, and our spaces organized. Therefore, holding yourself to an incredibly high standard is important, because you will be held to a high standard here as well. Being that our campus is located in the mountains in Estes Park, CO, reliable transportation IS MANDATORY. It gets cold, it gets snowy and icy. But snow days don’t exist for us here, so make sure you either live locally or close enough that the elements and the seasons won’t routinely become an issue.
This position is offered through Eagle Rock in association with American Honda. Eagle Rock and American Honda provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Eagle Rock and American Honda comply with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.
Working Conditions/Physical Requirements:
While performing duties aligned with this position, the employee will be regularly exposed to high temperatures (from stoves, ovens, and steamers), sharp knives, dangerous equipment, and chemicals (cleaning materials). There will be varying levels of noise due to students and staff communicating around outside the kitchen space. We receive orders 3 days a week and clean regularly, so being able to lift 50 lbs and bend over/ crouch from time to time are mandatory. Must be able to speak, and understand English fluently. Basic computer skills are necessary as well.
Salary range :
$55,000-$65,0000 per year
Job Type:
Full-time (40+ hours per week, some mornings, some evenings, weekends, and some holidays)
Shift & Schedule:
This position will primarily have a 5-day work week with either Tuesday/Wednesday, or Thursday/Friday off, and will also contain at least two morning shifts and two evening shifts per week.
Qualifications:
Knowledge of various cooking methods, ingredients, and procedures
Management skills
Understand kitchen safety and cleanliness protocols and regulatory requirements
Time-management skills
Decision making
Handles pressure
Deals with uncertainty
Education and Experience Requirements
High School Diploma or Equivalent (Required)
Culinary Diploma or Certificate (Preferred)
Restaurant experience: 5 years (Required)
Scratch Cooking experience: 5 years (Required)
Experience adhering to various dietary restrictions (required)
Experience teaching or instructing youth: 1 year (Preferred)
Current ServSafe managers Certification or ability to obtain within first 30 days of employment (Required)
Experience in farm-to-table, healthy, fresh, and organic cooking (Required)
Benefits:
- Bi-Weekly Pay
- Direct deposit
- Accrued sick time off
- Use of ERS community resources (gym, pool, etc.)
- Advancement opportunities.
- Free meals through the school kitchen (when serving)
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental Insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Employee discount
- Health insurance
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Application Instructions
To apply, please email a copy of your resume and cover letter to the Director of Operations, Alejandro Medina (amedina@eaglerockschool.org)
Eagle Rock is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer and does not tolerate any form of unlawful discrimination. All employment decisions at Eagle Rock are based on merit and the principle of equal employment opportunity. In keeping with both the letter and spirit of this policy, Eagle Rock will continue to recruit, hire, train, and promote into all job levels the most qualified persons without regard to race, color, religion, genetic information, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran’s status or any other protected characteristic. Therefore members of racial/ethnic minorities and other protected classes are encouraged to apply.