Position Title:
Culinary Lead
Work Type:
Full time
Location:
Swarthmore CollegeOn Campus
Department:
Work Shift:
Day Shift (United States of America)
Pay Range (Please note that this pay range represents the
College’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range at the
time of posting.):
22.00 USD - 26.00 USD
The Opportunity:
As a member of the Dining Services department, the Culinary Lead
will oversee the day to day operations for a specific function
within dining services. Working in a fast-paced and dynamic
environment, having a passion for food, enjoying being part of an
energetic team and the opportunity to make a difference in the
student’s dining experience on Swarthmore’s campus.
Lead Cook
Ensuring the timely meal production for a college dining program
under the direction of the Executive Chef, Sous Chef or Production
Manager. Prepares recipes and ensures food production meets the
departmental standards of quality, taste, creativity, presentation,
and variety. Responsibilities include assisting with execution of
menu plan, customer relations, safety and sanitation, and the
maintenance of equipment. Assists in the training and development
of employees. The Lead Cook if the Culinary leader and point of
contact in the absence of the Executive Chef, Sous Chef, and
Production Manager.
Essential Responsibilities:
- Assigns tasks and menu production to each cook or baking
assistant on shift and direct cooks on shift
Communicate procedures when required in order to produce menu
items according to recipe
Reads recipes and produces product consistent with recipes and
production
Maintains departmental standards for all menu items
Place finished products on the line in a timely manner.
Ensures faculty, students and staff receive safe food products
of the highest quality, freshness, and consistency, according to
department standards
Stores all food products properly. Wrap tightly, date and label
all food items. Transport food to the appropriate walk-in
refrigerator or freezer.
Clean as you go and sanitize the cook line as well as
equipment, walls, floors, hoods, walk-ins, and line coolers.
Adheres to Pennsylvania Department of Health and Serv Safe food
safety standards.
Promotes teamwork by assisting in cleaning areas of the
kitchen, sweeping and mopping, cleaning the coolers, organizing dry
storage etc.
Observes the basic rules of kitchen safety, sanitation and back
door safety.
Uses First in First Out (FIFO) rule to ensure proper
rotation.
Utilizes various cleaning chemicals in accordance with Material
Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).
Completes all running, opening and closing side work. Get
checked out by management before leaving at the end of your
shift.
Providing friendly and competent customer service.
Record food temp logs of hot and cold food items.
Ensure proper cooling down of all hot food items before placing
them in the refrigerator.
Prepare all foods at the correct temperature according to the
HACCP Guidelines.
Make suggestions to sous chef for menu items and recipe
adjustments
Communicate clearly with front of house about menu items and
portion sizes
Record production clearly, and make adjustments as needed
Monitor and communicate with the line server/food runner about
menu items and portion control.
Maintain a visual contact with the front of the house and
customers.
Assists Sous chef with performance reviews
Additional Responsibilities
- Assist with occasional outdoor service and production for
catering events as required.
- Performs other job-related duties as assigned
Supervisory Responsibilities
- Assist the executive chef and sous chef with menu planning and
maintaining a high level of quality and profitability in all Food
production on a daily basis.
- Prioritize and delegate tasks for daily menu and prep.
- Ensure all menu items are produced in a timely manner for
prompt delivery to our customers
- Provide input into catering menus and develop new menu
items
- Trains team on how to clean kitchen equipment carefully to
prevent damage or injury.
- Responsible for recipe adjustments and execution of
production
- Give feedback to chef for performance reviews
Qualifications
Required
- 3 years of experience in high volume food establishment or
completion of a culinary vocational training program.
- Excellent culinary knife skills
- Recipe scaling for various batch sizes
- Good interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a team
environment
- Excellent customer service
- Ability to read and follow recipes
- Ability to communicate clearly
- Serve-safe certification
- Previous supervisory experience
- Ability to communicate with co-workers and management with
professionalism and respect.
- Ability to read, write, comprehend, and follow verbal and
written instructions to interact with students, faculty, and
staff.
Preferred
- Culinary program certificate
- 4-5 years in a high volume food establishment
- Food Allergen knowledge/certification
- Valid PA driver's license
Physical Demands
- Ability to carry and lift objects weighing up 25-40 lbs.
- Ability to carry heavy objects in close quarters. Ability to
carry objects for a long period of time.
- Ability to perform kneeling, bending, squatting and reaching
motions for extended times.
- Standing on a hard surface for extended periods of time.
- Involves repetitive motion.
Working Conditions
- Fast paced, high volume environment.
- Seven day operation, including nights and weekends.
- Must be able to adapt to ever-changing demands of college
dining services.
- Must work in inclement and severe weather conditions.
- Could be a noisy environment.
- Floors could be wet, non-slip shoes required.
- Temperature changes: variations in temperature, which are
sufficiently marked and abrupt to cause noticeable bodily
reactions.
- Interact with heated equipment, steam, and other at risk
conditions.
PA Criminal Clearance Required
Swarthmore College requires a PA Criminal background check for all
staff positions prior to the start of employment.
MVR Clearance Required by Position
Due to operating a College owned motor vehicle while performing
essential job responsibilities for this position, a motor vehicle
report (MVR) clearance is required prior to the start of
employment.
Preview our
Benefits Flyer . We offer benefit plans starting at zero cost!
Upon benefit eligibility, the College contributes 10% of an
employee’s salary to their retirement account. Employees are 100%
vested in their accounts on the date participation begins.
2026
Swarthmore Benefits Guidebook
Retirement
Plans
Tuition Grant Program
Tuition Reimbursement Program
Paid Time Off (Staff)
Holiday Schedule
Applications received are reviewed on a rolling basis until the
position is filled. An optional cover letter indicating how your
qualifications and experience have prepared you for this position
is preferred. If you have experience that meets any of the
preferred qualifications, please include a detailed explanation of
any such experience in your cover letter and how it meets the
preferred qualification(s).
Swarthmore College is committed to creating a culture of respect
and inclusion so that every member of our community feels a sense
of belonging. We actively seek and welcome candidates with diverse
perspectives and experiences, exceptional qualifications, and a
demonstrable commitment to a more inclusive society and world.
Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not
discriminate based on any identity or characteristic protected by
law or College Policy.
