Production Chef
Join Our Culinary Team Are you a passionate chef who enjoys cooking from scratch, leading a kitchen team, and preparing quality meals for a large community? We are looking for a motivated Lead Production Chef to join our boarding school dining program. At Westtown, you will enjoy a consistent work environment with an opportunity to make a difference in students' daily lives. Westtown Dining Services is a fast-paced, whole-ingredient, cooking-from-scratch kitchen that prepares 1,200 meals daily, plus full-service catering and special-event support. The Production Chef leads daily culinary execution for the Dining Services Program, ensuring alignment with established policies and procedures and all applicable local, state, and federal regulations. They document purchasing, inventory, food preparation, and equipment use to support efficient and cost-effective operations. This Production Chef upholds high standards of food quality, preparation, and presentation, emphasizing menu appeal, variety, and nutritional balance. The Production Chef maintains rigorous standards of sanitation, food safety, and kitchen organization. This is a full-time, year-round position. Typical hours are a combination of 11:30 AM to 8:00 PM and 6:30 AM to 3:00 PM, with weekend work required. Full-time employees are eligible for health, dental, and life insurance benefits; paid time off; paid holidays; 403(b) retirement contributions; and tuition remission.
Westtown School is an independent, Quaker pre-K to 12 college-preparatory day and boarding school located in suburban West Chester, PA, approximately 30 miles from Philadelphia. Situated on a beautiful 600-acre campus, Westtown offers state-of-the-art facilities where our committed faculty and staff inspire and prepare our students to be stewards and leaders of a better world.
Essential Responsibilities
- Delivers friendly, responsive customer service to all community members.
- Collaborates with the student work program to model and teach best practices in kitchen operations.
- Prepares meals efficiently and completes setup and closing duties per Kitchen Manager guidelines.
- Maintains a clean, organized work environment and completes all assigned daily and weekly cleaning tasks.
- Adheres to proper food handling, sanitation, and storage procedures at all times.
- Communicates promptly with management regarding maintenance needs and safety concerns.
- Demonstrates familiarity with school facilities and staff as needed to effectively perform assigned responsibilities.
- Works efficiently and cooperatively as part of a team to support kitchen operations.
- Demonstrates a commitment to ongoing professional development and personal growth.
- Attends and actively participates in departmental meetings and required training sessions.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Qualifications
- Professional kitchen experience.
- Previous leadership or supervisory experience preferred
- Strong knowledge of scratch cooking and high-volume food production
- Organized, dependable, and team-oriented
- Passion for cooking and serving a community
- Ability to maintain records and complete reports
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Considerable knowledge of quantity food production and serving techniques, food/safety/sanitation requirements and procedures
- Must hold or enroll to complete the Chester County Food Manager Certification
- Must have a valid Driver’s License in order to drive school vehicles
Physical Requirements
- Lift, carry, or otherwise move up to 25 lbs regularly. Lift, carry, or otherwise move up to 50lbs occasionally with assistance. Follow proper moving and lifting procedures
- Must be able to stand, walk, sit, climb or balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, stoop, reach, smell, and taste
- Must be able to push and pull heavy loads
- The atmosphere may be warm and humid. May be exposed to sudden temperature changes when entering walk-in freezers and coolers.
For additional information about Westtown School and to explore current career opportunities, please visit our website westtown.edu/careers. Interested applicants can apply online by submitting their resume, cover letter, and three professional references directly through the staff employment portal for the specific job posting.