JOB SUMMARY

The SoLa Foundation is committed to ending intergenerational poverty by creating access to education, workforce development, and entrepreneurship opportunities for underinvested communities.

The Chef in Residence serves as the culinary leader for the 60th Street Café and Culinary Workforce Development Program. This role combines culinary excellence, operational leadership, workforce development, and community engagement. The Chef in Residence is responsible for delivering exceptional food quality while ensuring the café operates as a successful social enterprise and hands-on training site for culinary students.

Working closely with the GM, Culinary & Café, the Chef in Residence oversees kitchen operations, supports curriculum implementation, mentors students, manages catering production, and develops kitchen staff. This position plays a critical role in preparing students for careers in the culinary industry while maintaining high standards of hospitality, food quality, sanitation, efficiency, and financial stewardship.

The ideal candidate is an experienced culinary professional who enjoys teaching, coaching, and building systems while creating an exceptional guest experience for café patrons, catering clients, and community partners.

***PAY RATE: $35-$45 PER HOUR***

Key Responsibilities

Culinary Operations

• Lead daily back-of-house operations for the 60th Street Café.
• Ensure consistent food quality, presentation, portion control, and recipe execution.
• Maintain efficient kitchen workflow during café and catering operations.
• Develop seasonal menus and specials in collaboration with the GM.
• Ensure all food is prepared according to established recipes and quality standards.
• Assist with opening, closing, cleaning, and operational procedures as needed.
• Support café operations in all areas as business needs require.

Workforce Development & Instruction

• Serve as a culinary instructor and mentor for workforce development participants.
• Deliver hands-on instruction in culinary fundamentals, knife skills, food preparation, kitchen safety, and sanitation.
• Reinforce ServSafe principles and industry best practices.
• Assist with curriculum implementation and practical training exercises.
• Evaluate student performance and provide coaching and constructive feedback.
• Foster a positive, professional, and inclusive learning environment.
• Model professionalism, teamwork, accountability, and hospitality standards.

Café Training Site

• Integrate students into daily café operations through structured on-the-job training.
• Balance production needs with educational objectives.
• Coach students through real-world customer service, food production, and teamwork.
• Ensure students gain practical experience while maintaining operational efficiency.
• Collaborate with Workforce Development staff regarding student progress and scheduling.

Catering & Special Events

• Plan and execute food production for internal and external catering events.
• Develop customized menus based on client needs and event budgets.
• Coordinate production schedules for multiple events simultaneously.
• Supervise catering preparation, transportation, setup, and breakdown.
• Ensure exceptional food quality and presentation for every event.
• Adapt quickly to changing event requirements and timelines.

Kitchen Leadership

• Supervise kitchen staff, culinary instructors, student workers, and volunteers as assigned.
• Train staff on recipes, production standards, sanitation, and equipment use.
• Promote teamwork, accountability, and professional development.
• Assist in creating schedules and assigning daily responsibilities.
• Foster a collaborative and respectful work environment.

Inventory & Financial Stewardship

• Monitor inventory levels and minimize food waste.
• Assist with purchasing, receiving, and vendor coordination.
• Maintain accurate inventory records.
• Support food cost controls and budget management.
• Ensure proper storage, rotation (FIFO), and labeling of products.

Food Safety & Compliance

• Maintain compliance with all local, state, and federal health regulations.
• Ensure adherence to ServSafe standards and HACCP principles.
• Maintain a clean, organized, and safe kitchen environment.
• Conduct regular inspections of equipment and work areas.
• Ensure all sanitation logs and required documentation are completed.

Other Responsibilities

• Collaborate with Foundation leadership on culinary initiatives and special projects.
• Participate in staff meetings, trainings, and community events.
• Represent the SoLa Foundation professionally with students, partners, vendors, donors, and guests.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of café, catering, and workforce development operations.

Requirements

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

• Culinary degree or equivalent professional culinary training preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive culinary leadership experience in a high-volume kitchen, restaurant, catering, or hospitality environment.
• Experience managing kitchen teams and supervising staff.
• Experience teaching, coaching, mentoring, or training preferred.
• Experience with workforce development, nonprofit organizations, or youth programs is highly desirable.
• Current ServSafe Manager Certification (or ability to obtain upon hire).

SKILLS & ABILITIES

• Passion for mentoring and developing future culinary professionals.
• Strong culinary production and kitchen management skills.
• Excellent leadership and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, customer-focused environment.
• Strong organizational, planning, and multitasking abilities.
• Knowledge of inventory management, food costing, purchasing, and waste reduction.
• Ability to maintain high standards of quality, consistency, and cleanliness.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Flexibility to work evenings, weekends, and special events as needed.
• Commitment to the mission and values of the SoLa Foundation.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Regularly required to stand, walk, bend, reach, lift, carry, push, and pull throughout the workday.
• Frequently required to lift and move up to 50 pounds.
• Ability to work for extended periods in a commercial kitchen environment with exposure to heat, cold, steam, and kitchen equipment.
• Manual dexterity sufficient to operate commercial kitchen equipment safely.
• Occasionally required to travel between SoLa Foundation locations and off-site catering or community events.

Benefits

SoLa Impact offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid vacation, medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, as well as pet insurance, sick leave, 10 paid holidays, and bereavement days. This package is designed to provide employees with a range of important benefits that help to support their physical and emotional well-being, while also providing financial protection and peace of mind.

At SoLa Impact, we believe work environment, culture, and the opportunity to learn and grow are key elements when considering a new job. We are just the right size to provide the resources and support you need without the bureaucracy of a large corporate environment. We foster a family-friendly and supportive workplace, collaborative and employee-focused with an emphasis on quality, integrity, trust, and accountability. We are looking to bring someone on board as soon as possible. We provide a rewarding and challenging environment. We expect a lot, but give a lot in return. Strongly prefer candidates local to Los Angeles as no relocation assistance will be provided. All qualified candidates will be contacted directly.

SoLa Impact is an Equal Opportunity Employer. SoLa does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.