Seasonal Mountain Chef

Job Title: SEASONAL MOUNTAIN CHEF

Rate of Pay: $30.00 – 32.00/Hour DOE

Shift: Open Availability (Primarily 5 days/week, sometimes rotating days off)

Must be available to work weekends and holidays.

Full-time, Seasonal Position

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt, Hourly

Summary:

The Seasonal Mountain Chef oversees the daily culinary operations of Lookout Kitchen, Mountain Camp Cafe, the Prep Kitchen, and the Living Room. This position is responsible for food production, preparation, plating, quality, organization, sanitation, ordering, and the daily development of culinary staff across all mountain dining outlets.

The Chef will visit each outlet daily to inspect food quality, taste and season products, review preparation and cooking processes, reinforce plating standards, and provide direct coaching and support to the culinary team.

This position reports directly to the Executive Sous Chef and Culinary Director.

Key Responsibilities:

• Oversee culinary operations for Lookout Kitchen, Mountain Camp Cafe, the Prep Kitchen, and the Living Room.
• Oversee all food preparation, production, cooking, plating, and execution within assigned mountain dining outlets.
• Maintain Sundance food quality and plating standards and ensure cooks consistently execute menu items according to established recipes and expectations.
• Visit each assigned outlet daily to inspect product, taste food, review seasoning, evaluate preparation methods, and confirm quality and consistency.
• Spend regular working time with cooks in each outlet to provide hands-on instruction, feedback, coaching, and support.
• Ensure culinary employees understand their individual roles, daily responsibilities, station expectations, and performance standards.
• Provide daily feedback and guidance to cooks and culinary team members.
• Maintain a balanced presence between Lookout Kitchen, Mountain Camp Cafe, the Living Room, and the Prep Kitchen based on operational needs.
• Use the Prep Kitchen as the primary base of operation and maintain strong organization, production, and leadership within that space.
• Establish and maintain clear kitchen standards for food preparation, labeling, dating, storage, organization, sanitation, cleaning, and general kitchen systems.
• Manage daily production and prep lists for all assigned outlets.
• Coordinate preparation and ensure completed food and products are properly delivered to each mountain outlet daily.
• Oversee ordering for assigned mountain outlets approximately five to six days per week based on business levels and operational needs.
• Ensure ordered products are properly coded, received, organized, and separated by outlet to support accurate food-cost tracking.
• Monitor inventory levels and communicate product needs, shortages, substitutions, or concerns to culinary leadership.
• Train and lead the Mountain Lead Line Cook to assist with production, organization, deliveries, and daily responsibilities within the Prep Kitchen.
• Provide leadership, training, and development to Line Cooks and other culinary team members.
• Lead staff by creating and communicating production priorities, assigning tasks, checking completed work, and making corrections when standards are not met.
• Inspect stations and production areas to ensure proper preparation levels, organization, cleanliness, food quality, and readiness for service.
• Ensure proper food rotation, labeling, dating, storage, and temperature control throughout all assigned operations.
• Ensure health department requirements and Sundance sanitation standards are followed at all times.
• Monitor kitchen equipment and communicate maintenance or repair needs to culinary leadership.
• Maintain clean, safe, organized, and efficient kitchen environments.
• Support service periods when needed, including working directly with cooks and assisting with production or execution during high-volume periods.
• Identify performance concerns and provide timely coaching and direction. Communicate significant employee concerns to the Executive Sous Chef and Culinary Director.
• Conduct or assist with daily kitchen communication, including production priorities, training opportunities, menu information, operational concerns, and service expectations.
• Support menu changes, seasonal menu implementation, recipe development, testing, and training as directed by culinary leadership.
• Work collaboratively with culinary leadership and mountain operations teams to support smooth and consistent operations across all assigned outlets.
• Contribute to a positive, professional, respectful, and accountable work environment.
• Perform additional culinary duties or provide support to other Sundance kitchen operations when business or staffing needs require

Supervisory Responsibilities:

The Seasonal Mountain Chef provides direct daily leadership and operational guidance to culinary employees working within Lookout Kitchen, Mountain Camp Cafe, the Prep Kitchen, and the Living Room.

Responsibilities include assigning daily work, managing production priorities, training employees, providing performance feedback, reinforcing standards, monitoring quality and productivity, and addressing day-to-day operational concerns.

The Seasonal Mountain Chef will work closely with the Mountain Lead Line Cook and other culinary team members to maintain consistent production and execution across all assigned outlets.

The Seasonal Mountain Chef reports directly to the Executive Sous Chef and Culinary Director.

Qualifications:

• Previous professional culinary experience required.
• Previous kitchen leadership, supervisory, sous chef, or chef experience strongly preferred.
• Ability to manage food production and culinary standards across multiple outlets.
• Strong working knowledge of professional kitchen operations, food preparation, cooking techniques, organization, sanitation, and food safety.
• Ability to train, coach, and develop cooks with different levels of experience.
• Strong communication and leadership skills.
• Ability to provide clear direction while maintaining a professional and supportive working environment.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple production needs at the same time.
• Experience with food ordering, inventory management, receiving, and food-cost organization preferred.
• Ability to taste and evaluate food for seasoning, quality, consistency, and proper preparation.
• Ability to maintain high standards while working in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
• Must be able to work weekends, holidays, and varying schedules based on mountain operations.
• Must be able to work a minimum of 40 hours per week during the seasonal employment period.
• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Must possess a working knowledge of timekeeping systems, word processing, spreadsheets, internet navigation and electronic mail.
• Must possess or obtain a valid food handlers permit within 30 days of employment.
• The employee must regularly lift and/or move up to 25 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 100 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move more than 100 pounds.
• Must be 21 years of age or older.

Disclaimer:

This is a general description of this job. All employees of Sundance Mountain Resort. will be required to perform any task that is asked of him/her within legal and ethical parameters and company policy.

Work Environment:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to extreme heat and cold (non-weather) and moving mechanical parts. The employee is occasionally exposed to wet and/or humid conditions, outside weather conditions, extreme heat, risk of electrical shock, and vibration. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.