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Ponderosa Lodge Kitchen Manager

General Qualifications:

The Ponderosa Lodge (“PL”) Kitchen Manager/Chef is a Ministerial position. Ministerial staff render their work, stewardship, relationships and behavior as evidence of being followers of Jesus Christ while embracing and affirming Mount Hermon Association, Inc.’s (“MHA”) Christian mission, vision, beliefs, culture code and standards of conduct. They are responsible for defining, cultivating and leading MHA’s Christian community, conference programs and retreats. All staff are expected to join gatherings, which includes prayer, worship, and Bible-centered teaching.

Position Objective:

The PL Kitchen Manager is responsible for all PL food operations including but not limited to, preparing meals, food and supply ordering and inventory, personnel management, and equipment upkeep in a manner consistent with MHA’s mission, vision, beliefs, culture code and standards of conduct.

Key Job Accountabilities:

Oversee all PL food operations including but not limited to, preparing meals, food and supply ordering and inventory, personnel management, and equipment upkeep.
Recruit, train, schedule, supervise and continually monitor food service staff.
Reports and works closely with direct supervisor and MHA management in support of the Food Service Department vision.
Create recipes & review menus and group information to provide production sheets for all areas and communicate order needs in a timely and accurate manner.
Monitor cost per meal, supplies, and labor vs. budget.
In cooperation with the hosts and custodial department, ensure the dining room is in a set, clean and sanitary state for each meal.
Supervise and coordinate clean up duties with Summer Staff and Guest Groups.
Communicate with department supervisors & MHA management supporting the Food Service Department vision by achieving operational, financial & guest experience goals.
Enforce and ensure service staff are appropriately dressed and prepared.
Periodically train staff in injury and illness prevention plans per standards.
Respond to emergencies as needed and report suspected food borne illness to Health Services.
Coordinate maintenance, repair, and deep cleaning with maintenance and custodial.
Document food consumption and leftovers and donations; direct utilization of food surpluses and leftovers.
Manage kitchen staff by communicating expectations, providing training, team meetings, staff coaching, staff reviews and evaluating performance goals and engages in departmental spiritual formation.
Enforce & train health and safety codes and procedures as well as building security, and proper care and treatment of facilities.
Other duties as assigned by management.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

All PL food service staff including but not limited to, p/t cooks, p/t dishwashers, volunteers.

Education/Certifications/Licenses:

Culinary education preferred or comparable work experience.
Serve Safe Certified.

Work Experience:

Minimum 3 years’ experience supervising food service staff.
Minimum 3 years of culinary or cooking experience.
Minimum 1 year of Kitchen Management preferred.
Christian Ministry or Volunteer experience preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Must possess excellent communication, problem solving and organizational skills.
Must be able to cook and prepare a variety of foods in a timely, clean and sanitary manner.
Demonstrated ability to produce delicious and appetizing meals in large quantities.
Excellent knife skills required.
Able to use and supervise dishwashing & kitchen cleaning tasks.
Ability to be pleasant and courteous with people while under stress.
Professional demeanor, sense of humor, adaptable, flexible, self-motivated.
Ability to take directions and follow procedures.
Demonstrated competence in making judgments concerning food taste, palatability, and aesthetics of food quality.
Working knowledge of menu and recipe development, presentation, portion control and costing.
Ability to effectively manage a dynamic, part-time, entry-level work force.
Cooperative spirit and desire to learn and improve.
Ability to work independently.
Ability to use MS Excel and Word, skilled in food service math.
Bilingual skills a plus; fluency in English (reading, writing, and speaking) a must.




Physical Demands:

Ability to lift and carry at least 50 lbs.
Ability to stand and move around most of the workday.
Ability to work in hot and cold environments.
Requires standing, sitting, squatting, stooping, twisting, seeing, grasping, among other physical labor tasks.
Ability to safely use a variety of kitchen tools, chemicals, equipment, and utensils, including sharp objects.

Additional Requirements:

Ability to work a flexible schedule including early mornings, late nights and weekends and most major holidays with a flexible schedule.
Must have a clean driving record of at least three years and agree to and comply with MHA’s employee driving guidelines for MHA-owned vehicles and use of personal vehicles for business purposes.
Adherence to the basic principles as expressed in MHA’s Mission, Vision, Culture Code and Standards of Conduct.
Adherence to company dress code and professional standards for personal grooming and appearance.
Satisfactory completion of background investigation, or valid work permit, as well as ability to provide proof of eligibility to work in the United States.

Time:  Full-Time Year Round
Salary:  Paid
Category:  Food Services

Updated: 6/27/2025 3:21:58 PM