We Are Hiring! - LunchLab Sous Chef-In-Residence

Application Deadline: March 18th, Review of application immediately upon receipt
Position Dates: March 29th - June 16th, 2022, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12-16 hours/week - Renewed annually for the school year.

*Please note this role will follow the Vancouver School Year Calendar, with a two-week closure in March and in December.

Everyone deserves access to healthy land, food, and community. That’s why Fresh Roots and Growing Chefs are teaming up to help kids and youth learn how to grow, cook, and share healthy food at lunch. This is LunchLAB, a new program created in partnership with schools, teachers, parents, the City of Vancouver and two innovative charities looking to ensure that everyone has access to healthy school food.

The Position: Sous Chef-In-Residence, LunchLAB

Location: Lord Roberts Elementary School

Not everyone has access to lunch - whether students had to use their lunch money on school supplies, they choose pop and chips for lunch when their parents told them they had to make their own lunch, or they forgot their lunch at home. All of those youth are hungry.

LunchLAB is a new school meal program where kids and youth grow, cook, and share healthy food together. Piloted at two schools in Vancouver, this year, we are looking for a sous chef-in-residence to support teachers to help cook and share healthy food. Twice a week at Lord Roberts Elementary School, you’ll work with 8 students to prepare meals for 75-150. Each meal will be served pre-plated, complete with one or two hot items, all of which are aligned with Canada’s New Food Guide.

Your role will be to work with the head Chef-In-Residence to help youth to develop their skills, to learn to cook, share, and work towards Healthy School Food For All!

Tasks

  1. Support 5-8 student sous chefs (Grades 6-7).

  2. Support the teacher and student sous chefs to develop programming to support youth-led clean-up.

  3. Support the teacher to coordinate school garden produce, supplemented with supplier and vendor deliveries.

  4. Support the teacher to develop and maintain program and procedure manuals and document kitchen procedures.

  5. Maintain and steward relationships and equipment.

Qualities

  1. You have a minimum one-two years of professional kitchen experience in a restaurant or catering environment with strong supervision and leadership skills. You have comprehensive knowledge of culinary techniques in food production for large-volume catering operations.

  2. You are passionate about local food and supporting a healthy, local food system. You know how to connect delicious with fresh, simple and easy.

  3. You are inventive and innovative. You are comfortable working outside of a traditional kitchen setting and willing to improvise and adapt when presented with challenges.

  4. You are a mentor and a teacher. You have experience working with kids and youth. You love helping kids learn alongside you. You hold them accountable.

  5. You are fun. This work is a joy. You love to be amongst the vegetables and the kids, learning and growing together.

  6. You are organized. This is a new program, with the opportunity to transform school food in Vancouver and beyond. You like to keep records and communicate frequently. Computers and google docs are part of your tool arsenal and you don’t shy away from administrative tasks.

Job Details

  • $20 - $21/hour contractor; 12-16 hrs per week Tuesday/Thursday 8:30am - 3:30pm

How to Apply

Submit a short cover letter (500 words) and resume using THIS LINK. Review of applications and interviews will begin upon receipt, so please apply early.

Fresh Roots and Growing Chefs are committed to employment equity and encourage applications from underrepresented groups.

We regret that due to the high volume of applicants only those selected for interviews will be contacted.