Lead Cook - Luxury Senior Living Restaurant

Description

Culinary services · Full time · Encino California

Cook for people who have time to notice.

The Vered is looking for a lead cook who believes a well-made meal is a daily act of care, not a transaction.

About the Vered: We believe vitality is a building material — and the dining room is where it shows first. The Vered is a modern senior living community on Ventura Boulevard in Encino, built on a simple conviction: the later chapters of life deserve the same craft, warmth and hospitality as any fine hotel. Our residents are not customers passing through. They are neighbors we serve three times a day, every day —which means quality here compounds. A dish that delights on Tuesday earns trust by Friday.

Our culinary team runs restaurant-caliber rooms with genuine hospitality at the center. We treat each other the way we wish

to be treated in return — and we promote the people who prove it.

Join our Team: The Lead Cook is the Executive Chef's right hand — planning menus, running daily kitchen operations, and leading the team that prepares and serves every meal. You will shape both the resident experience and the employee experience: the standard you hold on the line becomes the standard of the house. We are looking for someone who stays level-headed under

pressure, develops the people around them, and takes- real pride in consistency — because our guests come back tomorrow.

What to Expect: Not just a job.  A career with a longer horizon than a dinner rush. 

• Real earning power. Competitive hourly pay — above typical hotel service rates —  with a defined path into lead server and dining management roles.  
• Hours you can live with.  No 1 A.M. closes. Predictable meal service scheduled posted in advance — a rarity in this trade. 
• Full Benefits.  Medical, dental and vision coverage, 401(k) with company match, and paid time off that accrues from day one.  
• Shift Meals. Eat what the kitchen cooks. Daily meals with every shift, plus tasting whenever the menu turns.
• Grow your craft. Paid certifications, fine dining service training, and mentorship from a restaurant caliber culinary team.  
• Work that matters. Serve people you know by name, and see the difference gracious service makes — 3xs a day.  
• A full time schedule with schedule built at least two weeks ahead. 

The Vered Website 

The Vered LinkedIn  

Requirements

Responsibilities:  

• Lead the kitchen day to day — assigning duties in detail so every 
• Plan food and beverage menus alongside the Executive Chef and Director of Culinary Creations, bringing seasonality and current food styling to a menu residents eat every day.
• Ensure proper preparation, portioning and serving of food to standardized recipes, and check every dish leaving the line meets The Vered standard.
• Own receiving: deliveries properly checked, dated, rotated and stored in the right place.
• Supervise and train the culinary team on sanitation, safety and equipment handling — the standards that protect our residents.
• Visit residents in the dining room to evaluate quality, quantity, temperature and appearance firsthand, and turn what you hear into revised operations and better service.
• Communicate across departments and with front-of house staff so daily service executes without surprises.
• Represent the community warmly — every interaction is part of how The Variel earns its reputation.
• Support the schedule, lend a hand across Culinary
• Services when needed, and adapt willingly to a changing environment.

Preferred: 

• A minimum of three years of restaurant, senior living or equivalent cooking experience, with a current state-required sanitation certification (Safe Food Handling and/or Certified Food Manager). 
• A culinary degree is preferred; a high school diploma is required. 
• You bring strong knowledge of menu presentation, food preparation, production and delivery systems; fluency in local Health Department, OSHA and other regulatory standards; clear written and spoken communication in English; comfort with Microsoft Office; and the teamwork instincts to communicate across line, prep, dish and management. Willingness to be available for community emergencies is part of the role

Physical requirements and working conditions: 

• Mixers, knives, ovens, steam table, steamer, slicer, range, grill, griddle, and other assorted kitchen equipment
• Lifts and carries up to 50 lbs. with assistance occasionally
• Pushes and pulls up to 50 lbs. with assistance occasionally
• Climbs, reaches, bends and twists occasionally
• Reaches, bends and twists occasionally
• Sits, stands and walks frequently
• Handles food frequently
• Recognition/vision and mental processing
• Routinely process printed information such as menus, resident orders, resident name labels, instructions, labels on food items and storage shelves/areas, posted notices, labels on chemicals.
• Routinely recognizes auditory timer signals, soft voices of elderly, verbal communication within the workplace.
• Routinely observe odors relevant to food preparation and storage, cleanliness and sanitation.
• Routinely interact with a work environment highly dependent upon audible and intelligible verbal communication in order to assure understanding.
• Routinely interact with individuals (residents, family members, staff, etc.) who may be discourteous, tactless, demanding, verbally and/or physically threatening or abusive, angry, or hostile, emotionally vulnerable or mentally ill, vulgar, mean-natured.
• Routinely called upon to control own emotions and behaviors to protect residents' rights and to respond professionally with respect and dignity.