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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Head Cook

💰 $ - $

CulinaryHospitalityFood ServiceKitchen Management

🎯 Role Definition

The Head Cook (also known as Lead Cook or Senior Line Cook) is responsible for leading daily kitchen operations, ensuring consistent food quality, maintaining food safety and sanitation standards, managing inventory and food cost controls, and supervising and developing kitchen staff. This role blends hands-on culinary execution with people management, menu execution, and operational optimization to deliver a high-quality guest experience in a fast-paced food service environment.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Line Cook with demonstrated consistency in quality and timing
  • Sous Chef or Senior Cook with partial supervisory experience
  • Culinary school graduate with internship or brigade experience

Advancement To:

  • Executive Chef / Head Chef
  • Kitchen Manager / Food & Beverage Manager
  • Culinary Director / Corporate Chef
  • Restaurant Owner or Catering Director

Lateral Moves:

  • Catering Manager
  • Banquet Chef
  • Food Safety & Quality Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Oversee and coordinate day-to-day kitchen operations, supervising all cooking staff to ensure food is prepared to standardized recipes, plated consistently, and delivered within established quality and time expectations.
  • Lead menu execution and production during service periods by setting station priorities, managing prep schedules, and stepping in on the line to maintain throughput during peak volume.
  • Develop, test, and refine recipes and portion specifications to ensure consistency, minimize waste, and maintain target food-cost percentages for each menu item.
  • Monitor inventory levels and perform daily/weekly inventory counts; place orders, rotate product, and coordinate deliveries to maintain par levels while reducing overstock and spoilage.
  • Enforce strict food safety, sanitation, and HACCP-compliant practices across the kitchen, including temperature monitoring, proper storage, labeling, and cleaning schedules to pass internal and external inspections.
  • Train, mentor, and coach cooks and kitchen staff on cooking techniques, station setup, plating standards, and time management, creating cross-trained teams capable of covering multiple stations.
  • Create and manage staff schedules to meet service demands while controlling labor costs; approve time-off requests and adjust staffing for specials, events, or peak service periods.
  • Control food costs through price monitoring, portion control, recipe costing, vendor comparisons, and by recommending menu engineering adjustments to improve profitability.
  • Collaborate with the front-of-house management to align menu changes, specials, and allergen information; rapidly address guest complaints and feedback to maintain high satisfaction scores.
  • Implement and document standard operating procedures (SOPs) for preparation, cooking, holding, and service to ensure consistency across shifts and minimize variability between cooks.
  • Maintain and operate kitchen equipment safely, coordinate preventative maintenance, and liaise with facilities to resolve equipment failures that could impact service or food quality.
  • Prepare detailed prep lists, par sheets, and production schedules for daily and weekly service; prioritize tasks to ensure mise en place is complete before service.
  • Conduct regular quality control checks during service and on finished plates, tasting dishes, and adjusting seasoning and presentation to meet established specifications.
  • Drive cost-saving initiatives such as seasonal menu adjustments, using whole-animal butchery or cross-utilization of ingredients to reduce waste and improve margins.
  • Manage vendor relationships, negotiate pricing and delivery terms, and evaluate alternative suppliers to ensure product quality and competitive costs.
  • Maintain compliance with labor laws, safety standards, and company policies; report incidents and ensure staff are trained on emergency and safety procedures.
  • Lead continuous improvement efforts by collecting performance metrics (food cost, labor, waste), analyzing variances, and implementing corrective action plans to hit operational KPIs.
  • Coordinate special events, banquets, and catering orders by developing production plans, staffing needs, and timelines to ensure flawless execution.
  • Prepare daily production forecasts based on historical sales, reservations, and upcoming events; scale prep and staffing to minimize leftovers and overproduction.
  • Implement allergen management and dietary modification protocols to ensure accurate and safe accommodations for guests with allergies, religious dietary restrictions, or special requests.
  • Recruit and participate in the hiring process for kitchen staff, conduct performance evaluations, and support disciplinary actions and development plans when required.
  • Maintain accurate records for temperature logs, cleaning checklists, inventory movement, invoices, and food safety certification to support audits and inspections.
  • Support sustainability initiatives by sourcing seasonal ingredients, managing composting and recycling efforts, and advising on packaging reduction for takeout and catering.
  • Provide input to marketing or culinary leadership on seasonal menus, promotions, and chef specials, contributing to menu copy and food photography guidance when needed.

Secondary Functions

  • Assist with vendor onboarding, product sampling, and evaluating new ingredients or equipment to improve operational efficiency and menu variety.
  • Collaborate with procurement and accounting to resolve invoice discrepancies and support month-end inventory reconciliation.
  • Participate in cross-functional meetings with operations and front-of-house leadership to align service standards and coordinate large party logistics.
  • Deliver periodic training sessions on sanitation, allergen awareness, and new menu items to kitchen and service staff.
  • Support recruiting initiatives by hosting kitchen tours and trial shifts for prospective hires and culinary students.
  • Contribute to the restaurant’s social media and local marketing efforts by providing descriptions for specials, photos of plated dishes, and behind-the-scenes content when requested.
  • Engage in continuous professional development by attending culinary workshops, food safety refresher courses, and product demos to keep skills current.
  • Assist in developing catering menus and pricing structures tailored to corporate or private event client needs.
  • Help maintain digital systems used for inventory and recipe management, providing feedback to improve workflows and data accuracy.
  • Act as a liaison with building management for kitchen-related facilities, utilities, and health inspection coordination.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Certified knowledge of food safety and sanitation standards (e.g., ServSafe or local equivalent) with experience implementing HACCP protocols.
  • Advanced culinary techniques across multiple cooking methods (grilling, sautéing, braising, baking, frying) and experience executing fine-dining and high-volume recipes.
  • Recipe development and standardization skills, including detailed recipe costing, portion control, and yield calculations to manage food cost targets.
  • Inventory management and procurement expertise, including par setting, FIFO rotation, vendor negotiation, and ordering for fluctuating volume.
  • Strong understanding of kitchen equipment operation and preventative maintenance procedures (combi ovens, blast chillers, walk-in coolers, slicers).
  • Proficiency with kitchen management and inventory systems (e.g., MarketMan, BlueCart, ChefTech) and familiarity with POS integrations for forecasting.
  • Labor scheduling and payroll awareness with ability to build rotas that balance coverage and labor cost targets.
  • Allergen management and menu modification competencies to safely accommodate guests with allergies, gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, and religious dietary needs.
  • Quality control and sensory evaluation capability to taste, adjust, and sign off on batches and plated dishes.
  • Cost-control tactics including menu engineering, waste tracking, yield optimization, and supplier cost analysis.
  • Experience planning and executing large production runs and catering events with coordinated timelines and staffing.
  • Knowledge of local health code requirements and experience passing health department inspections.

Soft Skills

  • Strong leadership and team-building skills with a hands-on approach to motivate, teach, and retain kitchen staff.
  • Effective verbal and written communication, able to convey expectations to cooks and coordinate with front-of-house teams.
  • Excellent time management and prioritization skills to manage simultaneous prep, service, and administrative responsibilities.
  • Problem-solving mindset with calm decision-making under pressure during high-volume service.
  • High attention to detail for plating standards, inventory accuracy, and compliance documentation.
  • Customer-focused orientation with ability to respond appropriately to guest feedback and special requests.
  • Coaching and mentoring aptitude to develop junior cooks into reliable station leads.
  • Flexibility and adaptability to adjust menus, staffing, and operations for seasonal shifts or unexpected disruptions.
  • Strong organizational skills for maintaining checklists, logs, and accurate records.
  • Resilience and stamina for standing long hours and maintaining composure in a fast-paced kitchen environment.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • High school diploma or equivalent with relevant culinary training or on-the-job experience.
  • ServSafe (or local equivalent) food safety certification required.

Preferred Education:

  • Associate's degree or Certificate in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, or Commercial Cooking.
  • Additional certifications in sanitation, allergen management, or nutrition preferred.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Culinary Arts
  • Hospitality Management
  • Food Service Management
  • Nutrition and Dietetics

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years in a commercial kitchen environment with at least 1–2 years in a supervisory or lead cook role.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years of progressive culinary experience including line cook and sous chef responsibilities, demonstrated success in managing food cost, schedules, and kitchen staff.
  • Prior experience in similar cuisine or service model (casual dining, quick service, catering, or fine dining) aligned with employer needs.
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