Lead Cook (Seasonal, Full-Time)

Ox-Bow School of Art & Artists’ Residency (Ox-Bow) is an artist-built community dedicated to preserving time and space for arts education, research, practice, and connection for artists at every stage of their journey.

Lead Cooks help set the tone for all things related to food service at Ox-Bow: foregrounding hospitality, preparing meals, cleaning and maintaining the kitchen and dining facilities, assisting in meal planning, and providing an atmosphere of care and professionalism, all under the guidance of the Head Chef. Ox-Bow’s kitchen is public-facing, and Lead Cooks will interact directly with participants on a regular basis. Lead Cooks must answer questions, respond to guests’ needs, and provide excellent, professional customer service while expressing knowledge and enthusiasm about Ox-Bow’s mission and programming. Lead Cooks act as Manager on Duty on assigned shifts, delegating tasks and overseeing the food production, time management, organization, monitoring of inventory, quality control, and cleaning necessary to ensure a successful meal service.

In addition to serving 3 meals a day during academic sessions, the culinary team also provides service and support for occasional food-based special events.

This position is ideal for candidates within a commuting radius. Limited, rustic on-site temporary housing may be available for candidates residing beyond that range. This is a seasonal position beginning in late April; specific schedule to be determined by the Head Chef and Deputy Director.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Ensures successful and timely completion of meal service by effectively delegating responsibilities to team members, checking quality of food served, and making sure all elements of service are present


• Prepares foods based on meal plan including salads; soups; sides; main courses including meat, poultry, and fish; desserts; and baked goods


• Ensures that food preparation standards and high quality levels in products served are maintained


• Ensures accommodations to serve guests with allergies or specific diet concerns are met and all food served is clearly and accurately labeled


• Evaluates set-up before and during meal services, ensuring that all meal options are ready and complete, utensils are present, alternatives are prepared and clearly labeled, and product levels are maintained throughout service


• Oversees clean-up, both after lunch and end-of-shift: all food properly stored and labeled, dishwashers present and working, surfaces in kitchen and dining room sanitized, clean-up checklist accomplished


• Ensures that beverage station, toast bar, and dining facilities are cleaned and maintained


• Takes a leading role in ongoing organization of food storage spaces, including pantry & walk-in, assuring that inventory is monitored and properly stored, and order board is updated. Assists with ongoing organization and cleaning of storage areas and equipment


• Assists in ordering and/or picking up food and supplies as assigned


• Supervises receiving and stocking of deliveries


• Positive and professional service and interactions with guests and colleagues


• Attends and contributes to meetings and meal planning as assigned


• Gardening maintenance and compost management as assigned


• Contributes to special events and guest chef collaborations as assigned


• Wears appropriate professional attire and ensures that team members do as well


• Other project- and event-based support as determined by the Head Chef and Deputy Director; including but not limited to office, housekeeping, maintenance, and hospitality support

EDUCATION/JOB EXPERIENCE/CERTIFICATION

• Two years previous experience in food service


• One year previous Manager on Duty experience preferred

SPECIAL KNOWLEDGE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Essential, basic computer skills


• Effective, positive, confident communicator


• Expresses enthusiasm for Ox-Bow’s mission and program


• Keen sense of professionalism


• Highly organized and reliable


• A savvy multi-tasker


• Finds inspiration in the distinctive or idiosyncratic


• Comfortable taking creative risks


• Thrives in dynamic environments


• An eye for detail


• Must be a team player, able to work independently as well as in a group


• Must be innovative, reliable, patient, tenacious


• Must be able to travel to and from Ox-Bow Saugatuck campus and/or various vendor locations in the West Michigan region


• A passion for the arts and familiarity with artist communities preferred

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

Physical Demands:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee must be able to stand and walk for extended periods of time and be able to move about in indoor and outdoor environments.


• Operate computer, tools, and vehicles and must have the ability to use hands to move, set up, adjust, assemble, control, operate, or feel objects, tools or controls and reach with hands and arms.


• Must be able to traverse uneven terrain and stairs


• Constantly communicate and exchange information with team members and must be able to effectively communicate correct information


• Read/comprehend, write, communicate orally, reasoning, and analytical abilities, and mental flexibility


• Frequently move objects up to 50 pounds


• The employee will routinely climb, bend, squat, kneel, crouch, and reach above shoulder


• Specific vision abilities required by the job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus to compare and distinguish administrative data.


• Hearing ability to perceive the nature of sounds at normal speaking level with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication and to make discriminations in sound.

Work Environment:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly working in an indoor and outdoor work environment, at times in high heat and humidity


• Working environments will sometimes involve hazardous materials and loud noise


• Requires wearing common protective and safety equipment

• Position will involve extended work hours, weekends, evenings, and holidays
  
  

Working At Ox-Bow

Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists’ Residency, founded in 1910, offers a wide range of opportunities for artists at all stages of their careers. Our campus is nestled on a peninsular interdunal wetland in Saugatuck, MI. With programs that target degree-seeking students, professional artists and those new to the field, Ox-Bow builds a supportive frame in which artists can push their practices in new directions. Ox-Bow’s community is expansive and ever-evolving. Working at Ox-Bow is a unique experience. Our staff consists of both year-round and seasonal positions. Some staff live on campus during their working months, while others commute or work remotely both within the state of Michigan and beyond. 

Working at Ox-Bow is working at the intersection of education, hospitality and culture. Together we seek to create a welcoming environment that nurtures the creative process while building community across generations, career stages, disciplines and identities. With over 100 years of arts education behind us, we have a vast community of alumni, including staff, students, resident artists, faculty, and community supporters, who love and care for Ox-Bow.  Working at Ox-Bow is to become part of that community, and help sustain a historic non-profit arts organization for current and future generations of artists and art lovers. 

At Ox-Bow we have a vision to be a place where a diverse mix of talented people want to come, lend their creativity, and work in support of an evolving, yet historic, art school. We pride ourselves on thinking and acting creatively, and recognize that part of what makes us a unique place for both our staff and students, is the talent and dedication of our employees. 

Ox-Bow is committed to diversity and inclusion, we believe deeply in diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity and national origin and work to reflect that in our classrooms, programming, faculty, staff and board.

Equal Opportunity Employment

Ox-Bow School of Art and Artists' Residency is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for its students, visitors, faculty, and staff, and to ensuring that educational and employment decisions are based on an individual’s abilities and qualifications. Ox-Bow does not tolerate unlawful discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or former military status, or any other status protected by federal, state or local law, in its programs and activities, public accommodations or employment practices.