CULINARY LEAD COOK

Trail Drive Management Corp. – Dickies Arena of Fort Worth, TX

Dickies Arena is a 14,000 seat, spectacular multipurpose venue located adjacent to the Will Rogers Memorial Center campus in Fort Worth, Texas. The arena is owned by the City of Fort Worth and managed by the not-for-profit operating entity, Trail Drive Management Corp (TDMC). The state-of-the-art arena, opened in November 2019, hosts concerts, sporting events and family entertainment, and is the new home to Fort Worth Stock Show rodeo performances.

Reports to: Culinary Leadership Team

Job Description

A culinary Lead Cook will support the operation of the kitchen by assisting the culinary management team with oversight of the culinary staff. The culinary lead cook will be responsible for maintaining inventory pars and control ordering for designated areas of responsibility. The culinary lead cook will ensure that the cooks and stewards are following the procedures, standards and recipes issued by the culinary and/ or F&B management team. This position is also responsible for ensuring that exceptional hospitality, food quality and sanitation standards are always maintained. This position reports to the culinary management team. Hours for this position fluctuate depending upon the arena event scheduling.

Essential Functions

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.

• Supervise the kitchen/restaurant or concession stand staff; ensure they are following recipes, production sheets/ par levels, working effectively and efficiently and taking breaks at correct times
• Be familiar with the menu items, cooking methods and presentations for all locations
• Follow the recipe guides for all menu items, training and demonstrating as needed while working with all culinary and FOH team members
• Supervise the completion of daily time and temperature logs for each station/ location
• Ensure accurate labeling, dating, and rotating (using the FIFO method) of all raw and prepared food products
• Report any injury, accident and/or food borne illness incident (customers and/or staff) accurately and in a timely manner to the culinary management team
• Assist in directing, training, and assist with the evaluation of all employees in work procedures, safety and sanitation standards
• Assist with ordering of product to support event operations/ business needs
• Assist with inventory management and tracking throughout the operation daily, as well as, at designated intervals
• Engage with venue guests, as well as, team members to ensure exceptional hospitality is always provided and received
• Partner with the Dickies Arena F&B Leadership team to ensure a successful operation
• Other responsibilities and tasks as deemed appropriate by the Dickies Arena Leadership Team

Competencies

1. Communication Proficiency.
2. Ethical Conduct.
3. Leadership.
4. Problem Solving/Analysis.
5. Strategic Thinking.

Supervisory Responsibility

Exercises general supervision over clerical, administrative and professional staff assigned to the department.

Physical demands

While performing the essential functions of this job, the employee will frequently operate a computer and other office devices such as calculators, telephones, copy machines, faxes and printers. Employee will constantly move about inside and outside various areas of the facility before/during/after events to interact with internal/external clients and supervise the work of employees during events. Employee must constantly communicate via telephone, radio and in-person with others and exchange accurate information. Employee will regularly spend most of their shift standing and walking, traversing stairs, with limited to no sitting. Employee may occasionally be required due to business demands and event operations to lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. As business, maintenance, operations or emergency situations require, employee may sporadically assist in lifting/moving 100 lbs. or more. Employee must be comfortable with raised volume and/ or dark lighting in specific event settings.

Exposed to heat from ovens, burners and steam trays; exposed to cutting and slicing equipment and machines with moving parts; required to stand for prolonged periods; exposed to high noise levels from kitchen equipment and guests at arena; required to wear protective clothing; may need to take precautions to avoid exposure to cleaners and fumes.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications

• Must be a minimum 18 years of age
• 1-2 years' experience in a leadership role working in a fast-paced hospitality environment preferred
• Candidate should be proficient in Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, and Outlook)
• Display excellent cooking skills
• Ability to work any station/ piece of kitchen equipment, i.e., stove, oven, slicer, grill, etc.
• Experience with recipe costing and food cost controls
• Exceptional organizational skills and prioritization with the ability to handle multiple projects at one time
• Have the ability with little guidance to step in to any kitchen and operate at a high level
• Working knowledge of state and local health code requirements
• Possess excellent interpersonal skills and diplomacy
• Possess excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong attention to detail and proven customer service skills
• Works well with others; establishing and maintaining effective relationships with fellow workers and supervisors
• Ability to lift, push, and pull up to 50lbs
• Flexible schedule - nights, weekends and holidays
• Must be able to work in an environment with fluctuating temperatures

Other Duties

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.