Culinary Artist

DetailsSchedule:Flexible hours
Compensation:$25/hr
Number of openings:1
About the Position
The Culinary Artist is responsible for the culinary output of Cafe Marie Cafe and Catering, located within Eltuek Arts Centre, a creative cultural hub and centre for contemporary art and community in Sydney, Unama'ki, Cape Breton Island. Eltuek Arts Centre is owned and operated by New Dawn Enterprises, which also oversees the New Dawn Community Kitchen. The Culinary Artist works out of the New Dawn Community Kitchen, which is home to Meals on Wheels, Cafe Marie, Cafe Marie Catering, local food programming, and the Good Food Bus; all of which make up the food services divisions of New Dawn Enterprises.
The Culinary Artist works in collaboration with the Cafe Marie Manager to schedule staff and oversee food quality, inventory, client and customer services, vendor relations, catering workflow, scheduling, and logistics, and other aspects of operations. The Culinary Artist adheres to all policies and regulations for safety, hygiene, and facility food preparation guidelines. The Culinary Artist also collaborates with the Meals on Wheels staff, Eltuek staff, and other divisions of New Dawn Enterprises, to create and develop special events, menus, food programming, best practices within the workplace, promote cafe, catering, and New Dawn events, as well as welcome newcomers through foodways, festivals, and other programming.
The Culinary Artist provides leadership, support, motivation, and development of team members, creating a positive environment that encourages ownership and accountability, while providing a quality guest experience. This role will monitor and ensure exceptional service and food quality. The Culinary Artist will be responsible for accepting, tracking, and fulfilling catering requests, as well as logistics, including scheduling staff to execute catered events and programming.
The Culinary Artist works a flexible schedule to ensure operational needs are met. As with all positions working in the New Dawn Community Kitchen, training in all areas will be provided and the Culinary Artist can be scheduled for shifts in any area to fulfill demand for service. There may be instances where kitchen staff may also be asked for support with Meals on Wheels in meal preparation and packing.
Primary Areas of ResponsibilityCulinary Arts; Meal Preparation; Catering and Events Management; Community Health Building
Duties and ResponsibilitiesCulinary Preparation Development, creation, testing, costing and approval of menus and recipes for cafe and catering operations out of the New Dawn Community KitchenPrepare and serve all menu items according to kitchen policies and proceduresEnsure the highest quality of culinary service regarding taste, presentation, and dietary requirements where necessaryChopping and peeling of fruits and vegetablesEarly morning baking of bread, baked goods, and dessertsPreparing soups, stocks, and saucesPreparation of fruits, vegetables, meatsPreparation of boards, pizzas, and other specialty menu itemsCommunity Kitchen Management Maintain and notify manager of supplies and equipment for operations as necessaryEnsure that all food and supplies are ordered and received in a timely manner so that adequate inventory levels are maintained to support volume or anticipated volumeEnsure that kitchen activities operate in a safe, efficient, and timely mannerReport any infraction in the food services divisions policies and proceduresMaintain exceptional cleanliness and organization of the kitchenEnsure quality and safety of food preparation by performing standard and any additional sanitary measures including sweeping floors, cleaning and sanitizing surfaces, proper covering, and storage of food items according to standards and proceduresServe food in the proper portion size and at the proper temperatureLog all temperatures and cleaning as per food services divisions policies and proceduresCatering Management Liaise with New Dawn staff and team that coordinate Eltuek Events and catering bookingsLiaise with clients or potential leads for catering and event menu development and serviceEnsure high quality of service and professionalism for all catered events and clienteleDaily review of catering calendar and venue management softwareCommunications with catering team and New Dawn staff to ensure staffing/schedulingCoordinate the preparation of food service and service for special eventsThorough knowledge of POS technology/debit machinesSet up and tear down of catering services and special events where food is created/servedOther Duties & ResponsibilitiesParticipate in internal team meetings and committees as requiredLook for potential improvements and help implement solutionsMaintain quality, safety and the confidentiality of employees, clients, and volunteersMaintain professionalism, tact, diplomacy, and sensitivity to portray New Dawn in a positive manner, consistent with its values and visionUpdate job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities, engaging in professional networks, and participating in professional organizationsRespond to the needs of others with effective communication, mutual respect, and consistent follow through to build trust and workplace relationshipsPromote the mission and values of New Dawn both internally and externallyOther duties as assigned by the Manager of Cafe Marie and CateringCore CompetenciesEthics and integrityClient and community-focusedInitiative and problem solvingAccountability and dependabilityStrong oral and written communicationTeamwork and collaborationDetail orientationLeadershipQualificationsMinimum two (2) years experience in a kitchen/culinary settingMinimum two (2) years experience catering and events managementHigh level of integrity, confidentiality, and accountabilityHighly organized and ability to work well under pressureAbility to work independently, as part of a team, and with guidanceAbility to work effectively with others towards a shared goalExceptional attention to detailExceptional verbal and written communication skillsProficiency with Microsoft suite of programs and applicationsExperience with venue management software an assetValid and up to date First Aid & CPR CertificateValid and up to date Food Handlers CertificateValid and up to date Serve Right CertificateCompassion and empathyExperience working with and advocating for vulnerable populationsUnderstands servant leadership and community-focus as central to the workWork ConditionsThe physical ability to lift to 50lbsTravel may be requiredOvertime may be required; working evenings/weekends as neededInteracts with employees, management, and the public at largeEnvironment can be busy and/or noisy at timesAbout New DawnNew Dawn Enterprises Limited is a private, volunteer-directed non-profit social enterprise dedicated to community building. It seeks to identify community needs and to establish and operate ventures that speak to those needs.
Incorporated in 1976, New Dawn is the oldest Community Development Corporation in Canada. Today it employs 150 people across 10 companies: New Dawn Homecare, Pine Tree Park Care Home & Home Living, New Dawn Meals on Wheels, the Eltuek Arts Centre, Cafe Marie, New Dawn Properties, Abbey Ridge, Cape Breton Island Centre for Immigration, New Dawn Centre, and New Dawn Community Engagement.
All its work is in service of building a more vibrant and self-reliant Unama'ki, Cape Breton Island.

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