Lead Culinary Cook

Job description

Franciscan Health Indianapolis Orthopedic Hospital
10777 Illinois St Carmel, Indiana 46032
Franciscan Health is seeking a dependable, motivated, and experienced Culinary Team Lead to support daily Nutrition Services operations. This hands-on leadership position requires pride in food quality, teamwork, operational excellence, and customer service. The ideal candidate takes initiative, communicates effectively, and helps maintain a positive and accountable workplace. The Lead Cook Baker prepares and cooks/bakes high-quality food for patients, staff, special events, and visitors.
WHO WE ARE
With 11 ministries and access points across Indiana, Franciscan Health is one of the largest Catholic health care systems in the Midwest. Franciscan Health takes pride in hiring coworkers that provide compassionate, comprehensive care for our patients and the communities we serve.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
• Hours: 11-730p mostly with weekend/holiday rotation

Culinary Production and Quality
• · Prepare high-quality meals and baked goods for patients, staff, and visitors.
• · Follow standardized recipes, portion controls, and presentation standards.
• · Ensure food is prepared and served safely, accurately, and on time.
• · Maintain consistent food quality across patient services and retail operations.
• · Assist with production planning, inventory rotation, and waste reduction.

Team Leadership and Accountability
• · Provide daily direction and guidance to culinary and food service associates.
• · Coordinate daily production assignments and communicate operational priorities.
• · Lead by example through professionalism, reliability, and a strong work ethic.
• · Assist with training, cross-training, and developing team members.
• · Recognize staffing challenges and proactively assist with operational coverage.
• · Communicate performance concerns and improvement opportunities to management.

Operational Excellence
• · Take ownership of assigned work areas and ensure daily tasks are completed.
• · Maintain food safety documentation, temperature logs, sanitation standards, and cleaning schedules.
• · Ensure proper opening, closing, and shift-transition procedures.
• · Identify operational problems and recommend practical solutions.
• · Support patient services, retail food service, and other department operations as needed.
• · Follow established procedures and implement new processes consistently.
• Coordinates team meetings and participates in meetings with cooks.
• Ensures food products meet quality standards for taste and appearance.
• Ensures proper usage of kitchen equipment including combi-ovens, slicers, steamers, and mixers.
• Follows production sheets, to ensure correct quantities are made and available to all service areas.
• Follows sanitation guidelines of federal, state, and HFAP regulatory agencies.
• Labels and dates food products, according to procedures.
• Meets the schedules and time requirements for food preparation.
• Monitors the operations of a unit and provides input to the performance of individuals through feedback and recommendations.
• Participates in people management activities for unit team members, such as performance evaluations, disciplinary actions, and interviews.
• Practices safe food handling techniques.
• Prepares and cooks /bakes food, according to standardized recipes.
• Records food temperatures accurately.

QUALIFICATIONS
Required
• Minimum two years of institutional, healthcare, or high-volume food preparation experience.·
• Knowledge of food preparation and safe food handling practices.
• Ability to organize work, prioritize tasks, and direct others.
• Demonstrate reliability, communication skills, and ability to work independently.
• Ability to work alternating shifts, weekends, and holidays as scheduled.

Preferred
• High School Diploma/GED
• 1 year Food Service and/or Cooking Preferred
• Three or more years of professional cooking experience.·
• Previous lead cook, shift lead, or culinary supervisory experience.
• Experience in healthcare food service, patient dining, or retail dining operations.
• ServSafe Food Protection Manager certification or equivalent.

TRAVEL IS REQUIRED:
Never or Rarely
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
It is the policy of Franciscan Alliance to provide equal employment to its employees and qualified applicants for employment as otherwise required by an applicable local, state or Federal law.
Franciscan Alliance reserves a Right of Conscience objection in the event local, state or Federal ordinances that violate its values and the free exercise of its religious rights.
Franciscan Alliance is committed to equal employment opportunity.
Franciscan provides eligible employees with comprehensive benefit offerings. Find an overview on the benefit section of our career site, jobs.franciscanhealth.org .