Company description

About Drive Change: Drive Change is a vibrant and growing company in New York City. We are a hybrid non-profit/for-profit and have been named one of New York City's most compelling new social enterprises. Drive Change utilizes the food truck workplace to run a 1-year Fellowship for young people coming home from jail and prison so they can access opportunity and obtain preferred employment/educational options for their futures. Jordyn Lexton founded Drive Change in 2014 after teaching on Rikers Island for three years. Bearing witness to a destructive criminal justice system; Jordyn sought to build a social enterprise that could act as a paid opportunity and an alternative educational experience for young people coming home. Drive Change was born in concept and, after recruiting a talented team to help bring it to fruition, Drive Change launched their first food truck for social justice in April 2014 and implemented a pilot Fellowship. The first group of Fellows worked alongside the Executive Team to build the model; Drive Change’s first food truck, Snowday, won the Vendy Cup (Best Food Truck in NYC) in 2015. Drive Change recognizes the overlap between food justice and social justice; as a result, the food served on the Snowday food truck is a reflection of our values as an organization: everything is sourced from small, local farms within 200 miles of NYC and Fellows grow an appreciation for food sustainability by experiencing the full food chain: they harvest (bi-monthly), make from scratch and sell the food. Drive Change is a young organization with a lot of promise. Drive Change has been recognized for it’s creative approach to criminal justice reform and workplace learning. To become a sustainable organization, Drive Change must invest in talent: YOU!

Job description

Base Coach

About the Role:

As Base Coach, you will be responsible for the implementation of Culinary Instruction in the Drive Change kitchen-classroom. Our “prep-time” is not just “work-time” – it is an opportunity for the culinary curriculum to be implemented to our Fellows. The kitchen experience should be an educational experience geared toward preparing Fellows for their next opportunity; in addition to imparting culinary skills and food-specific education; you are responsible for setting the tone in the kitchen as it reflects the desired assessments of the Drive Change Fellowship. For example, Fellows should be able to work in groups and independently; Fellows should be able to follow instructions/recipes; manage their time and work efficiently; kitchen protocol should be used as a tool to instill specific culinary requirements as well as generate workplace expectations that translate beyond the kitchen and into any future work environment. It is the responsibility of the Base Coach to communicate with Fellows on their progress and output; both verbal and written feedback is required. Base Coach must have a deep understanding of the kitchen (operations, inventory, ingredients, protocol) and must use that knowledge to teach the Fellows. The Base Coach must be able to address issues as they arise holding to the value of Fellowship first and maintaining our commitment to be a high performing operation.

About You:
Your commitment to the understanding that every moment within the Drive Change Fellowship experience is an opportunity for learning/coaching is the most important feature of this role and your success as Base Coach. The kitchen is not merely a time for production; it is a time for active observation, feedback, and teachable moments. You must be acutely aware of surroundings and balance the task of empowering Fellows to deliver outlined objectives in preparation for weekly service. As a chef/instructor, you recognize that the diligence you bring to the Drive Change kitchen will be infused into the minds/hearts of Fellows. You will be directly involved in the hard and essential skill development of Fellows. You must be able to read the environment and propose solutions for improvement; your input on curriculum will be valued greatly by the Culinary Arts Director and Fellowship Experience Designer.

• 3-5 years professional culinary experience
• Passionate about food and food systems
• 3+ years MGMT experience
• Positive energy and enthusiasm – your ability to empower Fellows is essential
• You are a hands on person; desk-job seekers need not apply
• You must be observant and able to confront Fellows on areas to work on as well as areas that they are excelling in
• Ability to work well with others – you will be working directly with the Fellowship team and your feedback to them is crucial for Fellow’s success
• Organized and outcomes driven

Nice to have

• Food truck experience
• Experience working with youth
• Experience working with court-involved youth

Think you might be a good fit? Watch the videos on our site at the bottom of the home page  

Read some more information about us by visiting our Press Page 

Compensation

this position is: salaried

Application instructions

Deadline

April 20, 2016