Preble Street’s Emergency Food Services help meet the nutritional needs of the community through our Food Security Hub, Mobile Food Services, Food Pantry, and shelter-based meal service sites. Preble Street has adapted how it provides food services to effectively meet the food needs of people experiencing homelessness and food insecurity—and we’re seeking food services professionals to join us in this exciting and innovative work.

Preble Street is seeking an involved Executive Chef to join the team at the Food Security Hub. This new position is charged with creating the plan for, implementing, and overseeing of a major expansion of meal production capacity from 2,000 to 10,000 meals per day to realize Preble Street’s goal of addressing hunger statewide. The Executive Chef will be passionate about local, seasonal, from-scratch cooking, with minimal waste and has a systems thinking approach to sustainable food system development and food preparation. This position will create new partnerships with Maine farms, fisheries and local food providers and expand existing collaborations with antihunger organizations to ensure the transportation of meals to communities and people that need it most. With a commitment to food justice, the Executive Chef will help lead the Food Programs team in preparing delicious, nutritious, from-scratch meals, maximizing fresh produce usage and preservation, and training staff in production equipment and food processing. The Executive Chef will help lead in menu planning, supervision of kitchen staff, program and resources development, policy and procedure compliance, and community relations. As a leader in the Food Security Hub kitchen, your professional kitchen expertise, creativity, and commitment to sustainable food systems will help further Preble Street’s mission every day.

The Executive Chef is a salaried, exempt position typically with a Monday – Friday schedule and weekend work as necessary.

Qualifications

Qualifications for the Executive Chef role include significant experience in high-volume food service or related operations with three to five years’ management experience required, and relevant culinary training or education, with a minimum of two years’ experience in leading culinary processing and production with local, seasonal, from-scratch cooking. The Executive Chef must demonstrate a systems thinking approach essential to keeping the different components of the Food Security Hub running and preparing affordable, seasonal and nutritious meals for clients. 

The Executive Chef must also have the ability to plan, prepare and supervise preparation of high-quality meals with available ingredients for large groups in a commercial kitchen; the ability to maintain safe and efficient kitchen operations; strong organizational and collaborative skills; experience working, leading, and managing in a team setting, with a commitment to building and supporting a diverse and inclusive team; and positive regard for individuals experiencing homelessness, poverty, and food insecurity.

Schedule, Compensation, and Benefits

This full-time, exempt position offers a competitive salary of $75,000 (annualized). Generous paid time off, insurance, and retirement plan benefits include:

• 4 weeks/160 hours (accrued) vacation time, 12 days/96 hours (accrued) sick time, 2 days/16 hours personal time, 12 paid holidays
• health insurance w/ 100% employer-paid option; dental insurance w/ 100% employer-paid option; vision insurance; employer-paid life and disability insurance
• 403(b) retirement plan w/ employer match