Lead Cook/Line Cook, In-School (No Nights/Holidays) Northeast Philadelphia

About the job

Lead Cook, In-School

About the Role

Join a fast-paced, high-volume kitchen where your culinary skills make a difference every day! As the Lead Cook, you’ll be part of a 3–5-person team preparing over 350 fresh, made-from-scratch school lunches that meet Red Rabbit’s high standards for quality and consistency.

The ideal candidate has experience in a high-volume kitchen, is reliable, and brings a “can-do” attitude to their work. You’re comfortable reading daily production menus, cooking delicious scratch-made dishes, and serving meals on a tight schedule. You take pride in your craft and help ensure the kitchen consistently meets or exceeds Department of Health (DOH) standards.

This role is perfect for an experienced cook who loves teamwork and wants to bring great food to kids. You’ll gain hands-on experience in an in-school operation and grow alongside a passionate, mission-driven culinary team.

If you thrive in a busy kitchen and want to make a real impact on children’s health through culturally familiar, nutritious food, we’d love to have you join the Red Rabbit family.

What You’ll Do

• Take ownership of consistency, quality, and presentation for every batch prepared.
• Work independently from prep lists while coordinating with the Chef to prioritize daily production.
• Read daily menus and production sheets to prepare, portion, and weigh food according to Red Rabbit recipes and applicable Pennsylvania school meal program requirements.
• Cook delicious, scratch-made dishes with attention to flavor, texture, and recipe consistency.
• Help prepare and mix batters for baked items according to recipes and production needs.
• Cook, cool, plate, and pack meals with care and efficiency, following food safety procedures.
• Present and distribute meals to students with dignity, following required school meal program portions and the school’s meal service schedule.
• Keep workstations and equipment clean and organized to meet or exceed applicable DOH food safety and sanitation standards.
• Follow proper food handling, storage, and allergy procedures, and complete required time and temperature logs accurately.
• Support the team through preparation, service, and cleanup to keep the kitchen running smoothly.

What You Bring

• 2+ years of professional culinary experience in a high-volume kitchen, commissary, or cafeteria setting.
• Proven ability to prepare hundreds of meals daily with speed, care, and consistency.
• Ability to follow recipes, understand production sheets, and organize tasks to meet meal service deadlines.
• Strong knowledge of food safety and sanitation practices.
• ServSafe certification required within 90 days of hire; reimbursement provided.
• A reliable, organized, and self-motivated approach, with a positive, “can-do” attitude.
• Ability to work collaboratively and complete assigned tasks independently.
• Passion for healthy food and improving nutrition in schools.
• Ability to regularly lift up to 50 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish a plus.

Additional Information

Job Type: Full Time
Typical Hours: Monday-Friday, approximately 7:00 AM-3:00 PM
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Reports to: Head Chef
Compensation: $19-$21 per hour, plus benefits

Benefits

• Generous PTO (most major holidays off)
• Health, Dental, Vision Insurance
• 401k Option
• Paid Professional Development
• Education Reimbursement Opportunities
• Paid Parental Leave
• Worker’s Compensation Insurance Coverage
• Free Lunch: Access to great-tasting, made-from-scratch food.

About Red Rabbit

Founded in 2005, Red Rabbit is an MWBE-certified K–12 school food management company on a mission to transform school dining. We believe that serving diverse, high-quality meals to children in urban communities is about more than food, it’s about dignity, representation, and opportunity.

Our professionally trained chefs work in commissaries and onsite in school cafeterias, preparing scratch-made, culturally relevant meals that reflect the heritage and lived experiences of the students we serve. We don’t just deliver food...we become part of the school community.

Today, Red Rabbit prepares and serves millions of meals each year across the Greater New York region, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. If you’re passionate about food, community, and making an impact every day, we’d love to meet you.

Red Rabbit is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, marital status, or sexual orientation.