Head Chef

Competitive salary of $65,000/year, 4 weeks paid vacation, paid health insurance and generous benefits package

Preble Street’s Emergency Food Services help meet the nutritional needs of unhoused and low-income people 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 Chef to join the team at the Food Security Hub. In collaboration with the Executive Chef, this role will be charged with directing kitchen operations in the Food Security Hub. This hands-on, essential role will lead in menu planning, supervision of kitchen staff, program and resources development, policy and procedure compliance, and community relations.  The Head Chef will collaborate with local farms and suppliers to maximize fresh produce usage, train staff in production equipment, food processing, and preservation, and oversee the progressive expansion of meal production capacity from 2,000 to 10,000 meals per day.

The 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. With a commitment to Food Justice, the Chef will help lead the Food Programs team in preparing delicious, nutritious, from scratch meals, maximizing fresh produce usage and preservation.

In collaboration with the executive Chef, the Chef's professional kitchen expertise, creativity, and commitment to sustainable food systems will help further Preble Street’s mission of addressing hunger.

The Chef is a salaried, exempt position, typically with a five-day-a-week schedule.

Qualifications for the 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 experience in leading culinary processing and production with local, seasonal, from scratch cooking.

The 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 kitchen, 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 $65,000 (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, 4 days/32 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

To Apply: We encourage applicants to apply via Preble Street’s website employment page. Applications (resume and cover letter, preferred) may also be emailed to employment@preblestreet.org or mailed via USPS mail to Preble Street Human Resources, 55 Portland Street, Portland, ME 04101. Please note that automatically generated confirmations of receipt will be sent in response to applications sent via email. Only those candidates selected for interviews will be otherwise contacted.

If you need assistance or accommodation in the application process, please contact us at hr@preblestreet.org.

Preble Street, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency, has been working since 1975 to provide best practice social services that meet urgent needs and end hunger and homelessness for individuals and families in Maine living in poverty.

Preble Street is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to equity and inclusion in our workplace. We encourage applications from all qualified individuals and consider applications for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military status, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.   

Preble Street recognizes that Black and Indigenous people, people of color, people from working class backgrounds, people with disabilities, LGBTQ2IA+ people and women are less likely to apply for jobs if they don’t believe they meet every qualification described in a job posting.

Our hiring process recognizes the value of various lived experiences and backgrounds when assessing candidates.

Individuals from all cultures and communities are encouraged to apply.