Lead Cook

Position type: Full time, seasonal

Season: April 19th - June 7th, 2024; possible extension to fall season, if available

Location: Silver Falls State Park, Sublimity, Oregon (60 miles from Portland, Oregon) 

Compensation: $19.38/hr; 2 days PTO

Perks: Meals provided while working/Basic housing on site/Staff housing in greater Portland/Salem area for subsidized rate (optional), business mileage

Program: Opal Creek Outdoor School (spring/fall)

Work schedule: Mondays-Fridays; averaging 8 hrs/day

As a Lead Cook, you execute buffet-style meals in our renowned Opal Creek Kitchen. We believe it’s the most delicious food you’ll ever find in a camp facility: seasonal, hearty, kid- and adult-friendly fare. As a semi-open kitchen, you frequently greet and interact with students, campers, and staff in the dining hall. Your backdrop will be the forests, creeks, and waterfalls of Silver Falls State Park, Oregon’s most beloved and largest state park and the ancestral home of the Kalapuya and Molalla Tribes. 

You’ll join a team that prepares meals for on average 120 people. Throughout your shift you’ll execute a full meal from start to finish: prepping, cooking, serving, and dishwashing, you will cater meals to guests’ dietary restrictions and allergies, and you’ll promote a fun and hospitable environment for coworkers and guests. The Opal Creek Kitchen is regaining its footing in a new setting; through your collaboration, and ideas, you’ll play a key role in shaping the food service experience for students, campers, and staff for years to come! 

Qualifications, Skills, and Experience

A successful candidate will possess these minimum qualifications. We are less interested in the titles you’ve held and more interested in what you’ve actually done and who you are.

• 1+ years in a high-volume, commercial, or camp-like kitchen
• Previous experience with from-scratch cooking and baking
• Strong hospitality skills
• Strong communication and team building skills
• Proven improviser, in general and specific to kitchen equipment use and recipe interpretation
• Previous experience integrating equity, inclusion, and cultural relevance into food service and the workplace
• Safe food handling practices
• Able to pass a criminal background check

We are committed to having an applicant pool that reflects the diversity of the students we work with, and we highly encourage Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to apply.