Culinary Team Lead - Dollywood Theme Park - Year Round

At Dollywood Parks & Resorts, we create memories worth repeating. We do this every day across all properties, all located in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Ask anyone who has visited Dollywood Parks & Resorts and they will tell you this place is different. It’s not a difference that you can touch or see - it’s a difference you can feel. We are seeking a Culinary Team Lead who will embody the heart and soul of our mission of creating memories worth repeating while bringing families closer together and caring deeply about our brand. This person also brings a spirit of fun, authenticity, collaboration, creativity and genuine hospitality to the lives of our guests.

We want to work alongside someone who acts as an extension of our mission, values, and culture. This individual is driven to create meaningful experiences for our hosts, guests, and community while ensuring the success and profitability of our unique offerings. They also bring fun, authenticity, collaboration, creativity, and genuine hospitality to their life and work. The right Culinary Team Lead checklist will include equal parts curious learner, innovator, administrator, detail driver, mentor, and motivator.

This position exists to assist in the successful and profitable operation of the unit or group of units assigned by identifying and implementing Culinary Services department and Dollywood goals and policies, through the supervision of employees to ensure the successful follow through of goals while providing our Guests with the highest quality in product with courteous, friendly, and efficient service in a neat, clean, and professional environment. 

Additionally, the ideal candidate will be able to display and live out Lead with Love qualities, strongly rooted in the Dollywood Company culture, by being patient, kind, trusting, unselfish, truthful, forgiving, dedicated and accountable.

Summary of Essential Functions and Responsibilities

• Act as quality assurance inspector, ensure food is high quality
• Enforce preparation/food handling standards which ensure designated portion control
• Complete and monitor Safety Critical Checklists daily
• Comply with health department and food service department policies
• Know, understand, and enforce the use of the “Start Fresh” program when necessary
• Ensure all products are presented to guest in a visually appealing and appetizing manner
• Supervise the following areas to ensure maximum control yielding high profitability in these areas:
  • Inventory Control - responsible for maintaining a proper level of inventory at all times; ensure units are not stock-piling food/supplies, keep par sheets up-to-date with only current items listed, all units have proper specifications, amounts of food and paper supplies
  • Rotation - products are rotated for maximum freshness using the FIFO (First in, First out) method
  • Portion Control - all hosts know and understand the recipes and portion in preparing each unit’s menu, constantly inspecting and spot-weighing portion sizes
  • Waste Control - waste is kept to a minimum by not over producing, avoiding accidents, and properly storing and handling food
  • Analysis - review cost of sales analysis of all food products sold
  • Budget - achieves budgetary goals for food cost and labor expense
  • Enforce/administer all Company and departmental policies regarding grooming, costuming, nametags, conduct, call-ins, etc.
• Conduct employee performance evaluations
• Organize and develop a well-trained, efficient staff whereby, when promotions are available, qualified people are also available
• Analyze usage of labor to ensure maximum productivity and efficiency and collaborate with the scheduling team to correlate labor hours and sales volume in proportion
• Monitor cash overages and shortage daily and in accordance with company guidelines, taking action if necessary
• Responsible for completing credit card transactions in compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security standards
• Ensure unit is organized and maintained in a sanitary manner; ensure proper cleaning schedules are followed
• Available/willing to work at different locations on park
• Follows All Host Safety Standards and General Safety Training guidelines and uses associated injury prevention measures

Management reserves the right to change and/or add to these duties at any time

Education and Experience Required

• Must be at least 18 years of age
• A minimum of 1 year of Food Service experience
• A minimum of 6 months of supervisory experience
• Must be able to obtain ServSafe Manager Certification
• Must be proficient in Microsoft Word, Outlook and a working knowledge of Excel
• Must have a valid Tennessee driver’s license and proof of insurance
• Must be able to successfully complete a post-offer background check and drug screening
• Experience with scheduling and payroll/time keeping software preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Able to project Dollywood’s image by being genuinely friendly and caring and by taking pride in their work
• Must be self-motivated and disciplined
• Must maintain strict confidentiality and judgment regarding privileged information
• Must display and live out our Lead with Love principles by being: patient, kind, trusting, unselfish, truthful, forgiving, and dedicated
• Must be willing to constantly improve
• Must have professional appearance with good personal hygiene
• Must promote and support a “team” work environment by cooperating and helping co-workers
• Must adapt to changes easily
• Must tolerate a fast-paced, hectic environment
• Must show appreciation to others
• Must be sensitive to the needs of our Guests and feel empowered to act to meet their needs within company guidelines
• Must be able to make decisions
• Sense of urgency
• Able to display and live out our Lead with Love principles strongly rooted in the Dollywood Company culture by being: patient, kind, trusting, unselfish, truthful, forgiving, and dedicated
• Able to hear, see and speak
• Able to speak, read and write in English
• Able to smile and make eye contact to make a friendly impression when greeting guests, vendors and other employees
• Must have manual dexterity necessary to complete all job duties
• Must promote and support a team environment
• Able to sit and/or stand for long/short periods
• Able to maintain good personal hygiene
• Able to get along with other employees to work out problems and resolve conflicts
• Able to comprehend instructions and retain information
• Able to maintain dependable work attendance and flexibility with assigned work schedules including any required overtime, evenings, weekends and holidays
• Able to tolerate a fast-paced, hectic environment
• Able to be flexible to handle frequent changes in priorities
• Able to prioritize tasks and complete assignments on time
• Ability to tolerate extreme heat, extreme cold, and humidity necessary to work in kitchens, walk-ins, freezers, climate changes and work outdoors
• Able to carry out the execution of ingredient measurements, portion control, time and temperature tables, and compilation of food safety check sheets
• Able to use equipment such as, but not limited to, Point of Sale System, calculators, knives, fryers, grills, oven, brooms, mops, sinks, dough machine, wedgers, dollies, rolling racks, dish machines, steam tables, warmers, mixers, etc.
• Must be able to lift 30 pounds with or without 2-person lift. 30 pounds require a 2-person lift
• Must be able to work and tolerate temperatures ranging from 0 to 120 degrees
• Must comply with all Health Department, ServSafe, and Dollywood Company regulations pertaining to safe food handling practices

The Dollywood Company is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. The Dollywood Company drives a welcoming culture where ideas and decisions from all people support our efforts to be relevant in an ever-changing world.