Kitchen Director / Chef

We are building a staff team of people passionate about education and dedicated to our mission of inspiring growth and transformation in young changemakers from around the world. We look for hardworking and curious relationship-builders who are committed to equity, inclusion, diversity and justice across gender, race, sexual orientation, and ability. We hope to build a team of people who think structurally and creatively and can take responsibility for co-creating our emergent environment centering community, regeneration, imagination, and care.

Our staff team is responsible for implementing our mission at every level of our program. CRS staff are responsible for guiding campers through thoughtful questioning, reflection, and decision-making as campers take on leadership responsibilities which affect themselves and the greater community. We aim to provide the greatest growth opportunities and support for our campers, which means hiring the most committed and passionate staff possible. Operating in a summer camp setting, we are at heart an international leadership program with an intentional curriculum and mission which drives all of our programming. A background in education and/or previous experience in teenage youth programs is appreciated but not required.

Camp Rising Sun considers all applicants holistically and is committed to the goal of building a staff that is diverse in lived, professional, and academic experiences. We are constantly seeking to improve the diversity of our staff to better reflect the diverse lived experiences of our campers. We strongly encourage applications from historically underrepresented groups.

While some staff members specialize in a program area, all staff are first and foremost general counselors. Primary responsibilities, regardless of position, include:

• Participating in all scheduled activities while on-duty. The daily program typically starts at 8:30 AM and ends at 10:30 PM (staff have 3 hours off a day).
• Supervising campers overnight on a rotating basis.
• Prioritizing the positive experience of campers by monitoring the physical and emotional well-being of campers, upholding health & safety procedures, acting professionally, and modeling constructive behavior.
• Assisting in large-scale and community-wide projects, instructions, or activities.
• Participating in regular meetings with the staff team.
• Participating in program evaluation and self-evaluation.
• Facilitating multiple instructions (90 minute workshops) over the course of the summer.
• Maintaining a substance-free campus.

We hope you will join us to build the 2024 CRS experience!

• Competitive pay within the industry.
• Full room and board for the duration of your contract (mostly in dormitory rooms shared with other staff members, occasionally in outdoor platform tents or lean-tos shared only with staff members).
• A 10-day immersive professional staff training including a CPR and First Aid certification (you will get paid for staff training).
• Workers’ compensation.
• Travel stipend for out-of-state staff.
• 1 day off a week and a minimum of 3 hours off per day.
• We cover visa and health insurance costs for international staff.
• The ability to positively impact the lives of over 130 youth from around the world!

Our summer staff gain new colleagues and friends as they become part of our international network of educators and alumni that spans 90 years. Our network includes the following benefits:

• Access to a graduate school and study abroad scholarship through World Learning and the George E. Jonas university scholarship.
• Additional virtual program work opportunities after successfully completing a summer season.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Plan and prepare meals for approximately 80-100 people from diverse, international backgrounds, including accommodation for special dietary restrictions, and allergies.
• Organize and supervise kitchen staff (1-2 cooks) and campers working in the kitchen.
• Uphold NY state health code and pass health inspections, providing kitchen safety orientations to campers and staff.
• Work closely with Camp Director and Business Manager on kitchen budgeting and expenditures.
• Help plan and prepare meals for 1-2 special events of up to 200 people.
• Coordinate with staff and campers for camper-led weekly cultural meals.
• Open kitchen during staff training, while simultaneously preparing meals for 25 staff, and taking part in mandatory aspects of staff training as needed.
• Attend staff meetings, including facilitating kitchen staff meetings, and 1 on 1's with the kitchen team.

REQUIREMENTS

• Educated and/or experienced in running a large-scale kitchen and in planning large-scale meals (3 meals per day for on average 80-100 people). (1 year)
• Experience cooking for vegetarian, vegan, and other dietary needs is required.
• Experience maintaining a predetermined budget is required.
• Preference for a head chef who prioritizes a healthy, nutritious, well balanced plant based menu, with local meat and fish as needed.
• Experience managing kitchen staff preferred.
• Experience working with youth preferred.
• Food Handler Certification preferred