Camp Managing Chef

On-Site Camp Chef Manager

Position Summary

The On-Site Camp Chef Manager is responsible for leading the day-to-day culinary and food service operation at a residential summer camp. This position combines hands-on culinary leadership with staff management, food safety, inventory control, ordering, production planning, budgeting, client communication, and overall kitchen accountability.

The ideal candidate is an experienced, adaptable, and highly hands-on culinary leader who is comfortable working in a seasonal residential environment with limited access to many of the conveniences and resources available in a traditional restaurant setting.

This role requires an outgoing personality and strong engagement with both front and back-of-house staff, camp leadership, and guests. Leadership, independence, flexibility, resourcefulness, and the ability to remain positive under pressure are essential.

The Chef Manager is expected to lead by example and assist wherever needed. This is not a position in which management responsibilities replace hands-on kitchen work. Depending on operational needs, the Chef Manager may be required to cook, prep, receive deliveries, organize storage areas, clean, wash dishes, assist with sanitation, or cover other kitchen responsibilities.

The Chef Manager will direct food preparation and staff in accordance with company standards and core values, maintain exceptional sanitation practices, communicate effectively with management and customers, and consistently deliver high-quality food and service.

Residential and Remote Work Environment

This position requires living onsite at a residential summer camp for the duration of the assignment.

Candidates should carefully consider the unique nature of residential camp employment before accepting the position. Depending on the location, the ability to leave camp, travel independently, access stores, run personal errands, dine offsite, or participate in activities away from camp may be significantly limited.

Transportation may not be immediately or independently available, and employees should not expect the same freedom of movement they would have while working in a traditional restaurant, hotel, or urban environment.

Successful candidates should be comfortable with:

• Living and working in the same general environment for an extended period.
• Spending significant periods of time onsite.
• Limited personal transportation and freedom of movement.
• Limited access to stores, restaurants, entertainment, and other conveniences.
• Planning personal needs and errands well in advance.
• Working and living in close proximity to coworkers.
• Less separation between work life and personal life than in a traditional position.
• Maintaining professionalism with coworkers and clients in a residential environment.
• Adjusting to changing operational conditions with limited outside resources.
• Completing the full seasonal commitment despite periods of high workload, limited mobility, or changing conditions.

This position is best suited for individuals who genuinely enjoy residential, seasonal, camp, resort, cruise, lodge, or other immersive hospitality environments.

Duties and Responsibilities

Culinary Operations

• Prepare, design, and execute weekly fresh, from-scratch menus.
• Produce delicious, approachable, and nostalgic meals appropriate for a residential camp environment.
• Ensure food is prepared according to established menus, recipes, portion standards, quality expectations, and service schedules.
• Provide accurate meal quantities for all meal periods, special events, pack-outs, and special requests.
• Adjust production based on participation counts while minimizing shortages, overproduction, and unnecessary waste.
• Ensure production is accurate in timing, quantity, quality, temperature, and presentation.
• Maintain consistency across all meal periods.
• Understand and implement effective cross-utilization of ingredients.
• Adapt menus and production plans when products, equipment, staffing, or other resources are unexpectedly unavailable.
• Maintain quality and guest satisfaction while working within operational and budgetary constraints.
• Assist in planning and executing special events as directed by management.
• Personally participate in food preparation and production when necessary.

Kitchen Leadership and Staff Management

• Lead, supervise, train, and support kitchen staff.
• Establish clear daily assignments, production responsibilities, and expectations.
• Assist in developing staff schedules to ensure adequate coverage for all meal periods and production requirements.
• Train employees with varying levels of professional kitchen experience.
• Provide patient, clear, and constructive coaching to seasonal and entry-level employees.
• Develop employees rather than relying exclusively on previous culinary experience.
• Foster teamwork among employees from different professional, cultural, and personal backgrounds.
• Maintain a respectful, positive, and professional kitchen culture.
• Address performance, attendance, sanitation, behavioral, and teamwork concerns promptly.
• Assess employee performance and coordinate corrective action with management when appropriate.
• Lead by example and demonstrate that no reasonable kitchen responsibility is beneath the Chef Manager position.
• Assist with prep, cooking, receiving, storage organization, cleaning, sanitation, dishwashing, or other duties when operationally necessary.
• Maintain composure and professionalism during high-volume or stressful situations.
• Ensure compliance with company policies and operational expectations among all kitchen staff.

Food Safety and Sanitation

• Maintain a clean and sanitary kitchen, dining room, storage areas, and surrounding food service areas.
• Enforce sanitation and food safety standards in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations.
• Maintain proper food temperature controls and required documentation.
• Ensure appropriate receiving, storage, labeling, dating, cooling, reheating, and holding procedures.
• Teach and enforce proper food handling practices among all employees.
• Monitor kitchen cleanliness throughout the day rather than relying solely on end-of-shift cleaning.
• Ensure kitchen utensils, equipment, dishes, surfaces, floors, storage areas, and workspaces remain clean and sanitary.
• Immediately address unsafe food handling, sanitation, cross-contamination, or equipment practices.
• Maintain appropriate allergen controls and prevent cross-contact.
• Ensure compliance with required health department, company, and client food safety procedures.

Dietary Restrictions and Allergens

• Follow documented dietary restrictions and allergen preparation requirements.
• Coordinate special-diet production with camp leadership and management.
• Maintain appropriate separation, identification, storage, preparation, and service of special meals.
• Train employees on allergen awareness and cross-contact prevention.
• Ensure special meals are consistently available at the appropriate meal period.
• Communicate clearly regarding dietary requirements across shifts and staff members.
• Treat food allergies and medically necessary dietary restrictions as critical food safety responsibilities.

Ordering, Inventory, and Cost Control

• Place accurate food and supply orders sufficiently in advance of operational needs.
• Maintain ordering within established budgetary requirements.
• Understand that remote or residential locations may not allow shortages or ordering errors to be corrected immediately.
• Forecast product needs based on participation counts, menus, historical usage, inventory, delivery schedules, and expected yields.
• Maintain accurate food and supply inventory.
• Conduct regular inventory reviews and identify potential shortages before they affect meal service.
• Monitor food usage, waste, portioning, and overproduction.
• Identify and correct factors contributing to unfavorable food-cost performance.
• Maintain appropriate par levels without unnecessary overstocking.
• Properly receive, inspect, rotate, label, and store incoming products.
• Apply FIFO inventory practices.
• Develop contingency plans when deliveries are delayed, products are unavailable, or inventory levels change unexpectedly.
• Communicate significant shortages or purchasing issues to management promptly.

Remote Operational Adaptability

• Plan ahead knowing that replacement products, equipment repairs, additional staff, or other resources may not be immediately available.
• Respond calmly and resourcefully when deliveries are late, products are unavailable, equipment fails, or staffing changes.
• Develop practical alternatives rather than allowing operational challenges to disrupt meal service.
• Make appropriate product substitutions when necessary while protecting quality, dietary requirements, guest satisfaction, and budget.
• Maintain contingency plans for critical ingredients and operational needs.
• Recognize that planning and prevention are particularly important in residential and remote food service environments.
• Communicate operational concerns early enough for management to assist before they become emergencies.

Client and Guest Relations

• Collaborate effectively with client camp staff, leadership, and the management team.
• Maintain regular and professional communication with management through calls, emails, texts, meetings, and required reporting.
• Respond professionally to client feedback and concerns.
• Listen to feedback without becoming defensive and take appropriate corrective action.
• Respect established camp traditions, service expectations, and reasonable client requests.
• Understand that the food service operation exists to support the overall camp experience.
• Maintain a personable, friendly, approachable, and service-oriented demeanor.
• Build positive relationships with campers, staff, client leadership, and coworkers.
• Consistently deliver excellent products and customer service.

Leadership Expectations

Successful Chef Managers are expected to demonstrate a service-first leadership mentality.

The position requires an individual who:

• Leads from the front.
• Takes ownership of problems rather than assigning blame.
• Remains calm during difficult services.
• Is comfortable teaching inexperienced employees.
• Can receive direction despite holding a leadership position.
• Understands that operational consistency is more important than culinary ego.
• Takes pride in executing simple food exceptionally well.
• Is willing to adjust personal preferences to support the needs of the operation.
• Maintains professional behavior during stressful or demanding periods.
• Understands the importance of completing the seasonal commitment.
• Treats coworkers respectfully regardless of experience or position.
• Recognizes and addresses conflicts before they negatively affect kitchen operations.
• Maintains appropriate professional boundaries in a residential work environment.

Required Skills and Abilities

• High-volume commercial food production experience.
• Strong hands-on cooking and food preparation skills.
• Ability to lead and develop a kitchen team.
• Ability to work effectively with inexperienced and seasonal employees.
• Ability to take direction while independently managing day-to-day kitchen operations.
• Ability to create and execute production schedules.
• Ability to accurately forecast meal quantities.
• Knowledge of food cost management.
• Inventory management and purchasing experience.
• Ability to place accurate food orders in advance.
• Strong understanding of food yields, portions, and cross-utilization.
• Knowledge of food safety and sanitation requirements.
• Experience with food allergies and dietary restrictions.
• Ability to adapt menus and production plans when necessary.
• Ability to remain organized under high-volume conditions.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to effectively communicate operational concerns to management.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently with limited resources.
• Ability to coach, train, and hold employees accountable.
• Positive and professional attitude.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Strong time-management and organizational skills.
• Ability to maintain professionalism while living and working in a residential environment.

Preferred Education and Experience

• 4+ years of high-volume commercial kitchen experience.
• Previous Chef, Sous Chef, Kitchen Manager, Chef Manager, Executive Chef, or equivalent leadership experience.
• Experience with institutional food service, summer camps, universities, resorts, cruise ships, catering, conference centers, lodges, remote hospitality operations, or other high-volume residential dining environments is strongly preferred.
• Experience producing several hundred or more meals per meal period preferred.
• Experience managing seasonal or entry-level employees preferred.
• Previous residential, live-in, remote, cruise, resort, lodge, or camp employment is highly desirable.
• Experience with food budgeting, inventory management, purchasing, scheduling, and labor management preferred.
• ServSafe Food Protection Manager certification required.
• Ability to pass required background checks.
• Must successfully complete any additional client or camp-required background checks, screenings, and training.

Special Demands and Working Conditions

• This is an onsite residential seasonal position.
• Work schedules vary according to camp operations and meal schedules.
• Workdays may range from approximately 8 to 12 hours.
• Work may be required up to 6 days per week depending on operational needs.
• Meal schedules, special events, staffing, participation, and other operational conditions may require schedule adjustments.
• Ability to work in a commercial kitchen environment involving exposure to extreme heat.
• Required to stand for extended periods, including 8 or more hours.
• Frequent walking, bending, reaching, lifting, pushing, pulling, and stooping.
• Must be able to lift and/or move objects weighing up to 50 pounds.
• Exposure to commercial cleaning and sanitation chemicals.
• Work environment may be loud, fast-paced, and physically demanding.
• Potential exposure to hot surfaces, steam, commercial cooking equipment, sharp knives, wet floors, and other common commercial kitchen hazards.
• Personal transportation and freedom of movement may be limited due to the residential or remote nature of the work location.
• Access to stores, restaurants, entertainment, personal errands, and other offsite conveniences may be limited.
• Employees should be prepared to spend extended periods onsite and plan personal needs accordingly.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Upper Crust Food Service provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color,