Salad Bar Chef

Meraki Salad Bar is looking for an energetic, detail-oriented

Salad Bar Chef / Kitchen Lead

to oversee daily culinary prep, ingredient quality, and fresh food assembly. In keeping with the spirit of

meraki

—putting soul, creativity, and love into everything you make—you will lead daily batch cooking, protein preparation, dressing emulsions, and cold-table restocking to deliver high-quality, vibrant meals during fast-paced service hours.

Key Responsibilities

Food Preparation & Culinary Standards

Wash, chop, roast, and portion seasonal produce, grains, legumes, and high-quality proteins according to recipe sheets.

Prepare house-made dressings, marinades, sauces, and toppings from scratch, ensuring consistent flavor and emulsion stability.

Monitor taste, freshness, texture, and visual presentation across all warm bases and chilled salad wells.

Rotate and replenish the front-of-house assembly line promptly to prevent stockouts during peak lunch and dinner rushes.

Kitchen Operations & Food Safety

Maintain strict adherence to local food hygiene, temperature control, and sanitation regulations (HACCP / FIFO standards).

Record daily temperature logs for walk-in coolers, reach-ins, warm holding stations, and cold wells.

Sanitize workstations, prep tables, slicers, knives, and kitchen equipment before, during, and after shifts.

Manage food allergen cross-contact risks by enforcing designated utensil usage and clear labeling across gluten-free, vegan, nut-free, and dairy-free items.

Inventory & Waste Management

Track daily prep yields and log culinary waste to identify opportunities for inventory efficiency.

Assist management with receiving deliveries, inspecting vendor produce for freshness, and immediately rejecting sub-par stock.

Organize dry storage, walk-in coolers, and freezers cleanly using First-In, First-Out (FIFO) labeling protocols.

Team Support & Service

Train and guide junior prep crew and line servers on knife skills, safety protocols, and standard operating procedures.

Step onto the active assembly line during sudden surges to assist with bowl crafting, customer modifications, and expediting orders.

Qualifications & Experience

Experience:
1–3 years of culinary or prep cook experience in a fast-casual, deli, health-food cafe, or commercial kitchen environment.

Certifications:
Valid Food Handler / Food Safety Hygiene Certificate (or willingness to obtain before start date).

Skills:
Proficient knife handling, bulk vegetable prep, and batch protein cooking (grilling, baking, steaming).

Strong working knowledge of dietary restrictions, vegan/vegetarian cooking, and common food allergens.

Ability to work cleanly, methodically, and quickly under peak rush conditions.

What We Offer

Competitive hourly rate or monthly salary based on experience

Duty meal benefits

Uniform provided

Paid annual leave and sick leave as per company policy