EXECUTIVE CHEF (STERLING COLLEGE)1

Organization / Sterling College
Location / PO Box 72 16 Sterling Drive
Craftsbury Common, VT 05827
Description / Sterling College, located in the heart of Vermont’s burgeoning rural agricultural economy and vibrant local food system, invites applications for an Executive Chef.
Founded in 1958 in Craftsbury Common, Sterling is a leading voice in higher education for environmental stewardship and the liberal arts. The College was among the first colleges in the United States to focus on sustainability through academic majors in Ecology, Environmental Humanities, Outdoor Education, and Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems. Sterling College is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges and is one of only seven federally recognized Work Colleges in the nation.
The College welcomes applications from inspired practitioners with strong applied skills who are interested in working alongside our faculty, local culinary innovators, entrepreneurs, and producers.
Dunbar Hall & Kitchen
The kitchen at Sterling College is unique among “institutional” collegiate kitchens in the United States. Dunbar Hall is the social hub of our campus and the showplace for the hard work of our students and faculty. Approximately 20 percent of the food we serve is sustainably grown and raised on campus by our faculty and students. In purchasing food, the College strongly favors local purveyors and insists upon sustainable sources, particularly the products of local farmers and artisan food producers with which the College has a relationship, such as the Cellars at Jasper Hill, High Mowing Organic Seeds, and Vermont Creamery.
In the kitchen, we produce all of our food from scratch, from baking bread to making our own stocks and yogurt. Our menu is diverse and includes many home-style favorites as well as creative and international meals. Flexibility is key; we consult standard recipes but continually adapt them to take best advantage of seasonal local ingredients and the individual skills and interests of our cooks and students.
We serve three buffet-style meals each day to between 100 and 150 people. At Sterling, faculty, staff, and families are welcome and encouraged to eat with students in Dunbar Hall. Each meal has one main dish choice, with variations for special diets, and resembles banquet-style dining rather than traditional institutional foodservice. Students, faculty, employees and guests dine together over half-hour meal periods.
The Sterling kitchen also frequently caters special events from small to large, from basic to elaborate, on behalf of the President and Board of Trustees. Recent special events have included programs with noted activists and authors such as Alice Waters and Sandor Katz. The new Executive Chef will also have the opportunity to expand the operations of the kitchen and to develop other opportunities for the creative use of Dunbar Hall; for example, during periods when the College has breaks.
We are also unique among institutional kitchens for the major role our students play in food production. Sterling is one of only seven federally recognized “work colleges,” and all students work to defray part of the cost of their education. Approximately twenty to thirty students work in the kitchen as prep cooks, breakfast cooks, brunch cooks, dishwashers and other jobs, making our kitchen a dual-purpose space emphasizing both productionandeducation.
We are managed completely internally at Sterling, without the influence of any outside corporation, contracts, or other commitments.
About the Position
The ideal candidate is passionate about innovative food systems and has had significant culinary experience. Former experience in an educational setting would be helpful, but not required. The Executive Chef will have complete oversight of the kitchen and dining services and report to the Director of Sustainable Food Systems. Responsibilities include: administration of the menu, budget oversight, management of the kitchen staff and student work program, cooking and coordination, and communication with the entire college. The Executive Chef maintains a visible presence in publicly articulating the values of Sterling College and its kitchen.
Job Responsibilities
  • Administration of Menu
  • Creating seasonally-based menus that are creative, diverse, delicious, and within budget, while also meeting the dietary needs of the Sterling community
  • Communicating menu, prep, and special event details to the kitchen staff through the creation of a weekly prep book
  • Placing food orders with as many as 10local producers and distributors per week (30+ per year), managing inventory, maintaining relationships with local producers, and researching and establishing new relationships
  • Working with various Sterling departments to plan, execute, and appropriately bill internal catering events for 5 to 300 people
  • Cooking
  • Cook at least one lunch or dinner per week for a community, faculty, and staff with the assistance of other kitchen staff
  • Cook for events as requested
  • Maintain consistently high-quality food in the Sterling Dining Hall through a hands-on approach to management
  • Management of Kitchen Staff
  • Hiring, training, evaluation of one Sous Chef and five cooks, as needed
  • Management of work schedule for kitchen employees during the semester and projects during semester breaks
  • Lead weekly team meetings
  • Management of Student Work Program
  • With the assistance of the Sous Chef create a work-learning environment that is efficient as well as educational
  • Coordinating with Sous Chef and the Dean of Workto develop work program jobs and hire, train, evaluate and, as needed, discipline student workers
  • Attend work program meetings and trainings
  • Work to promote the goals of the work program in the kitchen work setting
  • Budget Oversight
  • Complete oversight of the dining services budget, including, but not limited to, managing discretionary spending within budget, coding invoices, and maintaining clear lines of communication with the college business office
  • Working with the Sterling Comptroller to create appropriate budget projections for future years
  • Community Engagement
  • Work with the Director of Sustainable Food Systems and the Dean of the College to align kitchen activities with the mission of the college as a whole
  • Participate in community meetings, college-wide staff meetings, and community events
Required Skills
  • Excellent professional cooking skills, with a minimum of 5 – 10 years of experience, or combined experience and relevant schoolwork
  • Organizational, planning, budget management, record-keeping, word-processing and spreadsheet skills
  • Proven leadership ability, with the ability to positively motivate and energize your team
  • Excellent communication skills, both written and oral
  • A great sense of humor and the ability to calmly multitask in a high-demand environment
  • A passion for working directly with farmers, producers, and high quality seasonal products; making and serving nutritionally-balanced and creative meals; and being part of/serving a close-knit and diverse community
  • Creativity and a true love for food and community
Employment Details
  • This is a full-time salaried position
  • Position begins XXX
  • Hours are flexible, but may include mornings, early evenings and/or weekends
  • Position requires full shifts of standing and the ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
  • Sterling College provides equitable pay, and a generous policy of paid vacation and holidays, as well as health insurance, free classes, and other benefits